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5 Key Insights From Our Meal Delivery Services Survey
We asked 300 adults 50-plus about their experiences using these subscription-based options for preparing food and cooking at home
AARP Smart Picks
Putting balanced, nutritious meals on the table every day can be challenging. A meal delivery service could be a convenient way to make mealtime more inspiring — and potentially healthier. These subscription-based services automatically send preplanned kits with all the ingredients needed to cook a given meal or already prepared dishes that can be simply heated up.
Regularly eating nutritious foods is essential as we mature. That’s because our appetites and ability to absorb nutrients tend to decrease after age 50. Taken together, these two factors can lead to a nutritional deficit in older adults.
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A meal delivery service could help ensure you get the nutrients you need, while also taking the guesswork out of what to eat and adding variety to your diet.
To better understand how older adults use meal delivery services, in April 2026 our AARP Smart Picks team surveyed 300 adults ages 50-plus who then currently used or had used a meal delivery service in the previous 12 months. This gave us more perspective on why older adults subscribe to these services and what matters most when choosing the best one for them.
Read on to learn the five main takeaways from our meal delivery service survey.
Note: A few survey questions were multi-select. As a result, some results below will add up to more than 100 percent.
1. HelloFresh and Blue Apron were most popular
Of the 24 meal delivery services our survey respondents used, these two clearly dominated.
HelloFresh led the pack with 37 percent of respondents using it, and Blue Apron came in second, with 29 percent having subscribed. Coming in at a distant third were Factor and Home Chef, which both tied with 7 percent.
When we looked at individual satisfaction levels for the top two services, HelloFresh customers said they were “extremely satisfied” (16 percent) or “satisfied” (55 percent). Twenty percent felt “neutral” and 8 percent were “dissatisfied.” None were “extremely dissatisfied.”
Blue Apron had almost double the number of customers reporting that they were “extremely satisfied” (30 percent). Forty-one percent said they were “satisfied,” and 24 percent said they felt “neutral.” Three percent were “dissatisfied” and one subscriber was “extremely dissatisfied.”
2. Most older adults ordered food for lunch and dinner — and preferred meal kits over prepared meals
Respondents overwhelmingly used meal delivery services for “lunch/dinner” (94 percent), while only 19 percent ordered breakfast.
Meal kits were most popular overall, chosen by 55 percent of respondents, while 22 percent opted for “prepared meals/food” and 23 percent ordered “both meal kits and prepared meals/food.”
3. Taste was the most important deciding factor
Respondents were asked what was most important to them when looking for a meal delivery service. They ranked 10 key considerations, including taste, nutritional value, ease of preparation, dietary options and cost, from one to 10, with one being the most important and 10 the least.
Taste came in first, with 34 percent choosing it as their top consideration. Second was cost, with 15 percent saying that was most important. Coming in last was eco-friendliness, with only 5 percent ranking it as most important.”
4. Cost could be a barrier
When asked about the hardest part of choosing a meal delivery service, the top response was “finding a service that’s within my budget,” picked by 28 percent. Although price can be a hurdle, budget-friendly meal delivery services do exist.
Cost was also by far the biggest reason respondents canceled a meal delivery subscription, cited by 63 percent. Skimpy portions came in a distant second, with 24 percent saying they weren’t getting enough food for the price.
When asked how much their meal kit subscription cost per week, most respondents (about 38 percent) said between $50 and $75, followed by 22 percent who reported prices of $75 to $100 and 21 percent who answered that it was $0 to $50 per week.
5. Most don’t mind cooking — as long as it’s under 30 minutes
When asked how much time they were willing to spend cooking dinner in a day, most respondents (63 percent) said 30 minutes or less. In a separate question, respondents noted that cooking with a meal kit required less cleanup. Sixty-four percent stated that “the cleanup is easier than if I were to cook on my own (takes less time and involves fewer dishes).”
That was consistent with the top reason for subscribing. More than half (54 percent) did so for “convenience and time saving.” A distant second signed on for “overall health and nutrition” (14 percent) and 13 percent were “exploring new recipes.”.
Most respondents also noted that recipes weren’t too challenging for novice cooks: 78 percent either “completely” agreed or “somewhat” agreed that “the meal delivery service I am subscribed to is perfect for beginners in the kitchen.”
The AARP Smart Picks team is here to help make it easier to find a meal delivery service that could work for you. We perform in-depth, objective evaluations of every company and service we recommend, so you don’t have to sort through countless options on your own.
Our independent older-adult testers also provide unbiased, firsthand feedback on each of our top picks. So if you’re looking for the best meal delivery services, we’ve got you covered.
Questions or feedback? Email us at AARPSmartPicks@aarp.org.
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