Since 2012, Brett Helling has built expertise in the rideshare and delivery sectors, working with major platforms like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash.
He acquired Ridester.com in 2014, the first ridesharing marketplace, leveraging his direct experience to enhance the site. His insights at Ridester are recognized by Forbes, Vice, and CNBC.
Ridester articles are reviewed by gig economy experts before getting published to ensure accuracy, thoroughness, and quality. Learn about our editorial standards.
Since 2012, Brett Helling has built expertise in the rideshare and delivery sectors, working with major platforms like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash.
He acquired Ridester.com in 2014, the first ridesharing marketplace, leveraging his direct experience to enhance the site. His insights at Ridester are recognized by Forbes, Vice, and CNBC.
Yes, you can. Gifting a meal is easier than ever, thanks to the number of services available today. However, even though ordering is easy, choosing the right service is hard.
They all have various features, as well as advantages and disadvantages, depending on the meal you plan on sending. It doesn’t help that there are hundreds of options, either.
Some questions to ask yourself before ordering are:
Will the recipient be eating the food right away?
Will you send a prepared meal, takeout, a meal preparation kit, or fresh produce?
Are you looking to send a gourmet meal, a healthy meal, or a comfort meal?
Are there any dietary restrictions?
How many servings would satisfy your recipient?
That’s why you need to know what you want to send first. Once that’s out of the way, selecting a suitable service becomes easy.
Options for Meal Delivery Services
Below are the different services for sending meals to your loved ones. Each one tries to specialize in a niche.
Meal Preparation Kits
Some services send you the necessary ingredients to prepare a delicious meal yourself.
This option is best for those who want fresh vegetables, want to learn to cook, want to discover new recipes, or enjoy cooking but can’t make it to the store.
If you’re hoping to send someone a meal kit, consider sending a HelloFresh box. These boxes provide the recipient with pre-portioned ingredients they need to make a healthy meal, including the recipe. You can select specific dietary restrictions easily when ordering.
The HelloFresh boxes are great for college students, someone who can’t get ingredients to cook, or someone who wants to try new recipes. Their cost depends on the number of people and the number of meals per week. Typically, prices range from $9.99 to $11.49 per serving.
You can order HelloFresh boxes on their website. The plans are subscription-based, providing up to six meals per week, but you can skip, pause, or cancel deliveries at any time.
This service also offers a wide selection of meal plans for different lifestyles and diets, such as vegetarian, pescatarian, and fit and wholesome.
Green Chef is an alternative to HelloFresh. They function in nearly identical ways, except Green Chef is more diet-sensitive. It offers a keto and gluten-free plan, as well as plans to improve your gut and brain health and increase your protein intake.
In total, you have eight lifestyle preferences to pick from. Meals cost around $11.99 to $13.49 per serving.
Instacart is a service that lets you order groceries online from local supermarkets and get them delivered or picked up on the same day.
You can use the app or the website to browse the products from different stores near you and add them to your cart.
A shopper will do the shopping for you, and you can chat with them as they deal with your order. If a specific item is out of stock, they can replace it with a close alternative or omit it from your list. The platform also offers contactless delivery and curbside pickup options.
Make sure you input the recipient’s address!
Prepared Meals
A good food delivery option is a tasty meal that only needs heating. This type of service is suitable if you want to send food but need to know when the recipient will eat it.
Send a Meal delivers gourmet convenience right to your recipient’s door. They arrive frozen, so they can enjoy them whenever hunger strikes. Their website offers an array of dishes, from $10 desserts and comfort meals up to $150 elaborate spreads for family feasts.
To order, you need to go online to their website. They allow you to select the date you’d like the food to arrive, and you can also throw in a personalized message or a little gift to make the delivery more special.
Instead of Flowers is a leading provider of gourmet meals ideal for gifting. Their standout feature is that you can let the recipient make their own selection, ensuring that the meal they receive caters to their preferences and dietary needs instead of choosing the meal yourself.
They offer a wide range of dishes, from comfort meals starting at around $20 to fine dining dishes like steak or lobster. Ordering is done through the website; you choose the meal and select a delivery date at your convenience.
Takeout Meals
If your recipient is craving a convenient, comforting meal, then takeout is your best bet.
DoorDash lets you order food, alcohol, flowers, and everyday essentials from a wide range of local and national partners.
Their user-friendly app has everything you need, boasting countless restaurants across diverse cuisines and offering options ranging from pizzas and Thai curry to late-night deliveries of your favorite desserts.
To place an order, download it, create an account, and don’t forget to enter your recipient’s address to see the available options in their area!
The service has a stronger presence in larger cities, generally has lower fees, and chiefly deals with national chains and popular brands, so you can find more familiar and convenient options on their app. That’s not to say it doesn’t offer a wide variety of cuisines from local restaurants, though!
To place an order, you’ll need to download the Uber Eats app, which is separate from the Uber app, and create an account.
Postmates operates as a separate entity under the same parent company, Uber Technologies.
If you’re looking for a specific food item and Uber Eats failed to deliver, checking out Postmates might be a solution. Their selections vary considerably.
To use Postmates, download the app on your phone and browse their partner options in your desired delivery area. You’ll be able to select the items you want and enter the address at checkout.
GoPuff delivers snacks, alcohol, and other essentials from a warehouse to your recipient’s door in as little as 20 minutes.
You can order online or through the app and choose from a variety of shelf-stable or pre-packaged items.
However, this service is available in select cities, so check their app or website to see if they deliver to your recipient’s area.
To place an order, access the app, input the address, select your items, and pay. The order will go out instantly, and your recipient will get it quickly.
Wrapping Up
Sending food is a thoughtful gesture that can brighten your recipient’s day, be it a sick friend, new parents, or someone celebrating a special occasion.
But what kind of food should you send? That depends on what they like and need.
Luckily, our suggestions cover all sorts of dietary restrictions and food preferences, so make sure you pick the most suitable one!
