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Finding quality paleo food can be difficult, especially for people who struggle to find the time to cook. For many, paleo meal delivery can make healthy paleo eating easier.
- Best for organic meals: Sunbasket | Skip to review
- Best for fresh ingredients: Pete’s Real Food | Skip to review
- Best for ethically sourced meat: Paleo On The Go | Skip to review
- Best for healthy “cheat meals”: Eatology | Skip to review
- Best for locally sourced ingredients: Snap Kitchen | Skip to review
- Best for gluten-free diets: Green Chef | Skip to review
- Best for athletes: Trifecta Nutrition | Skip to review
- Best for supporting local communities: The Good Kitchen | Skip to review
The paleo diet
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Below is a list of eight meal kit delivery services that people looking to adopt a paleo diet may wish to try.
Best for organic meals: Sunbasket
![sunbasket](http://i0.wp.com/post.medicalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/381328_4_sunbasket.png?w=315&h=1050)
- Cost per serving: from $9.99
- Dietary requirements: paleo, vegetarian, gluten-free, pescatarian, Mediterranean, diabetes-friendly, carb-conscious, and keto
- Shipping fee: no information available
- Cancellation period: anytime
This ingredient delivery service offers paleo meals alongside menus suitable for other diets, making it a suitable option for households with mixed dietary preferences.
Sunbasket customers can choose from vegetarian, whole food, paleo, and other options, with ingredients consisting of fresh, organic produce and meat. According to the company, most meals take fewer than 30 minutes to prepare.
Read our review of Sunbasket here.
People can choose either meal kits or fresh and ready meals. People who choose a meal kit will receive a kit with all the ingredient portions they need and a step-by-step recipe to follow and cook a particular meal.
The second option can suit those with limited time to cook. The company prepares and cooks the meal and sends it ready for the customer to refrigerate and heat in the oven or microwave.
Customer reviews and reputation
On Better Business Bureau (BBB), Sunbasket has a 1.5-star rating, with 14 complaints over the past 3 years. Most of these are about billing issues and customer service.
On Trustpilot, the company has a 4.6 out of 5 rating from over 3,000 reviews. Positive comments praise the food quality and customer service. Those with a negative experience say they had issues with billing, refunds, and quality. Also, most do not like that the company adds sugar to some recipes and that some are high in carbohydrates.
Sunbasket sample meal:
Maple-glazed steak lettuce cups with spiced potatoes and bell pepper
This meal has the following nutritional information:
- Serving size: serves 2
- Calories: 430 calories per serving
- Total fat: 21 grams (g)
- Cholesterol: 70 milligrams (mg)
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Total carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Total sugars: 7 g
- Added sugar: 2 g
- Protein: 30 g
This dish contains a maple glaze, spice blend, and organic potatoes, bell peppers, and romaine lettuce. People can choose their protein source.
Best for fresh ingredients: Pete’s Real Food
![Pete's Real Food logo against a blue background.](http://i0.wp.com/post.medicalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/03/2419926-Petes-Real-Food.png?w=315&h=1050)
- Cost per serving: from around $14
- Dietary requirements: paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and vegan
- Shipping fee: dependent on customers location
- Cancellation period: anytime
Pete’s Real Food (formerly Pete’s Paleo) harvests its produce the same day it ships its meals. The menu changes every week, and the meals arrive ready to eat.
According to the company, every meal is free of gluten, dairy, legumes, and soy. Moreover, people can also choose other plans, such as keto.
However, people cannot see each meal’s ingredients before starting a subscription and providing their billing information.
Additionally, some meals are low in calories, which some people may not find filling enough.
Customer reviews and reputation
The BBB gives Pete’s Real Food an A+ rating. The company does not currently hold accreditation with the BBB.
The company has closed one complaint in the past 3 years.
At the time of publishing, Pete’s Real Food does not have a Trustpilot page.
Pete’s Real Food sample meal:
Arugula-basil pesto chicken with roasted veggies
The nutritional values of this meal containing 8.5 ounces (oz) of chicken are:
- Serving size: one serving
- Calories: 340
- Total fat: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
- Sodium: 510 mg
- Total carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Total sugars: 6 g
- Added sugar: 0 g
- Protein: 30 g
This dish is also available with 11.5 oz of chicken. It contains chicken thigh, carrot, zucchini, red onion, and arugula.
