The Best Food Subscription Boxes in Canada for 2024

Meal subscription boxes in Canada have become synonymous with convenience. A report by the Dalhousie University found that 8.4% of Canadians had subscriptions to a meal kit service provider.

Also called meal kits, food subscription boxes, such as SPATULA Foods, HelloFresh, and Chefs Plate, are an easy and quick way to prepare meals without running to the grocery for ingredients. 

Learn about meal and snack subscription boxes in Canada, how they work, and if they are worth your money.

Best Meal Subscription Boxes in Canada 

Meal Kit Provider	Features	Cost	Discounts
HelloFresh	Over 35 weekly recipes for various meal plans; customizable meals	Meals start at $9.25/pp	Sign up at HelloFresh using this link to get up to 20 free meals.
Chefs Plate	Weekly customizable meal plans; no minimum subscription terms; free shipping for some meal plans	Starts at $8.99 per serving	Make your first order using this link to get up to $67 off throughout your first 3 boxes.
SPATULA Foods	Offers flash-frozen meals that are ready in 10 minutes; over 80 meal choices	Meal kits range from $9.89 to $13.49;  Discovery Box starts at $11.99	Sign up at SPATULA Foods using this link (includes a discount with promo code SAVVY40).
Goodfood	Offers 30+ chef-inspired, read-to-cook meals delivered weekly; keto, paleo, vegan and vegetarian meal options are available	Easy Prep – $69.70 ($11.62/serving); Classic – $65.20 ($10.87/serving); Family Basket – $77.94 ($9.74/serving)	If you are a new subscriber, you can get up to 10 free meals across your first 4 baskets. You can also use a coupon code on the Goodfood site to get up to 63% off across four deliveries.
WeCook	Offers ready-to-eat meals with over 500 recipes; provides 14 customizable meal options each week; meals are ready in 2 minutes; free delivery	6 to 8 meals/week – $14.95/meal; 9 to 13 meals/week – $13.95/meal; 14 to 21 meals/week – $13.25/meal; 22 to 30 meals/week – $12.25/meal	Order your first box and get $20 off. Join the WeCook Rewards program and earn WeCoins when you order WeCook products, complete challenges and unlock badges. Redeem points for snacks, groceries, accessories, gift cards or credits.

A wide choice of meal subscription boxes is available in Canada, and choosing from them can be confusing. We will simplify it by narrowing down the choices to Canada’s 15 best food subscription boxes.

1. HelloFresh

The biggest name in food subscription services, HelloFresh provides meal kit delivery services in Canada. It offers meal kits with pre-measured ingredients that you can customize and have delivered weekly to your door for free, depending on your location.

Over 35 recipes are available each week. Plan size choices are for 2 or 4 people, while the options for the number of weekly recipes are 3, 4, or 5 meals. Meals start at $9.25/pp. Meal plans include Vegetarian, Family Friendly, Calorie Smart, Carb Smart, Quick & Easy, Beyond Meat and Premium.

Pros:

• Free delivery to some areas
• Discounts for first-time customers
• Cancellation or skipping of orders anytime

Cons: 

• More expensive than other meal delivery services
• Delivery fees apply in some locations

For more information, read this HelloFresh review or claim your free box.

2. Chefs Plate

One of the most popular companies offering meal subscription boxes in Canada, Chefs Plate makes meal planning easy with its weekly customizable meal plans delivered right to your doorstep. Each box has fresh ingredients insulated in ice packs to keep them cool for hours. 

Subscription boxes are available for 2 or 4 people, with a choice of 2, 3, 4, or 5 recipes per week. Meals start at $8.99 per serving. Meal options include Meat & Vegetables, Vegetarian and Family Friendly. All boxes are delivered in an insulated liner and ice packs to keep the food fresh.

Pros:

• Free shipping for some meal plans
• Flexible and customizable subscription
• No minimum term for any subscription

Cons:

• No options for dietary requirements and allergies
• Delivery is not available in some locations

Here’s a detailed guide about Chefs Plate.

3. SPATULA Foods

SPATULA Foods is a Toronto-based gourmet-meal subscription start-up that entered the business in March 2022. It differs from its competitors by offering flash-frozen meals developed by local chefs and SPATULA Foods. It offers a Subscription Box and a one-time order called the Discovery Box. 

