Meat-free diets are not just a trend, they are fundamentally critical to maintaining Australia’s food ecosystem.
A desire to eat less meat has seen significant demand for meat substitutes and many people moving towards a vegetarian diet.
However, learning to cook great vegetarian meals requires a totally new set of skills in the kitchen. Vegetarian meal delivery services can make that leap much easier for people by introducing exciting new ingredients and recipe.
That’s why we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the best vegetarian meal delivery services in Australia. All based on our extensive testing and reviews of meal kits, prepared meals, and discovery boxes.
The Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services of 2023
- Type: Prepared Meals
- Price: $9.10 - $12.30 / Serving
- Delivers To: Australia-Wide
- TopFeature: 50+ plant-based options
- Type: Meal Kit
- Price: $8.49 – $12.59 / Serving
- Delivers To: Australia-Wide
- TopFeature: Greatest variety of vegetarian meals
- Type: Discovery Box
- Price: $25 - $30 / Box
- Delivers To: Australia-wide
- TopFeature: Ethically-sourced food discovery.
Contents
- 1 The Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services of 2023
- 2 Best Overall – Soulara
- 3 Best Meal Kit – Marley Spoon
- 4 Best Discovery Box – GoodnessMe
- 5 Best Tasting Food – ChefGood
- 6 Best for Families – The Dinner Ladies
- 7 Best Value Meal Kit – Dinnerly
- 8 Best Boozy Subscription – Good Pair Days
- 9 Best for Fitness Goals – My Muscle Chef
- 10 Best for Vegans – The Vegan Box
- 11 Guide to Finding the Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Service
- 12 Frequently Asked Questions
- 13 What’s the Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Service?
Best Overall – Soulara
It’s an unsurprising top pick. Soulara have been top of the vegetarian meals industry for a long time, and they continue to deliver a great vegetarian (and vegan) experience.
In fact, they also rate as on of our recommended vegan meal delivery services.
- Service Type: Prepared Meals
- Price Range: $9.10 – $12.30 per meal.
- Delivery Areas: All Across Australia
Learn More: Detailed Soulara Review.
Why I Recommend Soulara for Vegetarians
One of the most difficult parts of switching to a vegetarian diet comes from the limited variety most meal delivery services (and frankly, restaurants) offer. That’s where Soulara excels.
You’ll find over 50 different meals available, guaranteeing you won’t get bored quickly.
Soulara leverage a great mix of beans & pulses, mushrooms, eggplant, jackfruit and tofu to provide the protein content for their meals.
With such a large range of meals, it’s inevitable that some meals won’t quite hit the spot but I really found that most Soulara meals were very enjoyable. You’ll definitely find some favourite meals to buy again and again.
Add all of that onto the convenience of meals that take a few minutes of prep in the microwave and you have a winning vegetarian meal delivery service.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Full plant-based range of 50+ meals.
- Snacks and drinks also available.
- No lock-in subscription
Cons
- Slightly limited subscription options.
- Not all meals are winners.
- Meals often have <20g of protein.
Best Meal Kit – Marley Spoon
With meal kits, the primary differentiating factor is the number of vegetarian meals available. Marley Spoon take the top spot by offering 11+ vegetarian meals every week, more than double some of their closest meal kit competitors.
- Service Type: Meal Kit
- Price Range: $8.49 – $12.59 per meal.
- Delivery Areas: All Across Australia
Learn More: Read Our Marley Spoon Review.
Why I Recommend Marley Spoon for Vegetarians
Marley Spoon sit at the premium end of the meal kit market, competing directly with HelloFresh and upstart services like QuiteLike. That means you get more variety, better tasting meals and physical recipe cards.
With a rotating, highly variable list of 11+ vegetarian meals each week, Marley Spoon is the perfect choice for anyone wanting to expand their cooking repertoire with vegetarian recipes.
You’ll receive a detailed recipe, with all the required ingredients pre-portioned and ready to cook. It won’t be long until you have a set of recipes you will recreating yourself.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Industry-best meal variety
- Easy to manage subscription.
- Great freshness and ingredient quality.
Cons
- Meals can be a simpler or more basic than expected.
- Recipe cards are occasionally unclear.
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Best Discovery Box – GoodnessMe
You won’t receive any full meals with GoodnessMe, but you will receive a monthly delivery of healthy products fully aligned with the ethical and environmental mission of most vegetarians.
- Service Type: Discovery Box
- Price Range: $25 – $30 per box.
- Delivery Areas: All Across Australia
Learn More: Read Our Review of GoodnessMe.
Why I Recommend GoodnessMe for Vegetarians
For many people, vegetarianism as a mission-orientated lifestyle choice. Whether that be ethical, environmental, or for health reasons, there is more to consider than evening meals.
That’s why it’s important explore other products that match you as an individual. There are hundreds of exciting small brands out there, who aren’t easy to find.
