Our selection

Best value for money 🥇
> Quitoque (4.28/5)
If you are looking for the best quality / variety / price balance.

The most premium meal kit
> Les Commis (3.93/5)
If you want to know exactly where what you eat comes from.

The cheapest meal kit
> HelloFresh (3.81/5)
If you are just getting started in the kitchen or keeping an eye on your budget.

The most family-friendly meal kit
> Recettes & Cabas (3.75/5)
If you like home cooking and freedom without a subscription.

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You have definitely already seen an ad for a cooking box. The concept is simple: they deliver to your home all the ingredients needed to prepare your meals for the week, with the right quantities and the recipe cards to go with them.

On paper, it sounds dreamy: no more grocery shopping, less mental load, less waste, and above all no more having to ask the eternal question: « What are we eating tonight? »

But between marketing promises and what ends up on the plate, there can sometimes be a world of difference. Product quality, nutritional balance, price, ease of preparation, origin of ingredients… Not all meal kits are equal, or at least they do not suit everyone.

To get a clearer picture, I tested each meal kit to cook for one week: HelloFresh, Quitoque, Les Commis, and Recipes & Groceries.

I looked at what was really on the plates, the quality of the products received, the balance of the recipes, the time spent in the kitchen, the price, and of course the pleasure of eating the dishes offered.

Here is my feedback after 1 month in the kitchen!

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Best value for money 🥇

Founded in 2014, Quitoque is now a key player in meal kit boxes in France.

Every week, the brand offers 44 varied recipes that place vegetables front and center and generally provide a good amount of protein. Overall, it is fairly balanced, even if some dishes may seem a little light for very active people.

The quality of the products is there. The ingredients are fresh and Quitoque communicates well about their origin. Many products are of French origin and some are organic. I also appreciate the presence of labeled meats as well as PDO products, which are real guarantees of quality. 

If there is one point I would like to see improve, it is the presence of organic produce in the fruits and vegetables. In my opinion, making them more widespread would make it possible to reach an even higher level of quality.

I found the recipes easy to make and the flavors often original and delicious. The recipe cards are clear, easy to follow, and the stated prep times generally match reality.

Quitoque also highlights several initiatives in favor of the environment. The brand notably displays the carbon score of its recipes, promotes seasonal fruits and vegetables, and seeks to limit food waste. Despite these efforts, the amount of plastic packaging remains fairly significant.

User experience is one of the brand’s strengths. The app is pleasant to use, order management is simple and intuitive, and customer service was particularly responsive in my interactions. 

As for price, Quitoque is positioned in the middle of the market with a price of €7.74 per person per meal, excluding delivery. It is not the cheapest box, but the quality of the products, the recipe selection, and the convenience of the service make this price entirely reasonable.

Quitoque is one of my favorites. In my opinion, it is one of the most balanced meal kits on the market and probably the one that offers the best combination of product quality, nutritional quality, recipe variety, and price.

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The most premium

Founded in 2012, Les Commis offers premium meal kits, with a real emphasis on product quality and traceability.

Each week, the brand offers 24 recipes inspired by different cuisines. There is a little less choice than with some competitors, but the dishes are often more original and give more the impression of cooking a real, well-crafted meal.

From a nutrition standpoint, I’m a bit more mixed. While the recipes are original, some sometimes lack vegetables or protein. As a result, they are a little less filling and can leave a feeling of “not quite enough” at the end of the meal.

On the other hand, ingredient quality is clearly one of the brand’s major strengths. The products are often organic, largely sourced from France, and Les Commis communicates very transparently about where they come from. Whether the ingredients come from France or abroad, you know exactly where they are from.

Unfortunately, during my test, I didn’t find the vegetables to be optimally fresh. That’s a bit disappointing for a box positioned in the premium segment.

I also really enjoyed the recipes. The flavors are original, out of the ordinary, and allow you to discover new combinations. The cooking time is sometimes a little longer than with other meal kits, but the final result is really interesting. The recipe cards are easy to use. They are clear, well detailed, and make it possible to get a very good result even when you do not cook much.

From an environmental standpoint, Les Commis makes an effort with seasonal products and direct work with French producers. As with all meal kits, packaging remains the main weak point, even if real efforts are being made to reduce it.

The user experience is successful. The website is clear and everything is well explained. There is no mobile app, but selecting recipes, choosing delivery, or pausing the subscription is easy. Customer service is also very responsive.