Meal kit prices range from $9.89 to $13.49, depending on the dishes. Each kit serves two persons. Boxes come in small (6 items), medium (9 items), and large (15 items). The Discovery Box starts at $11.99. Delivery frequency options are 1 week, 2 weeks, and 3 weeks. 

Pros: 

• Convenient
• Ready-made
• Ready in 10 minutes
• More than 80 meal choices

Cons:

• Limited delivery areas
• Shipping fees as high as $12.99

Learn more about SPATULA Foods.

4. Goodfood

For the time-pressed, a Goodfood box in Canada can help. Goodfood offers chef-inspired dinners, ready-to-cook meals and fresh ingredients that you can order and have delivered to your home each week. Over 30 recipes are available weekly.

Choose from 2, 3, or 4 recipes and pick between 2 and 4 servings. Meal plan choices are Classic Basket, Easy Prep Basket and Family Basket, with Vegetarian and Low Carb options. An Easy Prep Basket plan having 3 recipes with 2 servings costs $5.27 per serving. 

Pros:

• Offers keto, paleo, vegetarian and vegan meal options
• Free delivery for orders $50 or more
• Guarantees freshness for up to a week following delivery of the box
• No signup or cancellation fees

Cons:

• Limited delivery areas
• A $4.99 fee for the additional box needed to ship frozen items
• An additional $9.99 fee for orders below $50 and another fee of $1.99 for deliveries made to rural areas

5. WeCook

WeCook is a subscription-based meal service offering ready-to-eat meals delivered to your door at no extra cost. Choose your portion of meat, pick the number of meals and have them delivered to your home. WeCook has over 500 different recipes.

The choices for the number of meals are 6, 9, 14 and 22+. Each meal is equal to one individual portion. There are 14 different meal options you can personalize. The price of the precooked meals depends on your selections. Meals generally cost between $10 and $15. 

Pros:

• Discounts on first orders
• Over 500 recipes are available
• Free shipping to Ontario and Quebec
• Meals can be kept for 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator

Cons:

• No meal options for specific diets
• Required minimum order of 6 meals or $100 of vacuum-sealed products
• Delivers to Ontario and Quebec only

6. Plant Prepped

Plant Prepped is a plant-based meal delivery service offering gourmet vegan meal kits with fresh, pre-measured, and pre-portioned ingredients with step-by-step cooking instructions. 

Meal options offered are the 2-Person Plan and the 4-Person Plan, both providing 3 dinner recipes each week. The 2- and 4-Person Plans cost $80.99 and $144.99, respectively. The price per serving for the 4-person plan is $12.08 and $13.49 for the two-person plan.  

Pros:

• 100% plant-based, vegan meals
• Gluten-free and soy-free options are available
• Free shipping
• Uss mostly recyclable and reusable packaging

Cons:

• Delivers to Quebec and Ontario only
• Only a maximum of 3 dinners can be delivered each week
• Limited menu variety

7. Cook it

Cook it is a meal kit service provider that offers ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat meals made with local ingredients and delivered every week. Choose between 2, 3 or 4 servings per week and between 2 to 7 meals per week. Regular and vegetarian menus are also available. 

A ready-to-eat meal costs $14.30 per portion, while a ready-to-cook plan with 3 recipes and 2 portions costs $15.13 each. One meal corresponds to 1 individual portion for adults or 2 portions for children. Cook it delivers only to Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes.

Pros:

• Free shipping
• Free meals and local products with the Star Chef program
• 12 new recipes every week
• Sizable portions

Cons:

• No official gluten-free menu
• No options for low-carb, keto or paleo diets
• Few options for the vegetarian menu

8. Revive Superfoods

Revive Superfoods delivers frozen or ready-to-blend 100% preservative-free single-serving smoothies and meal cups. It offers a large selection of frozen smoothies you can blend at home with added liquid, oat cups, plant-based legumes, and soups packaged in 100% plant-based cups.

Choose between a weekly subscription (9, 12, or 24 cups per week) or a monthly subscription (12 or 24 cups per month). Smoothies prices start at $8.99 per item, while acai bowls and oats cost $7.99 per item. Prices for meals and soups start at $9.99 per item. 

