The 7 Best Bodybuilding Meal Delivery Services of 2023

A quick look at the best bodybuilding meal delivery services

• Best overall: MealPro
• Best with registered dietitian support: Factor
• Best organic: Trifecta Nutrition
• Best for special diets: Territory Foods
• Best budget: ICON Meals
• Best frozen: Muscle Meals 2 Go
• Best paleo: Snap Kitchen

Meal delivery services have gained popularity in the last few years. Plenty of them offer healthy options, but if you’re a bodybuilder who’s short on time to cook, you may want a meal delivery service that targets your specific needs and provides ready-made meals that require minimal preparation.

Bodybuilding requires you to max out at the gym while balancing rigor with recovery and optimizing your nutrition.

And there are several meal delivery options to help you do just that.

We tested and chose meal delivery companies that can help you reach your fitness goals and save you some time in the kitchen by providing nutritious heat-and-eat meals.

How we chose the best meal delivery services for bodybuilding

The services featured in this article were selected based on the following criteria:

• Nutritional content: We looked for meal delivery services that provide a balance of proteins, fats, and carbs.
• Menu variety: Each service listed offers a diverse selection of meals.
• Ingredient quality: Companies use high quality, fresh ingredients that are often organic or sustainably sourced.
• Availability: Delivery is available for most areas within the United States.
• Value: Services provide a good value for the price.
• Expert recommendations: We asked registered dietitians and board certified specialists in sports dietetics what they look for when selecting a meal delivery service that can support muscle building. Healthline dietitians have also tested many of the services we recommend and provided their feedback below.

Here are 7 of the best bodybuilding meal delivery services.

Healthline’s picks of the best bodybuilding meal delivery services

Best overall

MealPro

• Price: $9–$19 per meal
• Shipping: fees calculated at checkout (free for larger orders in select states)
• Availability: contiguous United States and certain parts of Canada
• Menus: Balanced a la carte, Keto, Medical (meals catered to renal disease, heart health, Crohn’s disease, and other condition restrictions), and Custom (vegetarian options available)

MealPro is a highly comprehensive meal program that allows you to:

• select your choice of meals from the company’s extensive rotating menu
• build your own meals
• work with a registered dietitian

Plus, you can select individual meals from the a la carte menu, and you do not need a subscription to purchase meals. Few other services offer the same level of flexibility and variety.

You can choose from a menu of meals designed for the keto diet or for various medical conditions. You can also create a custom box of meals you build by selecting:

• a protein
• two sides
• a topping

Each box contains 18 or 20 prepared meals per week, and you can modify certain recipes to include extra servings of:

• protein
• carbs
• veggies

The company offers the option to increase the protein portion in each meal and provides detailed information on the nutritional value of each dish on the menu.

For example, a serving of the BBQ Bean Chicken contains the following nutrients:

• Calories: 429
• Carbs: 43 grams (g)
• Protein: 47 g
• Fat: 10 g
• Fiber: 15 g

MealPro offers nutrition coaching with a registered dietitian for an additional fee. Coaching services are available in a 1- or 3-month package and include 4–12 one-on-one coaching sessions with a dietitian.

From there, a meal plan is customized to your needs, and a discount is applied to your meal delivery.

To learn more about MealPro, check out our full review.

Best with registered dietitian support

Factor

• Price: $11–$13 per meal
• Shipping: fees depend on your location
• Availability: contiguous United States
• Menus: Chef’s Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, Vegan & Veggie, and Protein Plus

Factor offers a rotating menu of chef-created, dietitian-approved meals.

The company offers meals to fit a range of dietary patterns, including a variety of options, such as:

• low calorie
• keto
• paleo
• plant-based
• dairy-free
• low carb

You can order 6–18 meals per week.

In addition to providing meals based on diet type, Factor emphasizes that their meals are appropriate for people with a range of lifestyles, including weightlifters and athletes.

The complete nutrition data, ingredients, and allergens are listed for each meal to make it easy to determine which recipes meet your nutrient needs.

For instance, the Ground Beef and Thyme Cottage Pie provides:

• Calories: 560
• Carbs: 15 g
• Protein: 36 g
• Fat: 41 g
• Fiber: 4 g

The company also offers nutrition coaching plans that allow customers to connect with in-house registered dietitians on a regular basis. The plans start with a free 20-minute consultation and offer biweekly coaching sessions and unlimited messaging.

If you opt for nutrition coaching, you’ll also get access to a nutrition course to help you learn the foundations of healthy eating.