That’s where GoodnessMe comes it. A monthly box containing 8 – 10 products that are always natural, nutritionist-approved and without any artificial ingredients.
At just $30 a box with no commitment, I recommend the GoodnessMe box to everyone I know regardless of their dietary preferences.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Lots of interesting, healthy, ethical products.
- Fantastic community of subscribers.
- Incredible value for money.
Cons
- Limited personalisation available.
- Packaging can be very tight which has occasionally damaged items.
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Best Tasting Food – ChefGood
Chefgood deliver fresh prepared meals that use premium quality ingredients, pre-cooked so they’re perfect after just a couple of minutes in the microwave.
- Service Type: Prepared Meals
- Price Range: $9.95 – $11.90 per meal.
- Delivery Areas: Major metro areas.
Learn More: Read Our ChefGood Review.
Why I Recommend ChefGood for Vegetarians
Vegetables are a tricky ingredient to deliver in prepared meals as they can get soggy or mushy when overcooked. That’s not a worry with ChefGood.
Every meal I’ve tasted from ChefGood has used fresh, high-quality veggies that are part-cooked before being packaged. That means they get their final bit of cooking in the microwave and still end up perfectly al-dente.
I rated ChefGood an exceptional 9.5 for Quality, and 9 for Taste. Few services have impressed me so much with how enjoyable their meals are.
There’s a solid range of 13-15 meals available at any time, along with sides, drinks, and breakfasts. It’s one of the most impressive vegetarian ranges available.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Consistently tasty, well-cooked meals.
- High-quality ingredients.
- 13+ vegetarian meals available.
Cons
- Website can be tricky to navigate.
- Must order 5, 7, 10, 14 or 20 meals
- Portion size isn’t particularly large.
Best for Families – The Dinner Ladies
Compared to the fixed subscription-style service of this list’s other options, The Dinner Ladies stands out for supplying on-demand meals that are home cooked by work-at-home chefs across the country.
- Service Type: Prepared Meals
- Price Range: $6.00 – $11.00 per meal.
- Delivery Areas: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide
Learn More: Our Thorough Dinner Ladies Service Review.
Why I Recommend The Dinner Ladies for Vegetarians
Quite often, you don’t need to buy meals for every day of the week. Most people are comfortable cooking for themselves most nights of the week.
Dinner Ladies presents a valuable solution to those nights where you don’t have time to cook. Their home-made meals can be on the table in 20-30 minutes with little to no effort.
Think of it like your grandma sending you home with some extra portions to reheat at home.
Dishes are always delicious, and give you the chance to personalise by adding sides/spices during the reheating process.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Genuine, simple home-cooked food.
- Stock up only on meals you need and store them in the freezer.
- Plenty of meat-free options.
Cons
- Menu and availability change frequently, so you may not be able to re-order your favourite dishes.
- You often need to add a side, salad or carb source like pasta/rice.
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Best Value Meal Kit – Dinnerly
We’ve already recommended Marley Spoon as the best meal kit, but those meals come at a premium price point. Dinnerly is a fantastic alternative if you’re more budget-conscious.
- Service Type: Meal Kit
- Price Range: $5.49 – $9.85 per meal.
- Delivery Areas: All States (Exc. NT)
Learn More: Read Our Dinnerly Review.
Why I Recommend Dinnerly for Vegetarians
Much like Marley Spoon, Dinnerly try to compete by providing a greater variety of meals. Whilst not quite matching Marey Spoon, Dinnerly do offer 8+ vegetarian meals each week on a rotating menu.
This means you should have more than enough variety to pick meals you love every week.
I love Dinnerly because it’s incredibly budget-friendly whilst still delivering on flavourful meals.
Dinnerly is cheaper because they don’t provide physical recipe cards and recipes only have 6-7 ingredients. This means the meals are more home-style cooking that restaurant standard. Not always a bad thing.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Incredible value for money.
- Doesn’t compromise on ingredient quality.
- Strong variety of options each week.
Cons
- Lacking physical recipe cards.
- Portion sizes are quite variable.
- Requires you to add more home staple ingredients.
Best Boozy Subscription – Good Pair Days
So maybe this doesn’t quite qualify as a “meal delivery service”… but we could all do with stocking up on good wines. Good Pair Days are comfortably the best wine subscription service in Australia.
- Service Type: Wine Subscription
- Price Range: $15 – $50 per bottle.
- Delivery Areas: All across Australia
Learn More: Check Out Our Good Pair Days Review.
Why I Recommend Good Pair Days for Vegetarians
I don’t only recommend Good Pair Days for Vegetarians, I recommend it to everyone. There are two main reasons why.
Firstly, is the subscription experience. Good Pair Days have built a fantastic website that makes it incredibly easy to explore different wines and have recommendations made based on your wine palate.