Pros:

• Convenient and fast preparation
• Products are HALAL-certified
• Customizable delivery

Cons:

• Products are not certified kosher
• Some complaints about poor customer service 

Best Snack Subscription Boxes in Canada 

As with meal subscription boxes, there are plenty of choices when it comes to snack boxes. Below are some of the best snack subscription boxes in Canada. 

9. Urthbox

Urthbox is a health food subscription service that delivers up to 30 ready-to-eat snacks that use all-natural, organic, and non-GMO ingredients. The subscription is offered monthly, with choices of 3, 6, and up to 12 months. 

For the type of subscription, the options are classic, gluten-free, vegan and diet boxes. Prices for these boxes are as follows: Mini (6-7 snacks) – $20.99; Small (14-16 snacks) – $30.99; Medium (21-23 snacks) – $40.99; Large (28-30 snacks) – $50.99. 

Pros:

• Discounts on large box sizes
• All-natural ingredients
• Caters to those with dietary restrictions or allergies

Cons:

• No option to customize
• A monthly shipping fee of $6.95

10. Snack Crate

Snack Crate is a snack subscription service with monthly boxes themed around international locations and their snack specialties. Snack options include Salty and Savory, Mix It Up, and Sweet and Chocolaty. Box sizes are Mini (5-6 snacks), Original (10-23 snacks) and Premium (18-20 snacks).

Box prices are as follows: Mini – starts at $16,00; Original – starts at $26.00 and Premium – starts at $46.00. Subscription terms are 12 months (starts at $16 per snackcrate), 6 months (starts at $18 per snackcrate) and monthly (starts at $20 per snackcrate).

Pros:

• Numerous options, including mixing up snacks
• Snack specialties from a new country each month
• A mix of various snack flavours

Cons:

• Does not accommodate specific dietary needs or allergies
• You cannot select specific countries or snacks

11. Canada’s Baking Box

Canada’s Baking Box is a premium baking subscription service offering chef-tested pastry recipes and pre-measured shelf-stable ingredients. It also offers plant-based baking kits and subscriptions that each come with a professional kitchen tool.

Subscription boxes are available in monthly, 3-month prepaid, and 6-month prepaid options. Subscription costs are as follows: monthly – $44.00; 3 months – $132.00; 6 months – $246.00; and 12 months – $468.00. 

Pros:

• Free shipping in Canada for orders over $75
• Option to try a baking kit before buying a subscription
• Vegan/dairy-free options

Cons:

• Pricey 
• No options for those with dietary restrictions or allergies

12. Coast to Coast Coffee

Coast to Coast Coffee delivers a selection of organic and fair trade coffees on a pre-determined basis. To order, choose a roast degree, coffee type (Origins, Blends, and Decafs), region, size, and variety pack. Set up orders weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

Subscription costs are as follows: weekly – $20.00; bi-weekly – $21.00; monthly – $22.00; and One Timer – $22. All subscriptions come with a 400g coffee delivered to your mailbox at your preferred schedule. 

Pros:

• Free delivery anywhere in Canada
• Ships within 24 hours of roasting
• Discounts on frequent orders

Cons:

• The frequency of delivery may not match coffee consumption
• Pricier than buying at a local grocery store

13. Vegancuts

Vegancuts is a vegan and cruelty-free snack subscription box containing sweet and savoury vegan snacks, meal items, and drinks delivered every month. The company curates vegan and gluten-free snacks from around the world. 

The company’s most popular offering, the Vegancuts Snack Box, contains 10+ vegan snacks, meals and beverages. Subscription costs are as follows: monthly – $27.95, 3 months – $25.95, and 6 months – $24.95. Shipping rates may apply. Vegancuts ships worldwide. 

Pros:

• 100% cruelty-free
• Comes with a variety of both sweet and savoury items
• Flexible and easy-to-manage subscriptions

Cons: 

• No personalization options or product preferences
• No information on allergies

14. NatureBox

NatureBox is among the best snack subscription boxes in Canada, offering 100+ snacks made from natural ingredients and delivered to your preferred address. Snack options include high-protein, fibre-rich, gluten-free, low-sugar, low-sodium, and non-GMO.

Snack box options include the Snack Box Deluxe ($119.99), Delightful Box ($62.99), and Allergen-Free Box ($55.99). Each snack bag contains 2-8 ounces. 

