By John North

Better Business Bureau

Meal delivery services add ease and convenience to your weekly meal planning. These services deliver fresh, pre-measured ingredients that make cooking dinner at home a breeze. According to Statista, meal kit revenue worldwide was expected to grow to over 17 billion U.S. dollars in 2023 and is forecasted to exceed 25 million by 2027. It can be challenging to choose the right service for you because each company offers something different.

The Better Business Bureau offers these tips when choosing a meal delivery service:

Research the delivery service. Ask family and friends and look at reviews for past customer experiences.

Look for deals. Some meal kits offer discounts, such as sales, bulk discounts or introductory offers.

Consider local, small businesses near you. They may offer you locally sourced ingredients and a more personalized experience than larger online companies.

Think about your skill level. Before committing to a plan, consider the techniques and cooking utensils you’ll need to complete the dishes.

Consider ingredient quality. Look into the ingredients you’ll be cooking with. Consider any food allergies or dietary restrictions.

Consider how often the menu rotates and whether a company offers weekly specials or seasonal items to add diversity to your diet.

Keep your budget in mind. Look into additional costs for add-ons, premium ingredients and shipping fees.

Look into the company’s sustainability. If sustainability is important to you, you may want to look into packaging and if the ingredients are ethically sourced.

Determine the amount of prep work. Some companies send ingredients pre-chopped and others require more prep work. Consider what works best with your schedule.

Understand delivery options. Some meal services will deliver to your door, others to a common area and some only go to select locations. Some will allow you to choose a delivery day, while others only deliver on certain days.

Look into the company’s customer service. If you have a missing ingredient or instructions, you want to know you can reach out to customer service.

Read the fine print and understand the terms and conditions if you decide to cancel.

Be careful providing your personal information. Make sure you’re on the company’s legitimate website.

The BBB can also help with your search. Visit BBB.org for a list of Accredited Businesses in the industry and Business Profiles for companies you’re considering.