Best recipe boxes (2021): best meal delivery services revealed

published 23 November 2021

Healthier than a takeaway and significantly cheaper than eating out, a home cooked meal can be a wonderful thing - as these best recipe box services prove.

Yet many of us lack the time or skill to produce tasty, nourishing dishes of our own on a regular basis. And that’s where the recent trend for meal subscription boxes springs from.

UPDATE: Mindful Chef has collaborated with Wahaca to offer a selection of fantastic Mexican-inspired dishes through the service. This is a limited offer and you will be able to get the dishes through a Mindful Chef subscription, from 27 November to 4 December, with 30 November being the last day to order.

We've taste tested and the two dishes available are delicious and (fairly) easy to make. Menu-wise we tried the Prawn & Pumpkin Seed Salsa Tacos with Smoky Squash and Chicken Tacos with Guacamole & Slaw. You can also order some Cauliflower and Cashew Nut Mole Tacos (v); Ancho and Steak and Chipotle Salsa Tacos with Roast Sweet Potatoes. The Wahaca x Mindful Chef dishes can be ordered from £6 per person.

Head to Mindful Chef now, to find more about the taco takeover.

All across the country, entrepreneurial food producers are portioning out their fresh produce (or that of their suppliers) before packaging them up with recipe cards and sending them out to the hungry working people of the UK.

Here are 10 of the finest meal subscription boxes money can buy. We’ve taken into consideration the reputation and unique angle of each service, alongside the quality and affordability of the overall package.

Best recipe boxes and best meal delivery service

and tikka chicken thighs, all of which had a really nice taste to them. Heating them up is simple (just put in the microwave) and once you take the plastic off, the cardboard boxes they come in are recyclable. It does cost (especially if you go for a lower meal count option) but you have to remember that these are complete meals, ready to eat - and shipping is free, you can skip weeks and cancel at any time. If you want 20% off your first order, then use the code: REALFOOD.

If you barely have time to leave the office to grab lunch and need healthier options, then Balance Box could be for you. This box is especially good if you hate cooking, because unlike many of the meal subscription boxes out there, these meals are pre-prepared so most can be eaten cold or simply heat in the microwave (or oven if you prefer). It provides breakfast, lunch and dinner (plus snacks) in clearly labelled tubs so you can simply grab your food for the day and run.As it is primarily designed to help with dieting, it comes in two variations; 1,200 calories or 1,800 calories per day. Within that there are 4 menus - Classic, Vegetarian, Pescatarian and Free From. Added bonus if you live in London, your box is delivered before 6:30am (and left in a safe location) so your breakfast is waiting for you when you wake up.