This is the best meal delivery service now that Fresh N Lean is gone

Scoring format

Freshness 9/10Taste/Results 9/10Value 8/10Recipe variation 10/10Health 8/10

Advantages

• All meals were well prepared and tasted good or even better (no misses!).
• Huge selection of diverse meals to choose from
• Lots of options for those on special diets, including plant-based, keto, Whole30, and more

Disadvantages

• Expensive unless you order more than 6 meals per week
• Some portions were on the small side
• Additional $10 for shipping

When Fresh N Lean went under in July, it caused a major shift in the prepared meal hierarchy. Fresh N Lean had been our favorite prepared meal service for a few years, but a seemingly shady financial underpinning forced the healthy subscription service to suddenly close.

Fear not, hungry readers looking for delicious meals to fill the fridge, a viable number two is already waiting in the wings and CookUnity Takes the Throne as the New Best-Prepared Meal Delivery Service for 2024

After trying dozens of available meal delivery services, and found quite a few nice ones — I decided to give CookUnity a try last year. As you might expect from a service that features recipes from a range of chefs, each with a unique culinary background, the CookUnity meals, which start at around $11 per serving, were just as diverse.

Overall, I found the quality of CookUnity meals to be extremely high and the ordering platform easy to use. It’s one of the tastiest subscription services I’ve tried and deserves a spot on this editor’s list of the best meal delivery services for 2024.

Here’s a rundown of how CookUnity works and what I liked and didn’t like about it. CookUnity is currently available in most of the continental US, including all areas and zip codes listed on this card.

How CookUnity Works

This is a meal plan, so you choose four, six, eight, twelve, or sixteen. You can always easily add, pause, or skip deliveries or change your plan at any time, but remember that meals will keep coming if you don’t and you’ll have to pay for them. Meals are delivered chilled with ice to keep them that way, but never frozenMost can be easily frozen if you can’t keep them before the recommended date on the side of the box, but I would venture to say that some freeze better than others.

Each of CookUnity’s ready-made meals is named after a chef; the implication is that the chef created the recipe you’ll be eating at your dining room table or across the kitchen counter. Among the newer names, there are some heavyweights to order, including Einat Admony (Taïm, Balaboosta), John DeLucie (Waverly Inn, Lumaca), and Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Jean-Georges).

You can choose your meals from a rotating menu of over 150 meals each week, or let CookUnity decide for you and be surprised when you tear open the box. When choosing meals, you can use filters to sort by specific diet plans, including vegan and vegetarian, keto, low-calorie, Whole30-friendly, gluten-free, and more. You can also view the full nutritional information and ingredient list, as well as reviews from others before you put anything in your cart.

CookUnity chooses a first delivery day, but you can change it if necessary. You can also deliver within a certain time frame, so that someone is home to put the meals in the fridge.

When the meals arrive, they’ll come with simple heating instructions printed on the side of the box, often including both a chef’s recommendation and an option for fast heating — which generally means using the microwave. Spoiler alert: You’ll want to follow the chef’s recommendation, even if that means spraying a nonstick pan or using a small piece of aluminum foil afterward.

What I ate and how I liked it

I chose six meals and tried them all fresh within a few days of arrival. None of them seemed like good candidates for freezing, unlike other services I tried, some of which seemed geared towards it. Overall, I found the quality to be very high, and while some were better than others, I didn’t find any of them to be bad.

Chicken tinga tacos with coriander and guacamole: The pulled chicken in these tacos was incredibly tender and full of smoky, slightly spicy flavor. The corn tortillas weren’t the freshest, but they didn’t completely ruin the meal.

Vegetarian crepe with cheddar cheese: This was another good one with spinach and mushrooms bursting out of the flaky crepe. It could have used a bit more flavor and was a bit soggy when reheated, but overall it was a pleasant lunch, and it was filling too.

Lamb kebab with roasted sweet potatoes, hummus and pickles: Super tender lamb packed with flavours including mint and garlic. The sweet potatoes were also extremely well cooked, just starting to brown around the edges. This was probably my favourite and it heated up particularly well as the oils from the lamb re-grilled the kebab from the inside out.

Tofu with hemp seeds and sweet potato puree: The tofu was tender, but a little bland, and the sweet potatoes were creamy and well seasoned. It was served with a bright parsley sauce, which was perhaps the best part.

Miso cod with fried vegetables: The cod tasted fresh, although the vegetables left a bit to be desired — a bit bland I think. This was definitely a smaller portion than the rest, which is fine for someone trying to cut back on carbs or calories, but it wasn’t enough to fill me up.

Beef bulgogi ramen: Hearty dish with the noodles cooked well and lots of sour kimchi flavor in the tender beef stir fry. Not the best bulgogi I’ve ever had, but not the worst either.

How much does CookUnity cost?

This service is comparable to other high-end meal delivery services with meals ranging between $11 and $13 depending on how many meals you order per week. Others in the same category, including some of our top picks like Pete’s Paleo are more expensive at $12-$15 per meal. However, there are cheaper options, including Mosaic foodwhich you can order for as little as $6 per serving if you order a family meal.

What are the shipping costs for CookUnity?

You’ll pay a flat rate of $10 for all orders through CookUnity. That’s pretty standard, though some services like Fresh N Lean will waive the fee if you order enough meals.

Who is CookUnity suitable for?

Because this food delivery service has such a wide range of options, I would say that this service is one of the best for someone with a curious taste and who likes to try new dishes. The food is all over the place, literally, with dozens of dishes from all over the world, but the quality is consistent and all the dishes I tried were at least good or better.

There are plenty of healthy, low-carb, vegan, and paleo options, so this is a good meal delivery service if you have a specific eating plan to follow.

CookUnity is also a great option if you’re into the celebrity chef scene and want to let your friends know you had pizza from Jean-Georges last night. And yes, the French-born, James Beard Award-winning chef actually has a pizza recipe on CookUnity’s menu. Who knew.

Who is CookUnity less suitable for?

It’s probably not a great choice for families, as the portions aren’t huge and things get expensive if you’re ordering for three or four people. It’s also not ideal if you have a very unpredictable schedule, as I wouldn’t recommend freezing freshly prepared food and it’s definitely best eaten a few days after delivery.

Final verdict on CookUnity

I admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the success rate of this meal service. When I saw how many real cooks were in the kitchen, in addition to the dozens of chefs from whom they had picked recipes, I was worried that the service itself would be inconsistent. But in practice, every meal was well prepared with good flavor and I did not encounter a single real failure. The cod was the only meal where I wished it had been a larger portion, but overall, every lunch or dinner was satisfying.

The most exciting thing about CookUnity is the sheer amount of meal options to choose from, all from chefs with different backgrounds, cooking styles, and levels of fame. As a true restaurant junkie, I would see CookUnity not only as a tasty way to feed myself without having to cook, but also as a fun way to get to know new chef personalities and restaurants for the next time I travel to a new city or am looking for a place to eat locally.

Since you can pause or cancel your subscription at any time, I say give it a try and see how you like it. You I like it.

The information in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or health goals.