Editor's choice
#2nd Best choice
#3rd Best Choice
Eating right is essential for a long and healthy life. However, once you reach that certain age, your dietary needs slowly start to change, and you may have to rethink your whole diet.
Seniors often have to adapt to new dietary requirements, and their meals suddenly have to be low-sodium, vitamin-rich, with more proteins, and just the right amount of calories. Some even have to go on a specific meal regime to ensure heart health or help for some other medical condition or recovery.
Cooking healthy meals for seniors requires hours of research, going to the grocery store, getting the best ingredients, and mixing it all up in your home kitchen. Unfortunately, that is impossible for many seniors because of mobility problems, vision impairment, balance, or arthritis issues that come with old age.
Luckily, there are many food delivery services specially designed to cater to older adults. These services offer healthy meals created by dietitians and doctors to meet all dietary needs of seniors, and they deliver those tasty dishes straight to your home door.
We have spent a long time investigating and reviewing many online meal delivery services created for older adults. Feel free to read our buyer’s guide and try one of our top five picks.
Best Meal Delivery for Seniors
Best Overall: Silver by bistroMD
Most Affordable Dietician-Designed Meals: Mom’s Meals
Most Convenient: Magic Kitchen
Best Snack Options: Balance by bistroMD
Best Weight Loss Option: Medifast
Overview of the Best Meal Delivery Services for Seniors
1. Silver Cuisine by bistroMD (Editor's Choice)
- Best Match For: Seniors looking for a doctor-designed meal plan for their unique dietary needs.
- Commitment Level: No commitments - Order at any time; Recurring orders
- Availability: The contiguous US (No Alaska or Hawaii)
- Value: $5.99-$13.99/meal; $19.95 shipping fee
- Type: Fully prepared frozen meals and ready-to-eat sweets and snacks for seniors
Silver Cuisine is founded by bistroMD with a focus on creating the best meal options for individuals aged 50 and over. The company offers incredible variety with over 150 senior meal options all designed by a bariatric doctor, and prepared by professional chefs.
Ordering is easy, with no contracts or minimum orders. You simply select the meals you want, and Silver Cuisine does all the shopping, cooking, and delivery.
You can choose 5- or 7-day plans, with all three meals included, or you can opt for a program with only lunches and dinners.
Silver Cuisine has developed several different meal plans to fit specialty diet requirements and help with certain medical conditions. You can choose Heart-Healthy, Gluten-Free, Diabetic-Friendly, Low-Sodium, Low-Carb, Dairy-Free, Vegetarian, Mediterranean-Based, and Menopause-Friendly meal options.
These home-delivered meals are shipped to 48 contiguous United States, and the delivery usually takes two to five business days.
Read our full Silver Cuisine by bistroMD review to learn more.
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2. Mom’s Meals
- Best Match For: Older individuals and people with health problems who require affordable dietitian-designed meals to ensure proper nutrition for their condition.
- Commitment Level: No subscription needed; Subscription (10% off)
- Availability: The contiguous US (No Alaska or Hawaii)
- Value: $6.99-$7.99/meal
- Type: Fully prepared fresh meals (heat and eat)
Mom’s Meals is a meal delivery service that offers nationwide shipping (excluding Alaska and Hawaii). The company provides senior meal delivery, and best of all, every home-delivered meal comes fresh, not frozen. That ensures superior taste and intact nutrient balance.
Every meal plan is rich in lean protein, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy snacks. Each chef-made dish contains 700 or fewer calories per portion, and all recipes are designed and reviewed by dietitians to ensure proper nutrient balance.
Mom’s Meals highlight the importance of creating nutritious recipes, which is why the company follows the highest food standards set by the government and healthcare agencies.
Seniors have an option to choose from over 50 tasty dishes inspired by American and international cuisine. Meal programs are customizable and can meet different dietary needs like Low-Sodium, Heart-Friendly, Renal-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Diabetes-Friendly, Pureed, and Cancer Support.
Mom’s Meals works with healthcare organizations, caregivers, and individuals to ensure you always have a healthy meal for yourself or your loved one.
Want to know more? Read our full Mom's Meals review.
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3. Magic Kitchen
- Best Match For: People who need to follow a special diet, and want an extensive menu with delicious and nutritious ready-to-eat meals.
- Commitment Level: One time orders; Subscription with weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly delivery
- Availability: The continental US
- Value: $10-$14/meal; Shipping starts at $18.95
- Type: Fully prepared frozen meals, meal bundles, meal gifts, specialty eating plans, and more
Magic Kitchen is a meal delivery service that uses fresh produce and top-quality ingredients to create flash-frozen meals that are easy to reheat. One of the main advantages of this meal delivery service is that you can choose a la carte meals or select one of the pre-made meal bundles. You can also filter recipes according to your dietary restrictions, and get a menu fit for your needs.
Magic Kitchen has employed professional dietitians and nutritionists to create the ultimate senior meal plan. The company offers 90 different meals for older adults. Most of these recipes are low-sodium, diabetic-friendly, renal-friendly, dialysis-friendly, low-fat, and portion-controlled. You can also choose options like dairy-free, vegetarian, gluten-free, and more.
The whole ordering process is flexible, and you can choose breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, as well as soups, bread, and desserts. Each main course comes with an entrée and one or two sides.
With an Auto-Ship Meal Plan option, Magic Kitchen can deliver meals to home weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly without placing additional orders.
Read our Magic Kitchen review to learn more.
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4. Balance by bistroMD
- Best Match For: People looking for doctor-formulated frozen meals that support overall health.