What our tester says

“Factor’s meals had the best texture out of all of the prepared meal delivery services I’ve tried, and the flavors were spot-on as well.

“The seasonings and sauces really made the dishes stand out. For example, the pesto in the Herbed Quinoa Pesto Bowl was zesty and balanced without being overpowering.

“The meals are easy to reheat, and I liked having them on hand for quick lunches. You can read more about my experience trying Factor in this hands-on review.”

— Healthline Nutrition and Fitness Market Editor Kelli McGrane, MS, RD

Best organic

Trifecta Nutrition

• Price: $11–$16 per meal ($10+ for meal prep items, which include 4 servings)
• Shipping: $10 ($50 for Hawaii and Alaska)
• Availability: United States
• Menus: Clean, Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan, and Vegetarian

Trifecta Nutrition specializes in providing nutritionally balanced meals designed to help build muscle and optimize performance. The company is known for sourcing high quality ingredients.

The company offers several meal plans, including clean, ketogenic, paleo, vegan, and vegetarian.

Available meals feature gluten-free ingredients made with grass-fed proteins, free-range chicken, sustainably caught seafood, and organic produce.

All Trifecta Nutrition meals, with the exception of the a la carte options, contain 350–500 calories, 20–40 g of protein, and a moderate to low number of carbs, according to the company’s website.

The Chicken Breast, Sweet Potato, Mixed Vegetables Meal on the a la carte menu contains the following nutrients:

• Calories: 298
• Carbs: 29 g
• Protein: 28 g
• Fat: 9 g
• Fiber: 3 g

The company also offers a meal prep option, which allows you to order individual precooked ingredients in bulk. This means you can build your own meals, which may make it easier for you to meet your macro needs.

Trifecta Nutrition has an app that helps you track your meals and provides additional guidance on calorie needs and nutrient ranges.

If you subscribe to the premium version of the app ($10 per month or $70 per year), you can track workouts, manage delivery times of meals, and gain access to a library of movement demo videos.

You can order up to four meals per day for either 5 or 7 days per week.

What our tester says

“Overall, Trifecta’s meals kept their flavor and texture well after reheating. I also found each meal to be filling enough for a main course and nutritious. That said, I did add some extra seasonings and vegetables to some dishes to boost their flavor profile.

“While Trifecta does offer several plans for different dietary needs, it’s worth noting that you can only select two ingredient preferences, so it may not be the best fit for picky eaters.”

Read more about Trifecta Nutrition in our full review.

— Healthline writer Rachael Link, MS, RD

Best for special diets

Territory Foods

• Price: $11–$18 per serving
• Shipping: $7.95–$8.95 per delivery, depending on location
• Availability: select locations in the contiguous United States
• Menus: Paleo, Keto Friendly, Mixitarian, Plant-Based, Vegetarian, Vegan, Whole30, Low Fat, Low Carb, Mediterranean, Pre & Postpartum, Diabetes-Friendly

Territory Foods is a meal delivery service that specializes in providing high quality, sustainably sourced dishes based on ingredients found in your geographical region.

The company partners with local chefs that work in certified kitchens across the country to prepare meals. They also have registered dietitians on staff to review recipes.

Territory Foods emphasizes sustainably sourced ingredients and guarantees that all meals are free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugars.

You can choose from a variety of options for several eating patterns, including vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, low carb, low fat, diabetes-friendly, and pre- and postpartum diets.

The range of diet types offered makes this meal delivery service our top choice for anyone looking to support their training while adhering to particular dietary needs.

Full ingredient data is listed for each meal, as well as a complete ingredient list and allergen information.

For example, the Tagine Chicken Salad with Peppercorn Dressing contains:

• Calories: 490
• Carbs: 15 g
• Protein: 38 g
• Fat: 32 g
• Fiber: 4 g

You can order items via a subscription or on a one-time basis, which allows for flexibility depending on your schedule.

To learn more about Territory Foods, check out our in-depth review.

Best budget

ICON Meals

• Price: $8–$21 for individual meals, $11+ per meal for meal boxes
• Shipping: fees depend on your location
• Availability: contiguous United States
• Menus: custom a la carte and curated boxes, can filter by dietary needs (gluten-free, dairy-free, keto, high protein, low fat, low calorie, and more)

For bodybuilders seeking a meal delivery service that’s convenient and affordable, ICON Meals may be worth a try. With meals starting at $8, it’s the cheapest bodybuilding meal prep delivery service on our list.

