Senior Meal Delivery Service Review: 2021 Edition

• Senior meal delivery service review

• Home Chef
• Silver Cuisine
• Sun Basket
• Blue Apron

Senior meal delivery service review

During the pandemic, many seniors faced barriers to grocery shopping. Meal delivery services offered a safer alternative, with options ranging from ready-to-eat meals to meal kits you could prepare at home. Four popular choices for seniors are Home Chef, Silver Cuisine, Sun Basket, and Blue Apron.

Home Chef

Home Chef operates on a simple three-step process: you select recipes that match your dietary needs, customize them if you like, and receive the ingredients. You can swap protein (turkey instead of beef) or adjust other components. Some vegetarian meals are vegan, though not all. The service offers salad kits, oven-ready meals, and grill-ready kits. Ingredients vary by week; some are organic, others are not. Oven-ready meals come in oven-safe tins, and grill-ready meals in bags you can use directly on a grill. Pricing starts at $6.99 per serving with a $49.95 minimum weekly order. The menu tab shows the current week plus four weeks ahead, so you can plan in advance. Home Chef is straightforward to order from and delivers fresh produce you prepare yourself.

Silver Cuisine

Silver Cuisine delivers pre-cooked meals, so there is no cooking required. The service sources ingredients from grocery stores and prepares meals before delivery. Meals accommodate specific diets like dairy-free, low-sodium, and gluten-free. Their low-sodium meals meet American Heart Association guidelines for fat, saturated fat, sodium, and calories. They also offer menopause-specific diets with lean proteins and lower carbohydrates. Recipes are designed for people over 50 with appropriate ratios of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The menu includes 150 meals rotating regularly across breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert. You cannot substitute individual ingredients, so this may not work if you need that flexibility. Meals start at $6.00. First-time customers get 10% off and free shipping. AARP members receive additional discounts like free shipping on certain orders. Unlike Home Chef, Silver Cuisine has no minimum order. The trade-off is that ready-made meals take the convenience further but leave you less control over ingredients.

Sun Basket

Sun Basket provides both meal kits with cooking instructions and ready-to-heat meals. Like the other services, you can customize or choose from dietary options. Meal kits include pre-portioned fresh produce and spices for the recipes. Sun Basket prioritizes organic ingredients and sources wild-caught fish and responsibly-raised meat. Their website lists where produce comes from and explains their sustainability goals. Options include paleo, gluten-free, and Mediterranean diets. Meals are pre-portioned and contain fiber and protein with lower sodium than frozen grocery store alternatives. They suggest additions like nuts or olive oil if you want more flavor. Pre-made dinners start at $8.99 per serving for four recipes per week, with free shipping on your first order. The minimum is two recipes per week, and you can choose servings for two or four people. If organic food matters to you and you want to support a company that donates meals to local communities weekly, Sun Basket is a solid option.

Blue Apron

Blue Apron is a well-established meal kit service. Their kits include easy-to-follow instructions, pre-portioned ingredients, and come in insulated boxes with recyclable ice packs. Blue Apron verifies that animals are not given antibiotics or hormones and that vendors confirm no GMO products. They also track how animals are raised and treated. Meals start at $7.49 per serving with no meal plan commitment, making cancellation simple. Shipping is free on most plans when you order three or four recipes per week. The menu includes vegetarian and wellness-focused options, with some meals carrying a Weight Watchers designation. Dishes range from simple (creamy chipotle chicken) to more involved (shawarma). You can see current and upcoming week menus on their website. The vegetarian selection is smaller than at other services. Unlike Silver Cuisine, Blue Apron's recipes are not designed for a specific age group. A unique feature is their wine pairings with smaller bottles. Blue Apron is well-regarded for reliable delivery of fresh meals.

References

https://www.homechef.com

https://www.silvercuisine.com

https://sunbasket.com

https://sunbasket.com/faq/

https://www.blueapron.com