In terms of price, Les Commis clearly ranks among premium meal kits. The price ranged between €8.13 and €10.13 per person per meal, excluding delivery fees, depending on the recipes chosen. It is more expensive than most competitors, but the quality of the products helps explain the difference.

In the end, Les Commis is probably the meal kit I tested with the best level of traceability and transparency regarding the origin of the products. That is really its biggest strength. If you like cooking, discovering new flavors, and knowing exactly what is on your plate and where the products you eat come from, this meal kit is for you.

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The cheapest

HelloFresh is a German brand created in 2011. Today, it is the global leader in meal kit delivery.

Each week, HelloFresh offers up to 54 different recipes. There is truly plenty of variety to mix up meals and find dishes suited to your tastes, whether you prefer meat, fish, vegetarian options, or richer recipes.

From a nutritional standpoint, the recipes are generally well balanced with a good amount of vegetables and satisfying protein content. However, be careful: some recipes are richer. If you pay attention to your diet, I recommend checking the nutrition facts before making your selection.

On the ingredient side, HelloFresh mainly works with conventional products. The fruits and vegetables are fresh and appealing, but there are no organic or certified products. 

I find that transparency is not the brand’s strong suit. A large share of the  vegetables and meats are French, and that is clearly stated. On the other hand, for some grocery items or processed ingredients, the origin is not always specified.

The recipes are simple to make and the recipe cards are particularly well done. The instructions are clear, the steps are easy to follow, and even people who do not cook often can get by without difficulty.

From an environmental standpoint, the pre-portioned system helps reduce food waste, which is a real plus. On the other hand, the amount of packaging remains significant. Efforts are being made to reduce plastic use, but there is still room for improvement.

I also found customer service efficient. Responses are quick, issues are handled well, and the app makes it easy to modify orders or track deliveries.

With a price starting at €6.88 per person per meal excluding delivery, HelloFresh is the cheapest box in our comparison.

In the end, HelloFresh is a simple, practical, and effective meal kit. It is not the most demanding when it comes to traceability or the environment, but it fully delivers on its mission: making it easy to cook at home with varied recipes that are accessible to the widest audience.

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The most family-friendly

Founded in Lyon in 2011, Recettes & Cabas is one of the pioneers of meal kit boxes in France.

Each week, Recettes & Cabas offers about a dozen different recipes. That’s not huge compared with some competitors, but that’s not really what the brand is aiming for. Here, the focus is first and foremost on ingredients.

The recipes are simple and remind you of homemade, family-style cooking without fuss. We’re not talking about complicated cooking or unlikely flavor combinations. The idea is mainly to cook seasonal ingredients.

From a nutrition standpoint, the recipes are balanced. Vegetables are well represented and the protein content is decent. I found the overall package perfect for everyday use.

When you open the box, the vegetables are fresh, the ingredients look great, and you really feel like you’ve just come back from the farmers market. That is probably what I liked most during my test. The recipe cards are sometimes a little lacking in precision, but the recipes remain easy to make.

I also appreciated the work done with local and seasonal products. Vegetables and meats often come from the Rhône-Alpes region when possible. However, the traceability of some grocery products could be better, especially for ingredients that come from abroad.

On the environmental side, Recettes & Cabas makes an effort by favoring local and seasonal ingredients as much as possible. The brand also displays the carbon footprint of each of its recipes, which helps better understand their environmental impact. People living in the Lyon area can pick up their order in a reusable bag, which is a real plus. There are still quite a few packaging materials that could be avoided.

The website is clear, easy to use, and customer service was responsive during my test. I also appreciate the fact that there is no subscription. You order whenever you want, for the number of people you want, without having to think about pausing an order.

The main downside remains the price. Expect €8.35 per person per meal, plus delivery fees ranging from €11 to €16. The products are good, but these delivery fees quickly push up the bill.

You can tell there is a real desire to work with fresh, seasonal, and most often local products. If you like simple cooking, good ingredients, and everyday recipes, there is a very good chance that you will like this box. People living in the Lyon area will also benefit from certain advantages such as reusable bags and reduced delivery fees.

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Methodology

To obtain the most representative final rating possible, each box was tested for one week under real-life usage conditions.

To form a concrete opinion, for each box I tested a formula for 2 people including 4 different recipes. I deliberately chose a variety of dishes: a vegetarian recipe, a fish-based recipe, a chicken-based recipe, and a recipe based on another type of meat.

I used these meal kits in my everyday routine, sometimes with busy days and little time to cook.

For each box, I identified 6 dimensions and rated them out of 10 by evaluating a total of 30 different criteria.