- Commitment Level: No commitments - Order at any time
- Availability: The contiguous US (No Alaska or Hawaii)
- Value: $6.49-$13.99/serving; $19.95 shipping fee
- Type: Fully prepared frozen meals
Balance is another meal delivery service by bistroMD with delicious and nutritious dishes. The company offers well-balanced nutritious recipes prepared by chefs delivered straight to your doorstep. You can sit back and relax as the Balance takes care of meal planning, grocery shopping, meal prep, and delivery.
Balance’s prepared meals can be used as a part of a weight loss plan, a healthy lifestyle, or for convenience. Although there are no specific meal plans for seniors, you can filter recipes by your dietary needs. You can try dairy-free, vegetarian, fewer carbs, low sodium, menopause, heart-healthy, gluten-free, diabetic, or Mediterranean filters to get your perfect meals.
These low-calorie meals range from 240-400 calories, unlike other meal programs that go way higher. You can also count on 40-50% lean protein content that will keep you full longer. And if that doesn’t do the trick, you can enjoy a huge selection of delicious and healthy snacks.
Take a look at our review of Balance by BistroMD meals for more detail.
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5. Medifast
- Best Match For: Any senior looking to lose extra weight quickly
Medifast started out focusing on the weight loss aspect, and then the company grew, and now they offer a variety of diet plans and meal delivery services.
A significant reason for choosing Medifast is that they have clinically tested, medically-approved programs, developed by doctors. You can choose between 40 portion-controlled delicious meals and meal replacements, and there are even three diet plans designed specifically for senior needs.
Other special requirements you can choose are gluten-free, low carb, diabetes-friendly, vegetarian, low-fat, and more.
Medifast’s weight loss plans limit you to eat smaller portions every 2-3 hours. That way, you won’t go into a food coma after every meal. You also won’t have trouble digesting food, your blood sugar levels will remain constant, and you’ll have more energy for your daily activities.
Take a look at our Medifast review for more information!
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What to Look for in Senior Meal Delivery Services
If you are looking to buy meals for you, your family member, your parents, or some other senior you are taking care of, you need to pay attention to several things. Each meal prep service is different, and you can find most information on their website, or other review sites like Meal Matchmaker.
Here is what to look for.
Nutrition Facts
All delivery services we covered offer recipes specially designed to help seniors get all the nutrients they need. Many older adults don’t get the required protein from their diet, which is why these meals are rich in protein. They should also contain fibers, vitamins, essential minerals, and preferably omega-3 fatty acids.
When choosing your food delivery service, you should also consider all dietary restrictions you or your loved ones have. Luckily, most meal services offer menus that are diabetic-friendly, made for a healthy heart, low in sodium, fats, cholesterol, and with balanced caloric content.
Prepared Meals or Meal Kits?
All delivery services we covered offer pre-made dishes delivered straight to your door. However, if you have decided to go, rogue, order from a food service that’s not on our list, keep in mind that some offer meal kits.
With meal kit delivery services, you’ll get all the groceries, ingredients, and spices for your meals delivered to you. But it’s up to you to do the preparation and cook the dish. While some seniors prefer this, others want ready-to-eat meals because of their mobility issues, arthritis, or convenience.
Flexibility to Customize Menus and Change Orders
Some delivery services offer full customization, meaning you can choose the meals you like, select the ingredients you don’t want, and set your taste preferences to get the dishes you love. Others just send you their weekly menu without you having much say in it. If you are a picky eater, definitely look for home delivery services that offer customization.
One more thing to consider is if it’s one time or a subscription deal. Some services will automatically have the same meals delivered to you the following week if you don’t cancel or skip it. That’s why it is essential to read how each meal delivery company works, and choose a service you are comfortable with.
Delivery
Every delivery service has a unique shipping schedule. While some only ship on specific days, others do it every day of the week.
Auto-shipping options can occur weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, so make sure to select what works for you.
Many meal delivery options are only available in the contiguous US, while some companies offer meal deliveries to Alaska and Hawaii.
Budget
For complete independence, it is essential to have a well-planned budget. Make sure you are familiar with all costs. Check meal prices, shipping costs, and additional subscription fees, and take them into account when choosing meal service providers.
Keep in mind that some services offer free meals or a considerable discount for Medicare and Medicaid members. Investigate your options for the best deals.
FAQS
Any balanced meals that provide enough nutrients, and take special dietary restrictions into account, are senior-friendly. A great thing about meal delivery services is that they all offer meals designed by dietitians and doctors to match those criteria.
Having meals delivered to seniors has never been easier. With so many meal delivery services, all you have to do is find the one you like best, go to their website, and order as many meals as you want. Most food services delivery options are available nationwide.
Certain food delivery services like Mom’s Meals offer free or meals at low cost for members of Medicare or Medicaid who are over 65. If you are a senior, you can find excellent discounts with most meal delivery services.
There is no definite answer to what the best meal delivery service that offers prepared meals is. Our favorite is Silver Cuisine by bistroMD, but all the other delivery services on our list are amazing!
All five delivery services made our list because they are the best of the best! However, there has to be the best one. And when it comes to providing the most satisfying meals for seniors, our number one is Silver Cuisine by bistroMD.
We love everything about Silver Cuisine!
It is a service specially developed for seniors, with recipes created by a doctor. Chef-prepared meals are full of flavors, and there are many recipe choices. Seniors with medical conditions don’t have to worry, as you are guaranteed to find a perfectly nutritious dish among 150 different recipes.
Ordering is flexible, and you can easily change or cancel your meal plan.
You’ll receive clear heating instructions, and your meal will be ready in just a few minutes. And if you forget your dish in the freezer, don’t worry, it can stay there for up to one year.
These are some of the reasons why we loved Silver Cuisine so much. But you don’t have to take our word for it. Try it yourself and enjoy delicious restaurant-quality meals that are perfectly nutritionally-balanced.
Silver Cuisine by bistroMD
Our #1 Recommendation