The best subscription meal kits from £3 and discounts on offer
At Christmas time it’s easy to throw the food budget out the window and feast on seasonal goodies, but when the celebrations are over, many of us are left with larger waistlines and much slimmer wallets. To help budget better in the New Year, many British households are turning to food preparation subscription services that deliver everything you need to make nutritionally balanced meals in just one box. Whether you want to cut out meat, lose a few pounds or are simply just bored of cooking the same old thing over and over again, meal subscription boxes offer lots of delicious recipes to choose from and can help you better budget your food shop more efficiently.
READ MORE: Woman blows shoppers away with ‘amazing’ GBP18 Asda Christmas dinner that feeds 6 people Most subscription boxes offer introductory deals to incentivise customers, and many allow you to choose how many meals you want to be delivered and how often. Some will even let you take a break when you need to.
To really maximise the potential to make big savings, shop around for voucher codes and online promotions, and chop and change from one box to another to get lots of tasty meals at rock-bottom promotional prices. Door-to-door deliveries will also help you save money on fuel and parking, and planning meals in advance will stop you from buying unnecessary groceries or impulse buys.
Gousto
Promotional price: Various from 20% to 55% off depending on voucher code As one of the best-known recipe boxes in the UK, Gousto offers diners a choice of more than 60 recipes on a menu that changes weekly.
Each box comes with clear, easy-to-follow instructions and the ingredients are precisely measured to prevent food waste.
You could save as much as 60% on your first Gousto box (Image: Gousto)
Gousto claims that each meal should take no longer than 10 minutes to prepare and there are a wide variety of dietary options to choose from. All the ingredients are sourced from trusted UK suppliers and each box contains all the meat and fish you need, along with fresh vegetables, herbs, spices and sauces, as well as pasta, rice or bread (depending on your menu choices). Prices for the Gousto box aren’t bad considering you don’t need to buy extra ingredients, with two meals for two people costing around GBP24.99, that’s GBP6.25 per serving.
A family-sized offering of four meals for four people costs GBP50.25, which takes the price per serving down to just GBP3.14 per serving. How to save money on Gousto boxes Savvy shoppers can pick up a Gousto box with a big discount as the company seems to offer vouchers through a wide range of sources.
Newspapers, voucher code sites and even their own website all offer different codes and discounts throughout the year. Sign up here. Best For: Families who want to make quick, easy but tasty meals in the evening.
HelloFresh
Promotional Price: 60% off the first box, then 25% off for the next two months
Much like Gousto, HelloFresh promises to deliver everything you need to create meals from scratch and only includes fresh ingredients. There are ‘over 37 recipes’ to choose from every week, and menus are available up to one month in advance. Diners can pick from customisable boxes that could be as simple as quick and easy weeknight meals through to special occasion feasts with desserts and sides included.
Recipes are available for two, three or four people and each one comes with clear and easy-to-read instructions that claim to be simple enough for even a novice to use.
HelloFresh claims to be the bestselling meal subscription box in the UK (Image: HelloFresh)
Most users who opt for the HelloFresh subscription boxes are enticed by the promise of ‘healthy’ meals and each recipe is a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and fresh vegetables. In fact, some recipes are so well thought out, they are even hailed as being approved by slimming giant Weight Watchers. In terms of cost, two meals for two people start at around GBP4.50 per portion, while larger family-friendly four-persons meals could come in as low as GBP3.25.
Weekly costs vary depending on how many courses and the recipes you choose to include. How to save money on Hello Fresh! There are usually good introductory deals to be found for the HelloFresh boxes through newspapers, magazines and discount code sites.
Existing customers are also able to take part in a referral scheme which offers discounts all round. Sign up here. Best For: Families, professionals, and anyone who wants to experiment with flavour using fresh ingredients
SimplyCook
Promotional Price: GBP3 for one box, then GBP9.99 thereafter
SimplyCook offers a different take on the food subscription service in so far as diners need to provide most of the ingredients. Created to help busy people learn new and exciting recipes at home, SimplyCook delivers what is effectively a range of herbs, pastes and spices through your letter box to get you cooking more flavoursome meals at home.
SimplyCook helps you discover more flavour in your food (Image: SimplyCook)
Each SimplyCook box comes with four recipe cards and four boxes containing three pots of ingredients. The recipes are all customisable and you can add optional garnishes and extra servings too.
Really easy to use, SimplyCook is a great option if you want to improve the flavour of your meals or try new ones, but you will still need to shop for your meat, fish and other ingredients first. Each recipe will feed between 2 – 4 people with generous helpings and you can choose to receive a box every week, two weeks, four weeks or even six weeks. Sign up here.
How to save money on SimplyCook The full price of each box is GBP9.99, but on the SimplyCook website, you can order a trial box for just GBP3 with free postage. You can also pick up a limited selection of their recipe flavours in supermarkets like Tesco, for the odd occasion where you want to try something new.
Best for: Those who want to experiment with flavour and would rather purchase their own meat and fish.
Mindful Chef
Promotional Price: 25% off the first four boxes Offering health-focused food, Mindful Chef promises to deliver nutritious recipes free from carbohydrates and refined sugars that have been created to complement a healthy lifestyle. With a rotating menu of 20 meals to choose from, it’s not the most comprehensive on the market, but each recipe is easy to make and they do cater for a wide range of tastes including vegetarian and vegan options.
Mindful Chef is a popular choice with health-conscious diners (Image: Mindful Chef)
All ingredients are ethically sourced and are gluten and dairy-free, and each box comes with all the ingredients neatly separated and labelled as well as an easy-to-read recipe book.
Ecologically sound, the Mindful Chef is ethically aware, and for every meal you enjoy, the company promises to give a school meal to a child living in poverty. Prices vary depending on the box you choose, but generally, they are a little on the more expensive side with a two-person box costing around GBP7 per meal and a four-person box reducing slightly to GBP6 per meal. How to save money on Mindful Chef
This December, Mindful Chef is offering 25% off the first four boxes ordered from their website. There are also discounts to be found throughout the year on coupon sites and Groupon, as well as a GBP10 referral scheme for existing members. Sign up here.
Best for:Those who want to enjoy delicious food while still being ethically aware.
Pasta Evangelists
Promotional Price: 25% off the first two orders Helping you to recreate authentic Italian restaurant meals in your own home, Pasta Evangelists is a little different to some of the other subscription boxes in our round-up, but one that is certainly still worth considering. Each main meal recipe they offer is entirely pasta based and there are 15 to choose from every week, as well as side dishes and dessert options that change seasonally.
There is also a selection of recipes for non-meat eaters with over half of them being suitable for vegetarians, but only a couple for vegans.
The best for authentic and indulgent pasta dishes (Image: Pasta Evangelists)
Would-be chefs will be provided with everything they need to recreate a classic Italian dish including pasta, sauce and garnish, and each utterly indulgent recipe comes with information about its origins and ingredients. If you can’t be bothered to cook, Pasta Evangelists also offers a hot meal delivery service in certain parts of the UK, where they bring freshly cooked pasta right to your door. A little bit luxurious, and with a price tag to match, most main meals in the Pasta Evangelist meal box subscription cost between GBP7 and GBP9 each.
How to save money on Pasta Evangelist Once again, there are deals to be had if you are happy to shop around for coupon codes and promotions. The brand itself also offers promotional discounts and sometimes throws in things for free, such as a gin and tonic-making kit or an exotic free pasta.
Best for: Pasta lovers and those wanting to create something special once in a while Do you have any tips to save money this Christmas? Let us know in the comments below.
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