You don’t have to subscribe to use the service, so you can place orders depending on your individual needs. This can be helpful if you want to change up the kinds of meals you order, if you travel often, or if you simply prefer the added flexibility.

In addition to offering a variety of high protein selections on the signature menu, the company lets you create custom meals by selecting a protein and up to two sides.

You can order meals individually or purchase one of the company’s meal boxes, which contain an assortment of fully prepared entrees.

Meal boxes are available as:

• Lean box
• Bulk box
• Chef box
• Keto box

Customers can also build their own box with either 12 or 24 meals.

ICON Meals also offers various protein-based snacks in addition to seasonings and a la carte protein and vegetable offerings.

Nutrition facts, ingredient lists, and allergen information for most of the meal offerings are provided online.

For instance, the Bourbon Chicken Thighs and Cinnamon Butternut Squash meal contains:

• Calories: 300
• Carbs: 34 g
• Protein: 26 g
• Fat: 7 g
• Fiber: 6 g

You can read more about ICON Meals in this comprehensive review.

Best frozen

Muscle Meals 2 Go

• Price: $11–$16 per meal ($5.00+ for a la carte items)
• Shipping: fees depend on your location
• Availability: contiguous United States
• Menus: Lean, Train, Gain, and Keto meal plans plus Signature, Extra Protein, Low carb, Vegan, Gluten Free, and Dairy Free menus

Muscle Meals 2 Go is a delivery service that caters to bodybuilders with meal plans labeled:

• Lean
• Train
• Gain

The company also offers a keto meal plan.

You can also create your own custom menu by selecting your favorite meals and choosing the protein serving size you’d like to receive. Plus, you can order precooked ingredients by the pound and add on breakfast and snack options.

Average macronutrients are provided for the Lean, Maintain, and Gain plans, which can make it easier for you to determine which plan is best for your needs.

For example, the Lean plan provides an average of 46 g of protein per meal, while the Gain plan provides 70 g of protein on average per meal.

Nutrition information is also available for each item on their a la carte menu. For example, the Blackened Salmon contains:

• Calories: 410
• Carbs: 42 g
• Protein: 37 g
• Fat: 12 g

Meals are frozen right after they’re cooked and stay frozen until you choose to thaw and eat them. Some people find that this helps premade meals keep their flavor longer.

Meals can be sorted by allergen preference, but not all nine major allergens are listed. The company provides this option for gluten, soy, nuts, and lactose.

Best paleo

Snap Kitchen

• Price: $11–$14 per meal
• Shipping: free
• Availability: most states within the contiguous United States
• Menus: High Protein, Low Carb, Keto, Paleo

Offering a variety of fresh and fully prepared options each week, Snap Kitchen is a great choice for bodybuilders.

The menu includes a wide range of options for those following the paleo diet, which is especially popular among athletes. This is because the paleo diet is a high protein eating pattern that includes foods such as seafood, poultry, and lean meats, which may help preserve lean muscle mass (1).

Each week, you can order either 6 or 12 meals, selecting your favorite items from the full menu.

In addition to paleo-friendly dishes, the menu includes many items that are high protein, low carb, or ketogenic.

You can filter the menu to exclude foods that contain specific allergens or sort dishes based on their carb, protein, calorie, or sodium content.

Detailed nutrition information is available for each dish. For instance, the Pot Roast Chicken provides:

• Calories: 470
• Carbs: 32 g
• Protein: 33 g
• Fat: 24 g
• Fiber: 6 g

All meals are gluten-free and made without preservatives, antibiotics, artificial sweeteners, and hormones.

Recurring weekly subscriptions include access to a registered dietitian, along with other perks such as free shipping, discounts, freebies, and invitations to special events.

How do these meal prep services compare?

Here’s a quick look at how the services on our list compare:

How can a meal delivery service help with bodybuilding?

Bodybuilding is a demanding sport that involves strength training to build muscle mass. As a result, you must meet certain energy needs to make sure your body has the nutrients required to build and repair muscle (2).

Optimal nutrition is vital to ensure that your body has the necessary macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fats — and other essential nutrients to meet the heightened energy demand from strength training.

A meal delivery service can make it easier to stick to a bodybuilding nutrition plan by providing a structured meal service that doesn’t require the time or culinary skills needed to prepare meals at home.

How does bodybuilding change macronutrient needs?

