There are many reasons to cut down, or cut out, meat from your diet. Some people start meatless meals for environmental reasons, others for health purposes, and many for religious or ethical beliefs. I’ve been vegetarian for decades. For those who are used to a meat-heavy diet, this may seem challenging, or even nearly impossible. But thankfully, there are meal kits and snacks that make it easy to eliminate or reduce meat from your diet whether you’re looking to make a temporary or permanent change.
Don’t know how to navigate a meat-free grocery store trip? These meatless meal kits have got you covered. With customizable vegan and vegetarian options and convenient subscription models, the kits are designed to have everything you need to cook delicious meals at home.
Purple Carrot: Best for restaurant-quality meals
- Price: Varies depending on the number of servings per meal and meals per week (average $11 – $13.42 per serving)
- Portion Size: 2 or 4 servings (you choose)
- Subscription Model: Based on shipping location, users receive weekly deliveries on Mondays, Tuesdays, or Wednesdays. You can skip a delivery at any time.
Purple Carrot Pros & Cons
A friend gifted me a month of Purple Carrot for my birthday a few years back. My favorite part was that it included ingredients and spices I usually don’t use, such as curried pickled cauliflower. These aren’t just basic meals; they’re ones with complex flavors that will spark excellent ideas for your next trip to the grocery store. The price per meal may be on the higher end, but I found these meals to be better than food at most restaurants.
For me, the downside of this brand is that all of the meals are completely vegan and not just vegetarian. Most of the meals are delicious, but the imitation cheese tastes a bit off. (The only vegan cheese brand I’ve ever liked is GOOD PLANeT).
Mosaic Foods: Best for fast and easy meals
Mosaic Foods
mosaicfoods.com
- Price: Starts at $7.99 per meal for single servings and $20 per meal for family servings (minimum order is six meals).
- Portion Size: Both single servings and family meals (four servings) options available.
- Subscription Model: Flexible – meal plans can include six, 12 or 18 items; shipping frequency can be weekly, biweekly, or monthly. You can pause or change your plan at any time.
Mosaic Pros & Cons
Mosaic caught my attention because it offers both vegetarian and vegan meals. As a vegetarian, I occasionally want meat-free meals that still include eggs or dairy. I love Mosaic meals, likely because these are made by actual cooks and not machines. And while many meal delivery kits focus on dinner, Mosaic has options for every meal.
The best aspect of Mosaic, besides the fact that many of the meals are delicious and filling, is that the packages come frozen. When you’re exhausted and still want a healthy meal, these dishes are ready to go with very little time or effort required. The Mosaic brand is also highly focused on reducing food waste, so if you’re cutting out meat for environmental reasons, this is a bonus. They also donate food to the nonprofit City Harvest, a New York City-based food rescue organization.
Hello Fresh: Best for variety
Hello Fresh
hellofresh.com
- Price: Starts at $8.99 per serving and varies based on number of people and recipes per week.
- Portion Size: Choice of 2 or 4-serving size meals.
- Subscription Model: Users choose a plan for 2-4 people and can decide to get anywhere from 2-6 recipes per week.
Hello Fresh Pros & Cons:
Hello Fresh lets you set your preferences to include any combination of the following six categories:
- Meat & Veggies
- Veggie
- Family Friendly
- Fit & Wholesome
- Quick & Easy
- Pescatarian
Hello Fresh offers more than 100 food options each week. This is a great option for those who want fully vegetarian diets or those who just want to cut down on their meat intake. You can swap proteins and sides out based on your preferences. I’ve tried Hello Fresh and found most of the food very flavorful.
I ultimately canceled Hello Fresh when I was doing some extended traveling. You can skip a week and temporarily pause a subscription, but as I was going to be away for months, canceling felt right. That’s when I discovered the downside of how aggressively they try to get customers back who cancel. I still sometimes get mail from them hoping I’ll return. Still, this is high-quality food and since they have such a wide variety, it’s hard to get bored.
Do meatless meals provide enough protein?
It’s 100% possible to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet. Plenty of the meals from these kits are high in protein. That being said, some people still have concerns about getting enough protein when they eliminate meat, especially if they are athletes.
For an extra boost of protein, I recommend Vega protein powder and FULFIL protein bars. Depending on which Vega powder you choose, you get between 20-30 grams of protein per scoop. Sometimes after a workout, I’ll shake up a scoop with some Hope & Sesame sesame milk for a thick, tasty drink.
When I’m out and about and need a quick, protein filled snack, I’ll often pull a FULFIL bar out of my purse. One bar contains 15 grams of protein. (My favorite is the chocolate salted caramel flavor.)
Meatless snacks for on-the-go
In between your filling subscription kit meals, you might be looking for some healthy, tasty snacks. The good news is that many of your favorite snacks are likely already meatless. Your favorite fruits (anyone else loving Sumo Citrus mandarins right now?) and veggies already make perfect snacks.
But if you’re not much of a fruits and veggies person, I suggest keeping some Kazoo chips and Veggicopia bean dips around. Kazoo chips are worth mentioning for those wanting to reduce meat for environmental reasons as the brand is known to be environmentally-conscious. This upcycled chip brand saves 20 gallons of water per 11-ounce bag. Veggicopia bean dips are vegan-friendly and high in protein.
If you’re looking to eat your veggies without tasting veggies, I recommend Veggies Made Great. I love their muffins when I want a light breakfast or midday snack as they are low in calories. The double chocolate muffins have zucchini and carrots as listed ingredients, but based on the taste, you’d never guess.
Veggies Made Great
target.com
$6.89