Best for ethically sourced meat: Paleo On The Go
![Paleo On The Go logo against a blue background.](http://i0.wp.com/post.medicalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/03/2419926-Paleo-on-the-go.png?w=315&h=1050)
- Cost per serving: from around $15
- Dietary requirements: paleo and autoimmune protocol (AIP)-friendly
- Shipping fee: dependent on customers location
- Cancellation period: after two shipments
Paleo On The Go caters to subscribers who follow the autoimmune protocol diet, which purports to reduce the symptoms of autoimmune diseases.
Paleo On The Go states it uses locally sourced meat whenever possible. Customers can choose their meals each week and reheat them.
Paleo On The Go prices its meals individually.
Each meal provides around 250–500 calories. This may mean that people who require more than 1,500 calories per day may find this service more expensive than other options.
Customer reviews and reputation
At the time of publishing, Paleo On The Go does not have a BBB or Trustpilot profile.
The company does feature reviews on its website. However, all of these are favorable, and there is no option to filter for people who have less satisfactory experiences.
Paleo On The Go sample meal:
Mongolian glazed meatballs with scallion rice
The nutritional values of this meal are:
- Serving size: one serving
- Calories: 570
- Total fat: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg
- Sodium: 1,530 mg
- Total carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Total sugar: 9 g
- Added sugar: 5 g
- Protein: 28 g
This dish contains grass-fed ground beef, cauliflower, ginger, shitake mushrooms, green onions, and organic coconut aminos.
Best for healthy “cheat meals”: Eatology
![eatology](http://i0.wp.com/post.medicalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/381328_6_eatology.png?w=315&h=1050)
- Cost per serving: from $12.50
- Dietary requirements: paleo, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free
- Shipping fee: $25 for every 15 meals
- Cancellation period: anytime
Eatology states that it modifies “cheat meals” into healthy alternatives with additional protein and vegetables, taking inspiration from the foods people miss while following a paleo diet. Its menu includes options such as a blue cheese and sun-dried tomato turkey burger.
The company says it uses whole foods without gluten, hormones, preservatives, or added sugar.
A person can heat the meals in the oven or microwave. Individuals can also choose from various dietary needs.
Customer reviews and reputation
At the time of publishing, Eatology does not have a BBB or Trustpilot profile.
The company features several favorable reviews on its website. People have reportedly lost weight and found that the company’s meals help support recovery after workouts.
Eatology sample meal:
Italian goulash with spinach souffle
The nutritional values of a medium meal are:
- Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Protein: 14 g
This meal is also available in a large size. This dish contains turkey, red bell pepper, yellow squash, spinach, artichoke, and seasoning.
Best for locally sourced ingredients: Snap Kitchen
![snap kitchen](http://i0.wp.com/post.medicalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/381328_7_f844a34b-snap-primary-reg-logo-rgb_109001y000000000000028.png?w=315&h=1050)
- Cost per serving: from $11.34
- Dietary requirements: paleo, keto, low carb, and gluten-free
- Shipping fee: free
- Cancellation period: anytime
Dietitians helped design the Snap Kitchen menu, according to the company. Meals come ready to eat with no preparation time. Snap Kitchen relies on locally available ingredients, so menu options vary by location.
People can choose from various options, including paleo, keto, low carb, and gluten-free. However, similar to other services, the company offers a relatively small number of different meals.
Customer reviews and reputation
On BBB, the company has a 1.5-star rating. The company has closed six complaints in the last three years. These complaints report late deliveries resulting in rotten or inedible food and billing issues.
On Trustpilot, five reviews are giving the company a 2.5 rating overall. Negative comments say the meal sizes are very small and not filling. There is one positive review that states the meals are flavorful and heat up quickly.
Snap Kitchen sample meal:
Pot roast chicken with roasted root vegetables
The nutritional value of this meal is:
- Serving size: one serving
- Calories: 470
- Total fat: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
- Sodium: 1,270 mg
- Total carbohydrate: 32 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Total sugar: 10 g
- Added sugar: 0 g
- Protein: 33 g
This dish contains herb-marinated roast chicken, carrots, and potatoes with pan gravy.
Best for gluten-free diets: Green Chef
![green chef](http://i0.wp.com/post.medicalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/381328_8_green-chef-logo-kiwi.png?w=315&h=1050)
- Cost per serving: from $11.99
- Dietary requirements: paleo, keto, vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean, and gluten-free
- Shipping fee: $9.99
- Cancellation period: anytime
Green Chef delivers fresh ingredients with cooking instructions each week, claiming that all foods on the paleo carb-conscious meal plan are certified gluten-free. Customers can modify the menu weekly and get suggestions based on their previous selections.