Athletes, including bodybuilders, have specific nutrient needs due to the increased energy demand from exercise. While individual nutrient needs vary, there are some general guidelines that can help with bodybuilding meals and all their nutrient requirements.

When to make a diet change for bodybuilding

For bodybuilders of all levels, diet is an integral part of their daily training. Because of this, changes to your diet often align with changes to your training plan.

Efforts to modify body composition require you to meet nutrient needs while also accounting for different caloric requirements. Your body’s nutrient and calorie demands will adjust as your activity level changes.

However, every person has a different starting point. Some bodybuilders will require reducing total daily calorie intake to achieve weight loss and a reduction in fat mass, while others will aim for an increase in total calories to build lean muscle mass.

What’s more, there will be changes that come with the competition schedule. Leading up to competitions, you may find your caloric needs are different than when you’re not in the midst of competing.

For example, competition season often means “cutting” and a reduction in total calorie intake. This necessitates thoughtful preparation to ensure the reduced energy intake doesn’t result in both fat and muscle loss.

Many bodybuilders work on increasing lean muscle mass during the off-season, aka “bulking.” This requires maintaining a resistance training regimen while also increasing total energy intake.

In addition to the typical bulking and cutting phases, some follow a bodybuilding lifestyle. These folks may be simply trying to maintain their current physique for a period of time.

Nutrient needs during this time may fall in between what’s necessary during bulking and cutting phases.

Different goals and starting points require an individualized approach when it comes to adjusting your diet for bodybuilding. Working with a registered dietitian or your doctor can help to ensure you’re meeting your nutrient needs and allow you to develop a customized plan.

We’re also providing some general guidelines below.

Carbohydrates

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, carbohydrate intake for athletes can range from 3 g to 5 g per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day up to 8–12 g, depending on activity level (3).

For bodybuilders, it’s best if carbohydrate sources are nutrient-dense. Getting carbohydrates from a variety of sources will help ensure optimal nutrient intake.

Additionally, the timing of carbohydrate consumption is typically adjusted in tandem with individual training schedules. For example, bodybuilders may want to change their carbohydrate intake if they’re in the off-season, as opposed to in the midst of a competition schedule.

General recommendations for bodybuilders are to consume 4–7 g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight per day (4).

Protein

Protein plays an important role in muscle growth and repair. Because of this, bodybuilders and others who aim to increase muscle mass must be attentive to their daily protein intake.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is 0.8 g per kg of body weight per day. However, this number is widely recognized as being too low for athletes (5).

One study of professional bodybuilders found male and female bodybuilders ate more than triple that value — they consumed an average of 2.7–3.3 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. Not only is this amount higher than the necessary protein intake for the average person, but it’s also considerably greater than the recommended intake for other athletes (6).

The International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends daily protein intakes of 2.3–3.1 g per kg of fat-free body mass per day, especially when calories have been significantly reduced. This practice has been found to preserve lean muscle mass (1).

As with your carbohydrate needs, your protein requirements will vary depending on whether you’re in a bulking or cutting phase of competition.

Fat

Of the three macronutrients, fat is the most energy-dense per gram.

Bodybuilders may restrict their total fat intake in an effort to reduce their total calories. However multiple diet-based approaches have successfully modified body composition — and following a low fat diet isn’t required (7).

Some research has shown bodybuilders consume as low as 8% of total calories from fat, while others eat as much as 33% of total calories from fat (2, 6).

The majority of recommendations for athletes indicate that daily fat intake should range from 20% to 35% of total calories while also ensuring optimal carbohydrate and protein intake (2).

However, research indicates that in some cases, eating 20–30% of total calories from fat may be harmful if bodybuilders are restricting calories, and the relative increase in fat intake compromises daily carbohydrate and protein intake. If that’s the case, dropping to as low as 15–20% of total calories from fat can be a better choice if it allows you to maintain sufficient carbohydrate intake (4).

How to choose a meal delivery service for bodybuilding

When shopping for a meal delivery service, there are several key factors to keep in mind.

Consider your individual nutrient needs

It’s wise to find a service with options that fit your fitness goals.

Jessica Isaacs, RD, a sports dietitian and the owner of Jessica the Sports RD, emphasizes that not all meal delivery services are created equal, so it’s important to find a service that fits your needs.

“Some services are targeted toward an athletic population, with macronutrients in line with what a highly active person may need, where others are geared more toward a less active population looking to lose weight,” explains Isaacs.

While some people may require meals with higher amounts of protein to increase muscle mass, others may need to look for meals with varying calorie or carb counts based on their goals.

