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Between the meal planning, the grocery shopping, and the actual cooking, figuring out how to feed yourself dinner every day can be an ordeal. This is true for everyone, but it’s especially true if you have dietary restrictions—like an allergy or aversion to gluten, for example. That’s why we set out to find the best gluten-free meal delivery services that make the process of cooking stress-free and (hopefully) fun.
Our picks for the best gluten-free meal kits…
- The best gluten-free meal kit overall: Green Chef
- The best gluten-free meal kit for busy solo eaters: Territory
- The best gluten-free meal kit/grocery store hybrid: Hungryroot
- The best plant-based gluten-free meal kit: Purple Carrot
- The best gluten-free meal kit for wellness heads: Sakara
Featured in this article
To find the best gluten-free meal kits, we tapped writer, editor, and mostly-gluten-free eater Ali Finney along with our staff members who are regularly testing meal kits of all stripes. Read on for all of the intel she gleaned from her experience, as well as a few other recommendations we have based on years of testing every meal delivery service under the sun.
The best gluten-free meal kit overall: Green Chef
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Easy to make in under 30 minutes
- Options of salads and bowls
- Lots of proteins
Cons:
- Although recyclable, a lot of packaging
Tested and reviewed by: Ali Finney
About Green Chef: Green Chef markets itself as a meal delivery service dedicated to registered dietitian-approved “clean eating” and sustainability. What that really means is it prioritizes nutritious, whole food-forward meals, CCOF-certified organic ingredients, and sustainable production, delivery, and business practices. It won its spot as our overall pick for a few reasons, but the primary one is this: When asked if she’d recommend it for gluten-free eaters, Ali said “100%. It was the tastiest option that I tried.”
How seriously does Green Chef treat its gluten-free claims? Green Chef is not an entirely gluten-free meal kit, but they have easy ways to ensure you’ll only receive gluten-free meals. The GF offerings are certified gluten-free by the Gluten Intolerance Group, and it has separate gluten-free kitting lines set up for gluten-free meals.
The ordering process: “Ordering from Green Chef with gluten sensitivities is pretty simple. Each meal is tagged with its unique differentiators—gluten-free, dairy free, fiber-smart—so that you'll easily know which meals you can eat.”
What she loved: “Because there are heaps of salads, bowls with rice, and protein-forward meals on Green Chef, I found plenty of gluten-free options that sounded great to me. If you're someone who likes to fill your plate up with leafy greens, this is a great option for you.
Unboxing the food was pretty simple. Everything came in recyclable packages and the ice packs were still frozen, so I didn't worry about food safety. Each of the three meals that I ordered was separated into a paper bag and the proteins were packaged separately towards the bottom of the box, right above the ice packs.
I found the cooking for each meal intuitive and liked that they arrived neatly packaged. The brand supplies you with a companion recipe card that's super easy to follow and while it says some recipes take 25 minutes to make, I was able to take a couple of steps to cut that down (for example, chopping the veggies while the proteins were cooking).
Of all the meal delivery services that I tested, this was the best tasting, largely because of the high-quality fresh produce. The Honey Mustard Chicken Salad was my favorite meal I tried thanks to the bright dressing.”
What she’d leave: “Green Chef’s gluten-free menu offerings definitely don't reinvent the wheel when it comes to GF eating (meaning: there aren't substitutes for breads or pasta), but that was completely fine with me.”
| Type of meal delivery service: | Organic meal kit service |
|---|---|
| Typical prep and cooking time: | 30 minutes |
| Plant-based options: | Yes |
| Add-ons available: | Yes |
| Average meal price: | $11.99 |
| Additional shipping fee: | $10.99 per box |
The best gluten-free meal kit/grocery store hybrid: Hungryroot
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Ready quick
- Wide variety of meals, snacks, juices, and one-off ingredients
- Pre-cooked separates
Cons:
- Not the best option for someone who likes to cook
Tested and reviewed by: Ali Finney
About Hungryroot: Hungryroot falls somewhere between a meal kit service and an online grocery store. It’s great for people who want the flexibility to add a mix of low-effort recipes and other grocery items or snacks to the same cart. The recipes in question tend not to be the multi-component meals one might expect from a more traditional kit like Green Chef, but rather hassle-free ways to throw together a few store-bought components to make a meal—think a Gingery Chicken and Stir-Fry Veggies Bowl made with a heat-and-eat brown rice quinoa blend, pre-seasoned chicken, and a pre-chopped vegetable mix.
