Green Chef Baharat portobellos with chickpeas, pickled beet and carrot & spinach salad Kaitlyn Flannagan/Observer

One of the following three is way above the rest, and another is not something I’d recommend at all. But not all of these healthy alternatives are created equal. What I found is that for any customer, some of these are great alternatives to Blue Apron and the like-the prices are generally about the same and the food is good too. I wanted to get a sense of how these companies compare to each other as well as the more well-known services that aren’t health-focused and serving organic food. We tried all of these and found that some are better than others, and one is way above the rest. The clear demand for a home-cooked meal without the hassle has led to the launch of more competitors such as Home Chef, Purple Carrot (which specializes in vegan food) and Peach Dish (which serves Southern-inspired meals). You’ve probably heard of some of the biggest names in the business like Plated, Hello Fresh and Blue Apron, which have collectively raised more than $527.9 million in investments over the past three years. Typical restaurant food delivery will always be in style, but services that deliver the ingredients to create your own meals at home have recently surged in popularity-the industry is now valued at $5 billion. Go here to check out the Observer’s full guide to these companies, which includes an infographic that will help you decide which is right for you based on your diet and other preferences. I have reviewed 10 subscription meal services. Sun Basket serves only organic meals less than 800 calories.

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