“Everyone’s individual calorie and macronutrient needs will vary depending on body size, goals, training, and other factors,” says Isaacs.

“Generally, for someone with the goal of building or maintaining muscle, I like to see meals that provide at least 25 g of protein per meal and have the option to increase the protein portion as needed.”

If you’re looking to gain muscle, having the ability to customize your meals to meet your individual nutrient needs will help support your bodybuilding goals.

Assess macronutrient composition of the meals

Total energy intake and macronutrient distribution are both important parts of reaching body composition goals, including efforts to build and maintain muscle mass.

Each meal delivery service offers a range of options when it comes to calories and macronutrients.

Research allergen and diet restriction procedures

If you’re following a specific eating pattern or have any dietary restrictions, it’s important to look for a service that caters to your needs. Some services may not be able to accommodate severe allergies or other dietary restrictions.

“If there are any allergies or avoidances to navigate, a meal prep company may or may not have a good grasp on how to accomplish this while maintaining the ideal nutrition profile,” says Isaacs.

If you have food allergies, research the meal delivery service and consider contacting customer support directly to ask about allergen policies.

Choose a plan with variety

Finally, choose a meal delivery service that features a diverse menu with plenty of options.

“Eating like a bodybuilder doesn’t have to and shouldn’t mean eating bland baked chicken, unseasoned rice, and steamed broccoli for all your meals,” says Isaacs.

“Sticking to a diet is much easier, and people are more successful when they enjoy the foods they’re eating. A meal prep service should be able to target specific calorie and macronutrient needs while also delivering flavorful food.”

Read reviews and consider ordering a smaller number of meals to taste the offerings before committing. You can also learn a lot about the variety by reviewing the company website and weekly recipe offerings.

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Experts recommend getting at least 1.6g per kg (0.73g of protein per lb) of body weight each day, which would work out to about 0.4g per kg (0.18g per lb) of body weight per meal if you eat four meals (8, 9).”
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Factor
Trifecta
ICON Meals
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Frequently asked questions about bodybuilding meal prep delivery services

Can meal prepping help you gain muscle?

Because meal prepping involves preparing ingredients and meals in batches, it can help you make sure you’re getting enough calories and protein to support muscle growth.

Plus, cooking ahead can help shorten the amount of time you spend in the kitchen each day, which may give you more time to dedicate to your training.

If prepping meals helps you save time and stick to your nutrition goals, then it may be a beneficial practice to add to your daily routine.

Is HelloFresh good for bodybuilding?

It’s important that your meals provide the right amounts of calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrates necessary for muscle building and recovering from workouts.

HelloFresh provides nutritional info for all meals, but you’ll need to determine whether the calorie and macro content are appropriate for your needs and goals.

If you’re not sure whether HelloFresh would be a good option, a nutrition coach or registered dietitian may be able to help you decide.

How much protein should you eat per meal to build muscle?

Your protein needs depend on your:

• activity level
• age
• body size
• body composition and other factors

About 25g of protein per meal is a good place for most people to start, but you may need more, especially if you’re training regularly.

Experts recommend getting at least 1.6 g per kg (0.73 g of protein per pound) of body weight each day, which would work out to about 0.4 g per kg (0.18 g per pound) of body weight per meal if you eat four meals (8, 9).

What meal prep company do bodybuilders use?

Bodybuilders can choose from multiple meal prep services provided the service meets their nutrient needs.

Some meal prep services are geared toward bodybuilders and offer a combination of complete meals and components of meals to make meal prep at home easier.

These companies also offer high calorie, high protein meals making it easier for bodybuilders to meet their macronutrient goals.

Which meal delivery services are best for muscle gain?

A meal delivery service that’s best for muscle gain is one that provides an optimal number of calories and protein to support building and repairing muscle.

Multiple meal delivery services offer bodybuilding meals now with a range of calories and macronutrients. Prepared meal kit services include:

• MealPro
• Factor
• Trifecta
• ICON Meals

When choosing the best meal delivery service for muscle gain, take your individual nutrient needs into account and ensure the service offers meals with nutrient ranges that meet your needs.

The bottom line

Multiple meal prep delivery services are designed specifically for bodybuilding.

These services typically offer a range of plans for various fitness goals and often cater to certain dietary restrictions.

Look for a company that fits your needs and preferences and consider factors such as:

• nutritional value
• ingredient quality
• menu variety
• availability
• cost