How seriously does Hungryroot treat its gluten-free claims?
While there is an option to select “gluten-free” when setting up your deliveries, not all of the gluten-free products Hungryroot carries are certified GF, which means they may be produced in a facility with cross-contaminants. Ali says that she’d approach avoiding gluten with Hungryroot the same way she’d approach it at the grocery store: “You know the general ingredients that are gluten-free and shop for those, doing your due diligence in terms of vetting which ingredients may contain cross-contaminants based on level of sensitivity.”
The ordering process: “I found the Hungryroot ordering system to be slightly more complex than other meal delivery services. The brand has prepackaged snacks, sides, grocery items and the like, which you order using "credits." The number of credits you get per week is determined by the plan you select, which Hungryroot helps you choose based on a quiz you take at the beginning of your onboarding. There's some maneuvering to ensure all of your credits get spent in a given week, but luckily they do roll over if you don't spend them all.”
What she loved: “The GF options at Hungryroot were extensive because the brand really is like an online grocery store in many ways. I found that there were plenty of options out there for folks who wanted to eat gluten-free, including plenty of GF pre-packaged snacks.
On delivery day, everything came pre-packaged in containers and was sealed and ready to utilize in its given recipe. The instructions for putting together the meals were quite simple to follow; all of the ingredients (rice, chicken) came pre-made so you simply needed to heat them up in the skillet and prepare them in a bowl.
I found that the meals were tasty but more basic than other meal kits I’ve tried. While the prep time was a plus (eight minutes to dinner isn't too shabby), as someone who enjoys cooking I'd probably gravitate to something with slightly more culinary appeal. I did love that you could order snacks like Partake cookies and juices to compliment the entrees.”
What she’d leave: “This is not the best option for someone who really likes to cook. The ordering process is also a bit more complex than most meal delivery services, which is just something to get used to.”
Check out our full review of Hungryroot
| Type of meal delivery service: | Virtual grocery store with quick-and-easy meal prep options |
|---|---|
| Typical prep and cooking time: | 10–15 minutes |
| Plant-based options: | Yes |
| Add-ons available: | Yes |
| Average meal price: | $9 to $11 |
| Additional shipping fee: | $6.99 for orders under $70, Free for orders over $70 |
The best gluten-free meal kit for busy solo eaters: Territory
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Easy, microwavable meals
- Variety of dishes to choose from
- All meals are gluten-free
- Best for individuals
Cons:
- Slightly expensive per meal
- Some of the meals tasted slightly sweeter than I'd have liked
Tested and reviewed by: Ali Finney
About Territory: Territory is a prepared meal delivery service that offers rotating menus (which differ depending on your location) with up to 90 options per week. As a rule, their meals are all gluten, dairy, and refined sugar-free. Ali recommends the service for anyone who’s pressed for time and wants an easy way to ensure they’re getting healthy meals that meet their dietary needs.
How seriously does Territory treat its gluten-free claims?
Territory’s offerings are all designed to be gluten-free, but their website states that meals are prepared in kitchens where gluten, dairy and other allergens are present—something to note if you have celiac disease or a severe gluten allergy.
The ordering process: “I found the ordering process to be much more streamlined than many of the bigger options out there. You input your location and it shows you the available meals for the week. You then select from cards with prominently displayed nutrition information. There are easy to use filters for various dietary preferences like keto, Mediterranean, Low Carb, and Whole 30, so you can further key in on the meals that might be right for you (beyond gluten-free; which all are).”
What she loved: “Because all of the meals on Territory are gluten-free, I didn't have to work too hard to find options that would work for my diet. I found the array of foods—and proteins—to be diverse and interesting enough. You can order full meals, or select items a la cart if you're feeding a family or just want easy basic foods to throw together into a meal.
