PickYourMeals.
Buying guide. Household: seniors and caregivers

Best prepared meal delivery for seniors

Five services that send fully cooked meals to an older adult's door, ranked on price, how long the meals keep, minimum order, and where they deliver.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-22. Prices and limits as of October 2026. How we rate

For an older parent living alone, the questions are simple: how much per meal, how many meals do you have to order, will they keep until they get eaten, and does the service deliver to that address. We pulled those numbers from each brand's own site. If a brand does not publish a number, we say "not listed".

Note: several of these brands label menus for specific diets, such as lower sodium or diabetes-friendly. Those are the brand's own labels. Check with a doctor or dietitian before using any menu to manage a health condition.
#ServicePrice (as of October 2026)Plan size / minimumDelivery area
1Mom's MealsFrom $7.99/meal (self-pay)Minimum not listed; choose every mealBrand says nationwide; ZIP sets delivery dates
2Magic Kitchen15-meal trial pack $157.50 with code TRIAL (free shipping); meals $12 to $60$50 minimum order; no contractLower 48 states only
3ModifyHealthEntrées $13.45; breakfasts $9.955 meals per delivery minimumAll 50 states, free shipping
4bistroMD$149.90 for 10 meals up to $219.80 for 20; $19.95 shipping10 to 20 meals per orderContinental US only
5CookUnityFrom $12.59/meal4, 6, 8, 12 or 16 meals/weekZIP-based; check at sign-up

The top 5, ranked

1. Mom's Meals: lowest price per meal

  • Price (as of October 2026): Self-pay meals start at $7.99 each. The FAQ says all meals are $9.49 or less. Subscribe and Save takes 10% off and adds free shipping.
  • Shipping (as of October 2026): Free on Subscribe and Save. Pay-as-you-go shipping cost not listed.
  • Minimum order (as of October 2026): Not listed. No subscription required.
  • Storage (as of October 2026): Ships refrigerated with gel packs. Meals last 14 days in the fridge from delivery.
  • Menus (as of October 2026): 9 menus, 60+ meals, including general wellness, lower sodium, heart friendly, diabetes friendly, renal friendly, gluten free, vegetarian, Protein+ and pureed.
  • Delivery area (as of October 2026): Brand describes delivery as nationwide. Your ZIP decides which delivery dates are available.

Verdict: Best value on this list, and the 14-day fridge life suits someone who eats slowly.

Visit Mom's Meals (official site)

2. Magic Kitchen: no subscription, freezer-friendly

  • Price (as of October 2026): One-time 15-meal trial pack (10 dinners, 3 breakfasts, 2 soups) costs $157.50 with code TRIAL, with free shipping. The FAQ puts a regular meal at $12 to $60 depending on what you order.
  • Minimum order (as of October 2026): $50 per order. No contract; reorder when you want.
  • Shipping (as of October 2026): FedEx Ground. Rate depends on distance and weight; not listed as a flat fee.
  • Delivery area (as of October 2026): Continental US, lower 48 states only. No Alaska, Hawaii or Canada.
  • Storage (as of October 2026): Flash frozen. Brand says meals keep 6 months or more in the freezer.
  • Menus (as of October 2026): Complete meals with diet labels including diabetic, portion-controlled, renal, dialysis-friendly, low sodium and pureed.

Verdict: Best for a caregiver who wants to fill a freezer once and not manage a subscription.

Visit Magic Kitchen (official site)

3. ModifyHealth: free shipping to all 50 states

  • Price (as of October 2026): Entrées $13.45 each, breakfasts $9.95 each.
  • Shipping (as of October 2026): Free to all 50 states.
  • Minimum order (as of October 2026): At least 5 meals per delivery on a weekly subscription. Change, pause or cancel any time; changes are due by 11:59pm ET Saturday for the next week.
  • Menus (as of October 2026): 60+ fully prepared meals. All gluten-free. Plans include heart friendly, diabetes friendly, Mediterranean and low FODMAP.
  • Storage (as of October 2026): Fresh prepared; heat 1 to 2 minutes if thawed, 3 to 5 if frozen.

Verdict: The easiest small order for someone in Alaska or Hawaii or a rural ZIP, with no shipping fee on top.

Visit ModifyHealth

4. bistroMD: dietitian-built frozen plans

  • Price (as of October 2026): Flexible plan: 10 meals $149.90 ($14.99 each), 14 meals $188.86, 20 meals $219.80 ($10.99 each).
  • Shipping (as of October 2026): Standard shipping $19.95.
  • Plan size (as of October 2026): 10 to 20 meals per order on weekly auto-delivery. Skip or cancel any time.
  • Delivery area (as of October 2026): Continental US. No Alaska or Hawaii.
  • Storage (as of October 2026): Frozen on dry ice. Heat in 5 minutes or less.
  • Discount (as of October 2026): bistroMD lists an AARP member discount on its Silver Cuisine transition page. Silver Cuisine, its former seniors brand, is no longer operating.

Verdict: Solid if your parent eats two delivered meals a day; too large an order for a light eater.

Visit bistroMD (official site)

5. CookUnity: chef variety for good appetites

  • Price (as of October 2026): Each meal starts from $12.59 before first-order promos. Delivery fee not listed on the pages we checked.
  • Plan sizes (as of October 2026): 4, 6, 8, 12 or 16 meals per week. Add, pause or skip deliveries.
  • Storage (as of October 2026): Fresh, not frozen. Refrigerated shelf life of about 3 to 7 days, with a use-by date on each label. Chefs advise against freezing.
  • Delivery area (as of October 2026): Set by ZIP code.

Verdict: Best food variety, but the short fridge life suits someone who eats a delivered meal most days.

Visit CookUnity Not an affiliate link yet. Goes to the official site.

How we ranked them

  1. Price per meal on a normal week, including shipping where the brand publishes it.
  2. How long meals keep: freezer stock (Magic Kitchen, bistroMD) and 14-day fridge life (Mom's Meals) rank ahead of 3 to 7 days.
  3. Smallest order: ModifyHealth at 5 meals and CookUnity at 4 are easiest for a light eater.
  4. Delivery area: only ModifyHealth lists all 50 states for prepared meals here.

Caregiver checklist

  1. Enter the senior's ZIP, not yours, before you compare.
  2. Count real meals per week. Do not buy a 20-meal plan for someone who eats 6.
  3. Check freezer and fridge space at their home.
  4. Pick a service that does not need a signature or someone at home. Mom's Meals and ModifyHealth both say no one needs to be home.
  5. Ask their health plan whether it covers home-delivered meals before paying out of pocket. Mom's Meals accepts some health-plan benefit cards.

FAQ

What is the cheapest prepared meal delivery for seniors?

Mom's Meals, from $7.99 per meal self-pay as of October 2026, with free shipping on Subscribe and Save.

Which senior meal delivery does not need a subscription?

Magic Kitchen (no contract, $50 minimum) and Mom's Meals (pay as you go is allowed).

Is there senior meal delivery to Alaska or Hawaii?

ModifyHealth ships free to all 50 states. Magic Kitchen and bistroMD do not ship there.

Related: Meal delivery for one person · Never-frozen prepared meals · Keto meal delivery · Availability by ZIP · CookUnity card

Sources

Every price and limit above was read from the brand's own site on 2026-10-22. If a number is marked "not listed", the brand did not publish it on a public page we could check.