Pros:

• Offers snack options to people with special dietary requirements
• Offers discounts to members
• A membership fee of $5 per month can be used for your next purchase
• Great variety of snacks

Cons:

• Expensive snack delivery service
• An annual subscription is required

15. Universal Yums

From the name itself, Universal Yums is a snack box subscription service offering sweet and savoury snacks and candies from a different country each month. The box includes an interactive guidebook, trivia, games, recipes, culture, etc. 

The following snack box options are available: Yum Box (5-7 snacks) – prices start at $15; Yum Yum Box (10-12 snacks) – starting at $26; and Super Yum Box (15-18 snacks) – starting at $41. A Prepaid (1-year) subscription costs $26 per box, while a month-to-month subscription costs $29 per box. 

Pros:

• New flavours each month from different countries
• Comes with booklets containing tons of information about the snacks and the featured country
• Variety of tastes in one box

Cons:

• Cannot accommodate food allergies
• No option for special diets

What Are Food Subscription Boxes? 

Food subscription boxes are a periodic delivery of meals containing pre-portioned or partially-prepared ingredients and recipes for preparing the meals. 

Depending on the meal kit service provider, subscriptions can be fixed or changeable, pay-as-you-go, or a one-time purchase. Delivery is typically every week. 

With meal subscription boxes, people on the go can prepare chef-designed, home-cooked meals without a lot of hassle. 

How Do Food Subscription Boxes Work in Canada? 

Signing up to receive food subscription boxes is very straightforward. Start with choosing a meal kit service provider. Once you have decided, provide the required credit card details and home address.

Most often, you will be asked to choose a meal plan and customize it according to preferred dishes or snacks, number of meals, and frequency of delivery. You also have the option to change your preferences and select other meal plans, recipes and cuisines.

Once you have personalized your subscription, pick a delivery date and destination. Depending on the provider, you may or may not pay shipping fees. Your subscription boxes will show up every week, ideally when you scheduled them to arrive. 

Pros and Cons of Food Subscription Boxes

There are several advantages and disadvantages to food subscription boxes. Knowing these will help to weigh if subscribing to food subscription boxes is ideal for you or not. 

Pros:

• Quick and convenient
• Pre-made means quicker meal preparations
• New recipes and cooking techniques
• Countless choices of food, produce, and snacks
• Minimized food wastage from unused items bought from the grocery
• Healthy meal and food options
• Easier to stick to special diets or eating programs
• Easy to track calorie intake
• Portion control
• Makes for perfect gifts

Cons:

• Can be pricey for some
• Increased carbon footprint due to excess packaging
• Not every meal may satisfy your taste
• Some services make the cancellation process challenging 
• Customer service may be hard to reach

How To Choose the Best Food Subscription Box

Here are some tips to help you choose the best service out there:

• Check if the service provider offers an option to “pause” your subscription so you will not feel compelled to use the service if you do not want to.
• Do research on customer and professional reviews and ratings. Visit aggregate sites and take a look at the average rating. 
• If you have dietary requirements or preferences, find a subscription box that offers them.
• Check for different ways to contact customer service, such as a phone number and email address.
• Read the cancellation policy. There should be clear conditions on cancelling and if fees are involved.
• Determine legitimacy by checking with the Better Business Bureau. It is also a good source to find ratings based on formal complaints and how quickly a company resolved them. 

Are Food Subscription Boxes Worth It? 

At first glance, food subscription boxes can seem costly, but the benefits offered can surpass concerns about the cost. You can save time and minimize the pressure associated with preparing meals for everyone since less planning and preparation are involved.  

If you are considering whether or not to sign up for a subscription, it is best to consider your health, which should be a priority during the decision-making process. Many food subscription boxes offer a range of healthy meal options for anyone of any age, so you have numerous choices.

With these subscription boxes, you can also make the most of what it offers, including minimizing food waste, monitoring what you eat, tracking calories, etc. But if you want to be more practical, choose the most affordable plan, save the recipe cards, do your own grocery shopping, and prepare the meal yourself. 

FAQs

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• Chefs Plate vs HelloFresh
• Best Free Meal Kit Trials in Canada
• Best Meal Kit Delivery Services in Canada