The kits were tightly packaged and easy to unbox, and each meal came in its own container. Out of all of the meal delivery services I tested, these were the easiest to prepare—they were already cooked and just needed to be microwaved for about 3 minutes. Because of that, the meals were pretty foolproof.
The meals exceeded my expectations of what a heat-and-eat meal could taste like, but certain veggies (like cauliflower) still had that slightly soggy microwaved texture. That said, each of the meals I tested (a vegan cauliflower curry and a ginger turkey dish) were great flavor wise; though I will note that the curry was slightly sweeter than others I've tested.
Overall, I'd say Territory is a great option for people who want fast, healthy meals without the need to do much cooking.”
What she’d leave: While the meals were impressive for being microwave fare, a heat-and-eat dish will simply never be as good as something you make fresh and from scratch. But if you’re okay with prioritizing convenience in order to meet your nutrition needs, you should consider giving Territory a try.
| Type of meal delivery service: | Prepared meal delivery service |
|---|---|
| Typical prep and cooking time: | N/A |
| Plant-based options: | Yes |
| Add-ons available: | Yes |
| Average meal price: | $14.99 |
| Additional shipping fee: | $9.99–$10.99 |
The best plant-based gluten-free meal kit: Purple Carrot
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Quick, easy, healthy meals that actually taste good and cost way less than a delivery habit
- Variety of options for level of difficulty, including some fully prepared meal options
Cons
- Some of the meals get a little boring, and everything is vegan, so it isn’t for everyone
Tested and reviewed: Carina Finn
About Purple Carrot: Purple Carrot is a completely plant-based meal delivery service that offers a rotating mix of ready-to-eat and kit-style meals. While we have not had a gluten-free tester try the service out yet, it has been tested extensively by multiple BA contributors. We thought it worthy of inclusion on this list for the breadth of GF offerings provided, and because it’s an ideal option for any plant-based gluten-free eaters out there.
How seriously does Purple Carrot treat its gluten-free claims?
Not all Purple Carrot meals are gluten-free, but they clearly label which ones are. Note that according to the FAQ on their website their food is processed in distribution facilities that share equipment with wheat (among other allergens).
The ordering process: “The ordering experience is super simple: You pick how many meals you want, and then you can scroll through pictures to decide what to add to your order. There’s always a preloaded selection, so if you forget to make choices, you’ll still get something. I liked that there were enough options to provide variety, but not so many that I got trapped in a scroll of indecision.”
What she loved: “While my household is solidly omnivorous, I never missed the meat in a Purple Carrot meal. I even found myself getting legitimately excited about my ‘healthy dinner at home’ nights—especially since I didn’t have to grocery shop. All of the meal kits I tried took 30 minutes or less to put together, and they kept me from ordering takeout on more than one occasion.
Purple Carrot offers a lot of variety: I could have West African Peanut Stew one night and (admittedly non-GF) Crunchadillas Supreme the next. By and large, I found all of the meals to be really well-seasoned, which was a nice change from some other meal kits. Every once in a while I’d zhuzh things up with condiments, but for the most part I was happy to eat them as is.”
What she’d leave: “There were some weeks when I wasn’t particularly excited about many of the options. That said, I was always able to find something I wanted (and it was often better than I expected).”
Check our our full review of Purple Carrot
| Type of meal delivery service: | Meal kit delivery service |
|---|---|
| Typical prep and cooking time: | 30 minutes |
| Plant-based options: | Yes |
| Add-ons available: | Yes |
| Average meal price: | $11–$13.25 |
| Additional shipping fee: | $12, or free for orders over $100 |
The best gluten-free meal kit for wellness heads: Sakara
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Healthy, nourishing meals
- Appealing to vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free diets
- Curated menu means all the planning is taken care of for you
Cons
- Premium price point might not fit into a lot of people’s budgets
Tested and reviewed by: Emma Laperruque
About Sakara: Sakara takes a “food as medicine” approach to meal delivery. The fully prepared meals that make up their Signature Nutrition Program are nutrient-rich, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free across the board, designed to promote a balanced gut microbiome, increase cellular energy, and improve skin clarity, among other claims.
