We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Here’s our process.

Medical News Today only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:
  • Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
  • Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
  • Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?
We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.
Was this helpful?

There are meal delivery services that provide prepared meals that may suit bodybuilders trying to lose weight or build muscle. Here, we try out and discuss our favorites.

Healthline editors have tried some of the products in this article. All reviews are their own.

The following table compares the services in this article.

Amount of meals per weekMeal optionsMenuPrice per meal
Trifecta5–7• Clean Eating
• Paleo
• Keto
• Vegan
• Vegetarian
changes weekly$13.79 – $15.49
Factor4–18• high protein
• paleo
• keto
• low calorie
• plant-based
changes weeklyfrom around $11
Icon Meals12 or 24• lean
• build
• chef boxes
• custom
changes weekly$11.00 – $14.09
Sprinly6–18nonechanges weeklyfrom around $16
Snap Kitchen6 or 12• breakfast
• lunch
• dinner
changes seasonallyfrom around $11.34
MealPro18 or 20nonechanges throughout the year$6.99 – $19.99
Muscle Meals 2 Go10 or 24• gluten
• dairy-free
• lean plan
• train plan
• gain plan
• low-carb
change schedule not statedfrom $13.95
Clean Eatz9–21+•vegetarian
• low-carb
changes weekly$6.52–$8.20

Medical News Today chooses meal kits for bodybuilding based on the following criteria:

  • Meal options: Services that offer a variety of flavorful options to help prevent people from becoming bored of eating from limited menus.
  • Macro- and micronutrients: Services that offer enough nutrition to help support the body when building muscle.
  • Convenience: A mix of services that offer meal kits and prepared food to suit most people’s schedules.
  • Cancellation: Services that have transparent cancellation policies.
Was this helpful?

When choosing a meal delivery service, research is important. A person can consider the following factors:

  • Are the meals fresh or frozen?
  • How many meals can a customer order each week?
  • Does the company rotate its menu regularly?
  • Does the service offer meals for different diets and tastes?
  • Is the service cost-effective? Are there additional costs for add-ons and delivery?
  • Are reviews generally positive across various sites?
  • How flexible is the subscription? Is it easy to cancel at any time?

Meal delivery services vary, and it is worth considering the benefits of different options. A person might prefer prepared meals or meal kits, which include recipes and ingredients to prepare and cook at home.

Bodybuilding is a unique sport with its own set of challenges. Bodybuilders do not undergo assessments of their physical performance but of the symmetry, muscularity, and definition of their bodies.

The three phases of bodybuilding include:

  • the muscle-gaining phase, or the “off-season”
  • the phase of dieting and otherwise preparing for a competition
  • the competition

Meal timing is important for bodybuilders, who should eat small meals 3-4 times a day and plan for meals after workouts to help them recover. When planning their diet, a bodybuilder should focus on macronutrients — carbohydrates, proteins, and fats — and calories.

According to fitness professionals, the daily bodybuilding diet for men should include:

  • 1-1.5 g protein for each pound of body weight
  • 2-3 g of carbs for each pound of body weight
  • 0.5-1 g of fat for each pound of body weight
  • 15-29 calories for each pound of body weight

The “off-season” is the time period between bodybuilding competitions. It is when bodybuilders strive to gain as much muscle as possible, with little increase in fat. It is where bodybuilders spend most of their time, and it comes with its own dietary needs.

Science based recommendations for the off-season include:

  • 5-20 percent more calories than needed for maintenance
  • 1.6-2.2 g protein for each kilo of body weight
  • 0.5-1.5 g fat for each kilo of body weight
  • 3-5 g carbohydrates for each kilo of body weight, or their remaining calories

Research from 2019 shows that bodybuilders should consume slightly more calories during the off-season and gain about 0.25 to 0.5% of their body weight each week during this period.

Because the dietary needs of bodybuilders change throughout the year, it is important for meal services to allow them to select different meal plans and skip deliveries accordingly. Additionally, other athletes may have different needs.

Learn about the best meal delivery services for athletes.

Meal kits can remove a lot of uncertainty and time when it comes to creating a meal plan that meets the nutritional content bodybuilders require, both on- and off-season.

People can view the nutritional content of the meals before ordering, which allows people to quickly calculate their macro- and micronutrients for the day.

Meal kits and meal delivery services provide pre-portioned ingredients or meals that are ready to be heated up, which can save a significant amount of time. This is especially true for bodybuilders who are balancing work, family, and other commitments with training.

These kits may also benefit less experienced cooks. Many services offer recipe cards that cut preparation and cooking into simple, easy-to-follow, steps that can help make people more confident in the kitchen.

Hello Fresh is a popular meal delivery service that includes pre-portioned fresh ingredients. Its Protein Smart meals or Fit & Wholesome meal plan may be a good choice for bodybuilders.

Bodybuilding meal prep delivery services may be suitable for muscle gain so long as they provide the macronutrients a person requires.

Experts suggest that bodybuilders should consume a diet that is 55–60% carbohydrates, 25–20% protein, and 15–20% fat.

Additionally, when building muscle, bodybuilders should eat around 15% more calories than is typical. For example, a person who usually eats 2,000 calories needs to consume a diet of around 2,300 calories per day.

Meal prep can help people with their bodybuilding goals as they can prepare their meals for the week ahead in batches and freeze them.

Research suggests that the nutritional content of frozen fruit and vegetables is at least comparable with — and occasionally higher than — fresh fruit and vegetables. However, the beta carotene content is lower in frozen vegetables.

People who do not have the time to prepare and cook meals from scratch every day may find meal preparation helpful.

Factor, previously Factor75, is a meal delivery service that offers several different meal plans that provide different dining options.

The Protein Plus plan could be a good choice for bodybuilders because the meals in this plan all provide 30 grams or more of protein in each serving.

Various services deliver full meals or meal kits designed for bodybuilders and other athletes.

The best choices for bodybuilders offer a variety of high protein meals featuring high or low amounts of calories to accommodate a person’s bodybuilding phase.

Meal delivery services can be convenient, but they can also be expensive and unsuitable for certain individuals. Anyone looking to save time and money might also consider planning meals weekly to reduce trips to the store or cooking in big batches for easy-to-reheat meals.

Before choosing a meal delivery service, check for reviews on multiple websites. Online bodybuilding communities may also have recommendations and give honest reviews of these services.