Since each dimension does not have the same importance in my eyes, I then used a weighted average to calculate the final score. This makes it possible to give greater weight to the elements that seem most important to me as a consumer.

→ Access my full comparison table here (Google Sheet)

1. Nutritional quality (25%)

Nutritional quality is one of the most important criteria in this comparison. A meal kit should be convenient, but also make it possible to eat a balanced diet every day.

I first assessed the balance between protein, carbohydrates, and fat. To get the best score, a recipe had to provide at least 20 g of protein per serving, include a source of starchy foods, and a reasonable amount of fat. When the information was available, a Nutri-Score A or B was also a plus.

I then looked at the amount of vegetables in the recipes. Vegetables provide fiber, vitamins, and essential minerals. The maximum score was awarded to recipes containing at least 300 g of vegetables per serving.

The level of ingredient processing was also taken into account. The more the recipes relied on raw or minimally processed products, the better the rating. The presence of additives or ultra-processed ingredients resulted in a penalty.

I also assessed the energy content of the recipes. Even though needs vary from one person to another, I used a range between 450 and 700 kcal per meal to assign the highest rating.

Finally, I took into account the variety of the selection. A box had to offer at least three different recipe categories to receive the highest rating. Vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free, low glycemic index, or low-calorie options were additional pluses, because they help meet the needs of a larger number of consumers.

2. Ingredient quality and sourcing (20%)

The presence of labels and quality marks was taken into account. Products benefiting from a recognized designation or label (Red Label, PDO, PGI, Organic Farming, etc.) were given extra credit in the rating.

I then analyzed the level of transparency offered by the brand. The more precise and easily accessible the information about the origin of the ingredients was, the better the rating.

The freshness of the products was also assessed upon receipt of the boxes. When the fruits and vegetables were fresh, visually of good quality, and kept properly for several days after delivery, the highest rating was awarded.

Finally, I took into account the emphasis on partner producers and suppliers. Brands that clearly communicate about the farms, production chains, and companies they work with receive a better score.

3. Price (25%)

To assess value for money, I compared the average price per serving, delivery fees, as well as the convenience of managing orders and subscriptions.

I based this on the price of a box including 4 recipes for 2 people in order to compare the different offers on the same basis. The lower the cost per serving for equivalent quality, the better the score.

I also took into account the flexibility of the offer. Boxes that made it easy to change the number of recipes, the number of servings, or the delivery frequency received a better score.

Subscription management was also evaluated. When it was possible to pause, modify, or cancel the subscription in just a few clicks, without having to contact customer service or take burdensome steps, the maximum score was awarded.

The presence of a welcome offer made it possible to earn an extra point, regardless of the amount of the discount offered.

Finally, delivery fees were included in the evaluation. The higher they were, the more the score was penalized, because they can represent a significant part of the service’s actual cost.

4. Culinary experience (20%)

This category evaluates the pleasure of cooking, the originality of the recipes, the clarity of the technical sheets, the actual preparation time, as well as taste satisfaction.

I first evaluated the number of recipes offered each week. The greater the choice, the better the rating. A varied offering helps reduce monotony and regularly discover new dishes.

I then compared the stated preparation time with the time actually needed to make the recipes. Since most meal kits offer quick recipes, I mainly focused on the reliability of the information provided. The larger the gap between the stated time and the actual time, the lower the rating. This criterion is essential for consumers looking for a practical solution and who want to be able to organize their meals with confidence.

The recipe sheets were also evaluated. I took into account their clarity, the level of detail in the explanations, the presence of step-by-step illustrations, as well as the quality of the paper. Well-designed recipe sheets make recipes easier to prepare and improve the overall experience.

The difficulty of the recipes was also analyzed. A meal kit must remain accessible both to experienced cooks and to people with little cooking experience. The presence of complex techniques, numerous steps, or difficult technical gestures resulted in a lower rating.

Finally, I evaluated the taste quality of the recipes in a more subjective way. In particular, I took into account the enjoyment felt when tasting them, the balance of flavors, the originality of the ingredient combinations, the use of spices, and the ability of the recipes to surprise me. Enjoyment remains an essential part of eating, and the taste success of the dishes is a key criterion in evaluating a meal kit.

5. Packaging and environmental impact (5%)

The environmental impact often represents the main weak point of meal kits. I therefore chose to evaluate the efforts made by the brands to reduce their ecological footprint.

I first analyzed the packaging used. The more plastic there was, the lower the score. By contrast, paper, cardboard, or kraft packaging was given more weight.