Before signing up, people can check a sample of the weekly menu on the website, including the ingredients and nutritional information.
However, the keto and paleo sample menus do not fully meet the usual diet requirements. Those who want a combination of keto and paleo meals that include under 20 or 30 g of carbohydrates daily may not find this brand suitable.
Many available meals include sugar, and some contain over 20 g of carbohydrates per meal.
Customer reviews and reputation
On BBB, the company has a 1.11 out of 5 rating and 78 customer complaints in the last year, with most mentioning issues with billing, cancellation, and refunds.
On Trustpilot, Green Chef has a 3.5 out of 5 rating, with negative reviews also raising concerns about cancellation issues, high amounts of carbohydrates, and missing ingredients.
Green Chef sample meal:
Thai-style coconut shrimp soup
The nutritional value of this meal is:
- Serving size: one serving
- Calories: 520
- Total fat: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
- Sodium: 1,720 mg
- Total carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Total sugar: 7 g
- Protein: 23 g
This dish contains shrimp, shitake mushrooms, scallion, and black sesame seeds.
Best for athletes: Trifecta Nutrition
![trifecta](http://i0.wp.com/post.medicalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/10/38132810_Trifecta_Logo_organic-1.png?w=315&h=1050)
- Cost per serving: from $15.49
- Dietary requirements: paleo, keto, clean eating, Whole30 approved, and high protein vegan and vegetarian
- Shipping fee: free
- Cancellation period: anytime
Trifecta Nutrition caters to athletes and offers a comprehensive healthy living meal plan. Customers can choose a weekly meal plan or select foods a la carte. The meal plans are comprehensive, offering daily meals and snacks.
The company also provides coaching and guidance from nutrition experts, and consumers can set fitness goals and track their daily progress.
The brand states that it makes its meals with organic produce. It also states that meals are free from GMOs and gluten, and are low in sugar.
Customer reviews and reputation
The BBB gives Trifecta Nutrition an F rating, and customers rate it 1 out of 5 stars.
On Trustpilot, the company has 21 reviews rating it at 1.6 stars out of 5. Buyers complain about missed deliveries, rotten and inedible food, and customer service.
There is one positive review that states Trifecta is beneficial for meal prepping.
Trifecta Nutrition sample meal:
Paleo meal plan
All paleo meals have the following average nutritional values:
- Calories: 440
- Fat: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Protein: 30 g
Best for supporting local communities: The Good Kitchen
![The Good Kitchen logo against a blue background.](http://i0.wp.com/post.medicalnewstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2023/03/2419926-The-Good-Kitchen.png?w=315&h=1050)
- Cost per serving: from around $14
- Dietary requirements: paleo, low carb, keto, plant-based, Whole30, Mediterranean, and performance meals
- Shipping fee: dependent on location
- Cancellation period: anytime
The Good Kitchen offers meals for a range of dietary requirements, including those who eat paleo meals. The company states that it works with local chefs and supports local communities, so each zip code may have different meal options and pricing.
The company offers pre-prepared meals that are reportedly easy and quick to heat. It states that its produce is organic and GMO-, gluten-, peanut-, and soy-free.
Customer reviews and reputation
The Good Kitchen has 3.3 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot from one review. This review states that the company sends small amounts of food at a low quality.
At the time of publishing, the company does not have a BBB profile.
The Good Kitchen sample meal:
Shakshuka
The nutritional values of this meal are:
- Serving size: 14 oz
- Calories: 446
- Total fat: 23 g
- Cholesterol: 398 mg
- Sodium: 692 mg
- Total carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Total sugar: 12 g
- Protein: 20 g
This dish contains eggs, tomatoes, onion, red bell peppers, garlic, and home fries.
Here is a quick look at the similarities and differences between the above services.
Cost per serving | Dietary requirements | Shipping fees | Cancellation period | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sunbasket | from $9.99 | • paleo • vegetarian • gluten-free • pescatarian • Mediterranean • diabetes-friendly • carb-conscious • keto | no information | anytime |
Pete’s Real Food | from around $15 | • paleo • gluten-free • dairy-free • soy-free • vegan | dependent on location | anytime |
Paleo On The Go | from around $15 | • paleo • AIP-friendly | dependent on location | after two shipments |
Eatology | from $12.50 | • paleo • vegetarian • vegan • gluten-free | $25 for every 15 meals | anytime |
Snap Kitchen | from $11.34 | • paleo • keto • low carb • gluten-free | free | anytime |
Green Chef | from $11.99 | • paleo • keto • vegetarian • vegan • Mediterranean • gluten-free | $9.99 | anytime |
Trifecta Nutrition | from $15.49 | • paleo • keto • clean eating • Whole30 approved • high protein vegan • high protein vegetarian | free | anytime |
The Good Kitchen | from around $14 | • paleo • low carb • keto • plant-based • Whole30 • Mediterranean • performance meals | dependent on location | anytime |
Proponents of the paleo diet claim that agriculture led to several unhealthy eating habits, including consuming too many simple carbohydrates.
