We Tried MealPro Meal Delivery, and It Was Better Than Takeout

Pros

• Health-focused meals, and you can shop by diet and medical conditions
• Large portions
• Vacuum sealed for extended freshness and freezable
• No subscription needed, but you can opt in or out of recurring deliveries
• Meals are customizable (you can double the protein, remove carbs, etc.)

Cons

• Pricier than other options
• Fewer vegetarian and vegan options
• Can only purchase a minimum of 18 meals per delivery

• We Tried MealPro Meal Delivery, and It Was Better Than Takeout
• How MealPro works
• MealPro pricing
• MealPro packaging
• What we ate and how we liked it
• Who is MealPro good for?
• Who is MealPro not good for?
• How we test meal kits or food services
• Final verdict on MealPro

When I learned that we were going to start taste-testing premade meal delivery services for CNET, I thought I would be hard-pressed to find one that not only tasted fresh and delicious but was also healthy. MealPro proved me wrong.

This high-end service boasts flavor and plenty of meals to choose from, so whether you’re training for a body-building competition, need to cut back on your cholesterol or simply want to eat heart-healthy meals that don’t take hours of cooking, MealPro can step in and help. Here’s everything to know about the service. 

How MealPro works 

MealPro is a premade meal delivery service that offers healthy and customizable meal plans. According to its website, the meals are cooked daily so they can be delivered as fresh as possible. 

You can order one box at a time or opt in or out of recurring orders. The website is pretty straightforward. If you're planning to order from the regular menu, you will select what size box you want from two choices: 18 or 21 meals. Then, you choose your meals from a selection of 24. In addition to the meals, there are nine protein and side options that you can add to your cart.

MealPro's website is simple to navigate.

Corin Cesaric/CNET

If you don’t see something on that main menu that you like, there are several additional options when you scroll to the bottom of the website. On the left-hand side, you will see the following options: Fitness Meals, Medical Meals, Custom Meals, Vegan Meals and A La Carte Menu. These menu filters allow customers to get hyperspecific with nutrition goals. 

Under Fitness Meals, there are six plans to pick from: 

• Bodybuilding Meal Plan
• 400 Calorie Meal Plan
• Keto Meal Plan
• Paleo Meal Plan (Whole 30 compliant)
• GLP-1 Friendly Meal Plan
• Low-Carb Meal Plan

Under each meal plan, there are various meals that are not on the regular menu. For the medical meals, there are 10 plans available: 

• Diabetic Meal Plan
• Low-Sodium Meal Plan
• Renal Meals Stage 1-3
• Renal Meals Stage 4 (Pre-dialysis)
• Renal Meals Stage 5 (Dialysis)
• Heart-Healthy Meal Plan
• Crohn's & Ulcerative Colitis Meal Plan
• Low Cholesterol Meal Plan
• Celiac Meal Plan
• Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan 

For each specialty meal plan, you can choose to buy the full plan or shop them a la carte. Each meal also includes a full nutrition label, so you know exactly what you’re getting. 

MealPro pricing 

The MealPro price varies widely depending on what meal or plan you choose. For the regular menu, prices vary between $7.99 and $21.49 per meal or snack. The meals can also be adjusted to your preference, such as adding double protein or purchasing a larger size, which incurs an upcharge.

Below is a snapshot of a handful of the meals available and the prices.

The specialty plans also vary in price based on what meals you choose.

First-time customers can use the code HEALTHY10 for $10 off their first order, but the service doesn’t offer any other promotions or discounts. The box of 18 meals also has an additional shipping cost. Free delivery is offered for the box of 21 meals to certain states on the West Coast. 

You can customize the meals you purchase as well.

Corin Cesaric/CNET

MealPro packaging 

The meals are shipped with a thermal lining and dry ice to keep them cool in transit, and each individual meal is vacuum sealed. The shipping box is recyclable, and the company also offers the option to enroll in the “Recapture and Reuse Return Label Program” in order to send back the thermal lining for reuse by the company. (If you want to enroll in that program, all you have to do is type “Recapture & Reuse” into the delivery instructions field on your order.) 

The food trays that hold each meal are recyclable and “moisture resistant, oven- and microwave-safe,” according to MealPro’s website.

What we ate and how we liked it

At the CNET office, we tasted five MealPro meals, and they were some of our favorites when compared to numerous other prepared meal kits we’ve tested. Here’s everything we had. 

Beef Barbacoa: I loved this meal. It was flavorful and the portion was enough for two people to share for lunch. I defrosted it in the microwave for 10 minutes, then heated it up for four minutes and it was ready to be eaten. The meat was tender and it paired perfectly with the refried beans and rice, which was perfectly cooked, too. I would have never guessed this meal was frozen before eating it.

The beef barbacoa was perfectly seasoned.

Corin Cesaric

Spinach Lasagna: This was another favorite of mine. It was also a large portion and had more than enough cheese. It was well-liked in the office, and even without a side, it felt like more than enough food for a satisfying meal.

This hearty lasagna was full of cheese and spinach and heated up perfectly.

Corin Cesaric/CNET

Pulled Brisket: This was another tasty meal served with mashed potatoes and vegetables. I slightly preferred the flavor of the barbacoa over this brisket, but this meal was still nothing to scoff at, and everyone enjoyed it, too.

Carnitas: Our taste-testers agreed that although the rice and beans were flavorful and cooked well, the pork carnitas lacked flavor and could have used more seasoning. Overall, this was the least favorite meal in the bunch.

While the rice and beans were flavorful, the pork could have used more seasoning.

Corin Cesaric/CNET

Atlantic Salmon: Because this was heated up in a microwave, the salmon was slightly dryer than when served fresh, according to our taste testers. And although it looked like a well-plated meal, it could have benefited from more seasoning or being heated up in the oven instead.

Who is MealPro good for?

MealPro is clearly targeting the health and wellness crowd, and it’s a great choice for people with specific diets or restrictions. Because the service also offers custom meals as an option, there is truly a meal for everyone.

It’s also a great choice for anyone who is trying to cut down on the time they spend meal planning or for those who simply don’t want to cook lunch or dinner. 

Corin Cesaric/CNET

Who is MealPro not good for?

Compared to other prepared meal services like CookUnity and Factor, MealPro is quite a bit more expensive, and it doesn’t follow a clear-cut pricing structure, so it might not be the best choice for someone on a strict budget. However, to me, the large portion size of these meals did help make up for the cost, especially if you can split a meal with another person or save it for a second meal the following day. Plus, when I compared it to your average lunch or dinner prices in NYC, it was still a steal in my eyes. 

How we test meal kits or food services

Like all of the meal kits we’ve tested, we consider various factors, including the freshness, healthiness, taste, value and recipe variety. Using those metrics, we calculate the final score of the service. 

We also test out how easy or difficult it is to use the website and look at the packaging and delivery. 

Final verdict on MealPro  

I personally enjoyed the taste and quality of these meals. They were some of the best-tasting premade meals that I've had. Dare I say the barbacoa was restaurant quality? I could see myself ordering these meals in the future to have a freezer full of quick lunch and dinner options on hand.

If there’s a downside, it’s that you have to order at least 18 meals per box, but because they are freezeable and vacuum-packed, they can stay fresh longer than some other options. (Up to six weeks in the freezer and four days in the fridge.) So you should have plenty of time to polish them off, especially if you’re sharing with a spouse or family.