I also evaluated the fight against food waste. Meal kits providing only the quantities needed to make the recipes received a better score. By contrast, the presence of surplus ingredients or excessive portions was penalized.

The brands’ environmental commitments were also taken into account. The presence of quantified goals, a clearly presented CSR approach, or information on the carbon footprint of recipes helped improve the score.

Regarding delivery, most meal kits use similar carriers. However, I gave more credit to brands offering more sustainable alternatives, such as bicycle delivery or pickup points that reduce individual trips.

Finally, I analyzed the emphasis placed on seasonal products. The more a brand highlighted seasonal fruits and vegetables and limited the presence of out-of-season ingredients in its recipes, the better the score.

6. Customer service and user experience (5%)

This criterion evaluates the responsiveness of customer service, the ease of managing the subscription, the quality of the support provided, as well as the convenience of delivery.

I first evaluated the speed and quality of the responses provided by customer service. I did not test all of the available communication channels, but I contacted the brands at random, mainly by phone and email. I also reviewed the FAQs to check whether they made it easy to answer the most common questions.

Problem handling was also taken into account. Since I did not systematically encounter difficulties during my tests, I asked the brands about the solutions offered in the event of a delivery error, a missing product, or a quality issue.

I also evaluated the contact methods available. The more communication channels a brand offered (phone, email, chat, contact form, or social media), the better the score.

The convenience of the customer account area was also analyzed. I took into account ease of navigation, how easy it was to modify or manage orders, as well as the overall user experience. When a mobile app was available, an additional point was awarded.

Final score calculation

The final score out of 5 is obtained from a weighted average:

• Nutritional quality: 25%
• Ingredient quality and sourcing: 20%
• Value for money: 25%
• Culinary experience: 20%
• Packaging and environmental impact: 5%
• Service and customer experience: 5%

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FAQ

What is the cheapest meal box in France?

Prices change regularly depending on promotions and the number of meals ordered. Among the boxes tested, HelloFresh is the cheapest.

Are meal boxes commitment-free?

Yes. Most meal boxes work as a flexible subscription that you can pause, modify, or cancel at any time.

How long does it take to prepare the recipes?

Most recipes take between 20 and 40 minutes to prepare, to which you often have to add cooking time.

In practice, some recipes took me a little longer than what was advertised. It’s also important to keep in mind that dishwashing, tidying up, and cleaning the kitchen are not included in their estimates.

This may seem like a minor detail, but for some recipes with multiple steps, it can easily add 10 to 15 extra minutes to the actual time spent in the kitchen.

Do meal kits make it possible to eat a balanced diet?

Generally yes, provided you choose your recipes carefully.

Contrary to what one might think, not all recipes offered by meal kits are necessarily balanced. Some are very rich in vegetables and protein, while others may be more generous with cheese, sauces, or fat.

The good news is that brands display the nutritional values of their recipes and offer categories to help you make your choice. For example, you’ll see labels such as “Balanced,” “Nutri+,” “Low in calories,” or “High in protein.”

Overall, I found that meal kits made it easier to eat a balanced diet than ready-made meals or improvised everyday meals. They encourage you to cook more, eat more vegetables, and vary your diet a little more.

As always, it’s not the meal kit that makes the diet balanced, but the recipes you choose. It’s up to you to make the right choice

Are the ingredients in meal kits really fresh?

During this test, the ingredients received were generally fresh across all brands. However, there are differences regarding the origin of the products and the transparency of sourcing. When there is fish, it is recommended to eat it quickly and start with these recipes to keep optimal freshness 

Do meal kits save money compared with grocery shopping?

Not really. If your goal is to spend less, grocery shopping and cooking yourself will almost always remain the most cost-effective solution.

According to the 2026 study by the Radin malin website, a couple spends an average of €72.23 per week on groceries. This corresponds to a typical basket of 24 products and includes all meals for the week: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

By contrast, a cook-at-home box usually covers only a few meals. For example, at HelloFresh, the most affordable plan costs about €60.99 for 4 meals for 2 people, which is only 8 servings.

So you don’t choose a meal kit to save money. Its value lies elsewhere: saving time, avoiding grocery shopping, reducing the mental load of the famous “What are we having for dinner tonight?”, cutting down on food waste, and discovering new recipes.

It’s also a good way to cook more and avoid certain prepared dishes or improvised meals that are often less interesting nutritionally. In the end, you’re mainly paying for comfort, convenience, and time savings.