How seriously does Sakara treat its gluten-free claims?
All of Sakara’s meals are gluten-free, but the company does note on its website: “While we follow strict food safety protocols, we do not recommend our meal program for anyone with a severe allergy, as we cannot guarantee the absence of cross-contamination in our facility or from our vendors.”
The ordering process: “Sakara rolls out set weekly menus and, as part of their Signature Nutrition Program, you can pick a program that includes lunch and dinner, or breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The options are limited in that sense—the five lunches for the week are the five lunches for the week, and there are no substitutions allowed. But considering that meal kits are meant to simplify your life, I thought that was a benefit. All the planning and curation is taken care of for you.
You can also choose between ordering a weekly subscription, or prepaying for 1, 4, 8, or 12 weeks at a time.”
What she loved: “All of the meals I received were straightforward and quick to prepare. A lot of them required no heating at all (for example, a parfait for breakfast or a salad for lunch). Some were marked as heating optional. There were a few heating recommendations that I adjusted to speed things up; for example, instead of reheating a taco in the oven as suggested, I just zapped it in the microwave for a minute and that worked great.
The breakfasts were typically sweet—think muffins, scones, parfaits, or granola. That said, these were not sweet sweets—they were super balanced, which I appreciated. I especially enjoyed the pumpkin pie parfait with a maple-cinnamon granola and the coconut praline granola with cacao mylk.
Sakara’s salads are excellent—a reliable delight to dig into in the middle of a busy workday. They’re generously portioned, so you have enough fuel to power you through the afternoon, and they’re thoughtfully designed with a range of textures and colors. Just about every dressing I wished I had a full bottle of to keep in the fridge for future meals. I especially enjoyed the beet salad with cashews and carrot-ginger dressing, and the technicolor quinoa salad with pumpkin-seed tofu and cashew-tamari dressing. I also enjoyed the dinners on the whole. I’m still thinking about Sakara’s “chile-kissed” pinto beans and wishing I had them canned.
I’m someone who bakes with wheat flour often, so I found the gluten-free baked goods—such as a “chocolate love muffin” or “power pita”—more hit or miss. That said, those who follow a gluten-free diet will appreciate how creative these treats are, the wide range of options, and the fact that they’re designed to pack in additional nutrients.”
What she’d leave: This may not be the best meal delivery service for people who favor savoy breakfasts. Besides that, “the main downside to Sakara is the price,” says Emma. “At $140–$465 per week (per person!) depending on your plan, it’s the priciest option on this list. But if you’re someone who is gluten-free and sees food as a source of nourishment and well-being, you’ll like what you get.”
Check our our full review of Sakara
| Type of meal delivery service: | Prepared meal delivery service |
|---|---|
| Typical prep and cooking time: | N/A |
| Plant-based options: | Yes |
| Add-ons available: | Yes |
| Average meal price: | $140–$465 per week |
| Additional shipping fee: | Free |
How we tested gluten-free meal kits
Here at Bon Appétit, we’re constantly testing and retesting meal kits—so we had a lot of intel to draw from in determining which are the best options for gluten-free eaters. We took into account how each kit fared in our Best Meal Delivery Services story, the breadth of gluten-free offerings they have, and the degree to which they take any GF claims seriously in selecting which ones to include on this list.
We also enlisted the help of writer and editor Ali Finney to provide insight and testing notes from the perspective of someone who eats a primarily gluten-free diet. Three of the kits on this list were tested directly by Ali, and every meal kit on this list has been tested by at least three staffers or contributors. We continue to regularly test them, too, to monitor changes in quality over time.
When we test meal kits, we evaluate them holistically. We look at the array of options they provide, the ease of the ordering and delivery processes, how well they’re packed, how straightforward they are to prepare, how much value they offer, and, of course, how they taste.
More meal kit stories
While this list details the best meal delivery services for gluten-free eaters, we have a pretty extensive list of meal kit reviews targeting other specific needs. Or check out our main Best Meal Delivery Services story to read up on all of the kits we’ve ever tested.