More recently, they say, the addition of processed and prepackaged foods into regular diets has further undermined health. They advocate a return to the diet of human ancestors, which they say
- plants, including seeds, nuts, tubers, and fruits and vegetables that human ancestors most likely ate
- protein, including that from insects and seafood, as well as more typical sources
- few or no processed foods
The specifics of each paleo diet vary. Some people simply focus on eating whole, “natural” foods, while others will only eat foods that our human ancestors supposedly ate. In the latter case, a person may exclude more contemporary foods, such as farmed corn, from their diet.
Research has suggested that the paleo diet can benefit people with metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and overweight or obesity. However, some studies disagree.
Dietitians state that the paleo diet removes some foods from a person’s diet, including heavily processed snacks. The diet may also increase a person’s protein intake and encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables, depending on their dietary choices.
There may also be some psychological benefits to the paleo diet. For instance, a
There is a range of health risks a person should consider when deciding to try a paleo diet.
For instance, the strong emphasis on meat in the diet may mean that a person could eat high amounts of saturated fats and, as a result, could raise their cholesterol levels.
Additionally, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) following a modified paleo diet may be at risk of a vitamin D deficiency, according to a 2020 study.
As the paleo diet cuts out food categories such as dairy and whole grains, a person may be at risk of other nutrient deficiencies, such as calcium and dietary fiber, as stated by a
Criticisms of the paleo diet relate to the long-term effects of consuming these specific food groups throughout a lifetime.
People who want to eat healthy, nutrient-dense food but do not want to try paleo can consider one of these options:
- Whole30: A short-term 30-day eating plan designed to help people understand how their body responds to food. This plan focuses on nutrient-dense whole foods.
- Keto: This diet eliminates many carbohydrates and purports to help the body enter a state of ketosis, in which it burns more fat. Doctors originally prescribed the keto diet to treat some forms of epilepsy.
- Whole foods diet: Similar to Whole30 and keto, the whole foods diet focuses on eating fresh produce and meat while avoiding highly processed prepackaged foods.
- Vegetarian: While it is technically possible to be a paleo vegetarian, it is difficult, as the paleo diet excludes many plant-based protein sources, such as tofu.
Learn more about the differences between a paleo and keto diet here.
Below are some of the top frequently asked questions about the paleo diet.
What is a paleo diet?
The paleo diet interprets the typical diets humans ate around 2.5 million years ago. A person’s food on a paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, nuts, seeds, eggs, and natural sugars like honey.
Foods that people avoid on the paleo diet include grains, pulses, dairy, salt, and processed sugar and food.
Learn more about the paleo diet.
The paleo diet can be high in protein, fiber, and fat but low in salt, processed sugar, and starchy carbohydrates. Unlike the raw food diet, a person can cook their food on a paleo diet.
Is paleo right for me?
Before signing up for a paleo meal delivery service, a person should consider any health conditions they have that may be affected by a change in diet, their budget, and the nutritional balance and calories paleo meal deliveries can provide.
While there is
Overall, more research is needed to determine the benefits of the paleo diet, as many current studies are small, and the research into the paleo diet is still limited. As a result, a person should talk to a doctor before trying the paleo diet.
How much do paleo meals cost?
Prices for paleo meal delivery services will vary between brands. Generally, the price per meal for paleo delivery services ranges from $10–17.
Are paleo meal deliveries family-friendly?
Some paleo meal delivery services offer family-friendly meals.
However, people may wish to contact a healthcare professional to ensure a paleo diet meets the nutritional needs of all members of their family.
A paleo diet may encourage a person to eat fewer processed foods, more fruits and vegetables, and healthy meats.
More research is needed to determine the health benefits of the paleo diet. Some research suggests it may be beneficial for type 2 diabetes and obesity.
However, a person should consult a doctor or dietician before making big changes to their diet.