Secondly, Good Pair Days provides great value for money on some interesting wines. As low as $60 for 4 bottles delivered to your door. As a bonus, you’ll inevitably learn more about wine through exploring different grape varieties and wineries.
With over 350 wines in their catalogue, you certainly won’t get bored.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Incredible website and subscription experience.
- Huge variety of interesting wines.
- Earn points and rewards from subscribing.
Cons
- Limited options for advanced wine connoisseurs.
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Best for Fitness Goals – My Muscle Chef
My Muscle Chef scored 9/10 on my review, an industry high across all meal delivery services. They stand out for their bold, interesting meals delivered at a great price point with your fitness goals in mind.
- Service Type: Prepared Meals
- Price Range: $9.55 – $11.40 per meal.
- Delivery Areas: 4,200 postcodes across Australia.
Learn More: Read Our My Muscle Chef Review.
Why I Recommend My Muscle Chef for Vegetarians
My Muscle Chef has always blown me away with the taste of their prepared meals, leaving them as my go-to when I need a quick evening meal.
Their vegetarian offering is slightly limited, which is why they aren’t my top recommended service. Just 10 vegetarian meals available in their range at the time of writing.
However, it’s important to recommend My Muscle Chef as they do fill a gap in providing high-protein meals suitable for vegetarians. You’ll find over 20 grams of protein in each meal.
You’ll also love their range of protein porridges, yoghurts, oat slices, cookies, muffins and protein shakes that’s easily the best around.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Deliciously enjoyable meals.
- No subscription lock-in.
- High protein dinners.
Cons
- Some limited delivery areas.
- Limited to around 10 meal options that could get boring quickly.
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Best for Vegans – The Vegan Box
The Vegan Box is a little more limited for vegetarians, but it provides an exciting monthly delivery of vegan products to explore. At just $30/month, it’s a great way of discovering local Australian brands.
It also features in our best meal delivery services for vegans list.
- Service Type: Discovery Box
- Price Range: $30 per box.
- Delivery Areas: All Across Australia.
Learn More: Read Our Vegan Box Review.
Why I Recommend The Vegan Box for Vegetarians
As a competitor to GoodnessMe, The Vegan Box specialises solely on vegan products. You know that every delivery contains 6-8 products that are cruelty-free and ethically sourced.
This is a great way of discovering new products from smaller niche producers that you’ll often want to go out and buy again.
If you’ve not tried a discovery box before, The Vegan Box is a great option to experience the excitement that comes with unboxing new, unknown products to try. $30 represents great value for the value of products inside.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Partners with smaller, lesser-known brands.
- All products are guaranteed cruelty-free.
- Generous sample sizes.
Cons
- Not just food, some beauty supplements are included.
- No discounts on longer-term subscriptions.
Guide to Finding the Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Service
The right meal delivery service depends heavily on your own circumstances and preferences. We’ve recommended a variety of meal kits, prepared meals and discovery boxes based on our experiences, but you should apply the following criteria before handing over your hard-earned cash:
Do I value taste and texture over convenience?
Whilst prepared meal services have improved significantly over the last 5-10 years, it’s always going to be impossible for them to compete with the experience of freshly cooked ingredients. If you have time to cook regularly, then I’d point people towards our recommended meal kits Marley Spoon and Dinnerly because the end results will be more enjoyable.
What cost is within my budget?
Meal delivery services are available at many different price points, with the average price being around $10 per meal. If this isn’t within your budget, you’ll need to opt for a lower price service (like Dinnerly) or purchase in bulk to get the per-meal cost down.
Is the company aligned with my ethical value?
I’m sure many readers have chosen a plant-based diet because it matches your ethical and environmental beliefs. It’s therefore very important to purchase from businesses that share the same values. That’s why Soulara and GoodnessMe come highly recommended for vegetarians.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a vegetarian HelloFresh?
There aren’t any meal kit services in Australia that specialise only on vegetarian meals. It’s a gap that hopefully a service will fill in the future.
Currently, you’ll want to select a meal kit like Marley Spoon or Dinnerly who have an extensive range of vegetarian meals each week.
Are there vegetarian meal kits in Australia?
In Australia, we have meal kit services that delivery vegetarian meals. All meal kits offer vegetarian meals as part of their delivery service, although the variety available does vary.
With Marley Spoon offering 11+ vegetarian meals each week, and Dinnerly offering 8+ vegetarian meals each week, they are definitely suitable for anyone on a plant-based diet.
What’s the cheapest vegetarian meal delivery provider?
We’ve recommended a few different types of vegetarian meal delivery provider, each at different price points. The cheapest providers are:
Meal Kits – Dinnerly
Prepared Meals – My Muscle Chef
Discovery Box – GoodnessMe
What’s the Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Service?
The best vegetarian meal delivery service is Soulara. They’re a fully plant-based, ethical prepared meals service that deliver convenient ready-made meals. I love them for their use of different meat substitutes and wide variety of 50+ plant-based meals.