9 Best Meal Kits to Try in 2022

We're busy people. After a long, hectic day of work, the last thing you want to think about is what you have to cook for dinner. That's why meal kits are so great. They've risen in popularity in recent years for their affordability and convenience. But did you know that they're also eco-friendly?

According to a study published in the journal Resources, Conservation, and Recycling, meal kits not only reduce food waste, but also have lower average greenhouse gas emissions than grocery store meals. Surprising, huh? On average, grocery meal greenhouse gas emissions are 33 percent higher than meal kits.

So, meal kits not only save you the hassle of buying and prepping all of our food... but they're better for the environment, too? Count us in! Here's a list of the best meal kits for cutting down on food waste.

9 Best Meal Kits for the Planet

1. Thistle

Thistle is one of the best meal kits, aiming to make nutritious, plant-based meals accessible. The company sources its produce from local farms and reduces its waste consumption whenever possible. It also allows you to customize your plan to what suits you and your family, offering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snack and juice options. (Use the code BRIGHTLY at checkout for $25 off each of your first 4 deliveries.)

2. Methodology

Methodology was founded by Julie Nguyen to make it easier to eat in a way that supports your unique body. It automatically assigns foods for you based on your diet preferences so you always have delicious, healthy food stocked. One of the best parts about Methodology is all of the food is precooked, making mealtime a cinch.

3. Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot is a vegan meal kit service that serves up some seriously delicious plant-based food. According to the website, each Purple Carrot meal results in 72 percent less carbon being released into the atmosphere as compared to the standard American meal. Say goodbye to boring vegan food and hello to Purple Carrot's diverse, mouthwatering meals.

4. Sunbasket

Sunbasket thinks healthy meals should taste good first and do good always, and we have to agree. It makes meal plans that cater to any lifestyle, including vegetarian, diabetes-friendly, and pescatarian. Sunbasket even takes sustainability to the next level with most of its packaging being recyclable and compostable.

5. Green Chef

Green Chef prides itself in being the number one sustainable meal kit. It offsets 100 percent of its carbon emissions, and most of its packaging is recyclable. With plans made to fit many different diets, you're bound to love every meal.

6. Daily Harvest

Daily Harvest makes good, clean food that's ready to eat in minutes. The company uses organic farm practices and sustainable packaging, and has a variety of options sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. There's smoothies, harvest bowls, flatbread, and more.

7. Fresh N Lean

Fresh N Lean aims to create nutritionally balanced, protein-packed, macro-perfect, junk-free, fully prepped meals. It uses organic ingredients and sustainably-sourced produce to make real, accessible meals. With its heat-then-eat foods, you can spend less time cooking and more time enjoying the things you love.

8. Mosaic Foods

Mosaic Foods is here to break the stereotype of frozen food being bad. Not only are the frozen meals convenient, but they're also nutritious and reduce food waste due to the extended shelf life. They have both vegetarian and vegan meal delivery services, so trying a plant-based diet has never been easier.

9. Veestro

Fast food doesn't have to mean unhealthy, and Veestro is proof of that. Busy people still deserve nutritious and satisfying meals. That's why Veestro creates 100 percent plant-based meals free of preservatives with organic ingredients that don't take forever to prepare.