Some meal delivery services offer dedicated Mediterranean diet menus. Take a look at which meal delivery services offer these meals that have important health benefits.
Research often shows that the Mediterranean diet has positive effects on health, and many meal delivery services offer dedicated Mediterranean menus, helping people eat nutritionally balanced meals throughout the week.
Meal delivery services can potentially save individuals money and time, and they may also help people explore a new eating plan. This article compares the best meal delivery services suitable for a Mediterranean diet and discusses its benefits.
Please note that this article contains reviews from testers who may have received products for free. All opinions are their own.
The table below compares the meal delivery services in this article.
| Type of meals | Shipping | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BistroMD | prepared meals | $19.95 | $10.99 to $14.99 |
| EveryPlate | meal kits | $9.99 | $4.99 to $7.49 |
| Factor | prepared meals | $10.99 | varies |
| Green Chef | meal kits | $10.99 | $11.99 to $13.49 |
| HelloFresh | meal kits | around $10.99 but can vary by plan | varies |
| Daily Harvest | prepared meals | $9.99 | $6.79 to $9.79 |
| Territory Foods | prepared meals | $9.99 to $17.99 | $11.95 to $22.95 |
| Sunbasket | both | $9.99 | $9.99 to $25.99 |
Medical News Today chooses meal delivery services that fit the following criteria:
- Nutritional value: MNT selects meal delivery services that meet the average person’s nutritional needs and promote healthy eating habits.
- Ingredient quality: MNT chooses meal delivery services that use fresh, high quality ingredients. Some also use organic produce or sustainably sourced ingredients.
- Variety: MNT selects meal delivery services that feature a range of flavors and ingredients to suit different taste preferences and diets.
- Price: MNT chooses meal delivery services with different price points to suit a range of budgets.
- Availability: MNT selects meal delivery services available throughout most of the United States.
- Sustainability: MNT chooses meal delivery services that reduce their environmental impact by using recyclable packaging, carbon-neutral shipping, local ingredients, and other sustainable practices.
- Reputation: MNT selects only brands that adhere to industry best practices and have passed our medical vetting process.
Key factors to consider when choosing a meal delivery service include:
- Dietary needs: People should choose plans that will accommodate any food allergies, sensitivities, or other preferences they have. Typically, brands will specify whether meals are gluten- or dairy-free and whether they contain nuts.
- Budget: Some plans are much more affordable than others. A person needs to consider how often they would like deliveries and how many meals they would typically need per week. They should also take note of extra shipping costs that may make a plan more expensive. Often, the larger a person’s order, the cheaper each serving.
- Ingredients: People may wish to prioritize meal delivery services that use fresh, organic ingredients without artificial preservatives, flavorings, or colors.
- Packaging: Some brands use recyclable packaging. A person should also ensure the company they choose packs its meals appropriately so they stay cold during shipping.
The Mediterranean diet originates from the traditional foods of the countries that
These foods are
Foods that people should prioritize in the Mediterranean diet
- seasonal, field-grown fresh vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans
- legumes, such as black beans, lentils, and chickpeas
- fruits, such as apples, bananas, grapes, and strawberries
- nuts, such as almonds and hazelnuts
- whole grain bread and flatbreads
- whole grains, such as quinoa and brown rice
- seeds, such as chia and hemp
- fish, such as sardines and mackerel
- olive oil
- red wine consumed as part of a meal
People can also include chicken, turkey, eggs, and cheese in moderation as part of the Mediterranean diet.
Mediterranean diet recipes
The Mediterranean diet is not limited to dishes from Italy, Greece, and Spain. It can also include dishes from Morocco, Lebanon, Turkey, and more.
Some example Mediterranean diet meal plan recipes include:
- Breakfast oats: For breakfast, people can try pairing oats with fresh fruit, honey, and nuts.
- Vegetable frittata: This dish includes eggs and fresh vegetables such as peppers, zucchini, broccoli, onions, and herbs.
- Lebanese-style rice: This rice dish can be a side or a main and uses rice with herby, lean ground beef, pine nuts, almonds, and a raisin mix
- Greek salad: There are many ways to make a Greek-style salad, but it can include ingredients such as cucumber, feta, olives, figs, chicken, spinach, and mint, with dressings of olive oil and lemon juice.
- Shakshuka: This dish, which can serve as a breakfast or dinner, uses poached eggs, fresh tomato sauce, peppers, olives, and a blend of warming herbs and spices.
Learn more about how to follow a Mediterranean diet plan.
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- fewer heart attacks and strokes
- lower risk of metabolic syndrome
- obesity prevention
- improved blood sugar regulation
- reduced risk of some cancers
- protection against neurodegenerative diseases
However, the authors note that the Mediterranean diet is difficult to implement in some locations for geographical or cultural reasons. Additionally, they write that a limited number of people in the United States follow this diet.
Multiple scientific studies provide evidence that the Mediterranean diet positively affects cardiovascular health, lowers the risk of obesity and diabetes, and may offer multiple health benefits, particularly when combined with an active lifestyle.
Factor does not currently offer Mediterranean diet meals. However, some of the company’s meals contain ingredients that are part of the Mediterranean diet, such as whole grains, vegetables, and meat.
The Mediterranean diet is not specifically to help people lose weight, although a 2022 review suggests that the diet can lead to a 5% weight loss in 3 months.
People should aim to lose weight at a safe and sustainable rate. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that people who lose 1 to 2 pounds weekly are more likely to keep it off.
Mediterranean meals will include whole grains, vegetables, and small amounts of seafood or red meat. Example meals include dinners such as shakshuka, which includes poached eggs, tomatoes, olive oil, peppers, and garlic with spices, or risottos with fresh vegetables, fish, or meat.
Learn more about what to include in a Mediterranean diet plan.
Meal delivery services provide meal kits that people can prepare themselves, completely prepared meals that they can heat and serve, and additional options such as desserts and snacks. Various options are available.
Before selecting a plan, a person needs to consider their dietary needs, budget, health concerns, and taste preferences.
