After extensively testing both My Muscle Chef and MACROS, Australia’s leading fitness-focused meal delivery services, I can help you choose the right one for your goals. I’ve spent months ordering from both companies, tracking macros, and comparing everything from taste to texture. Through this testing, I’ve discovered crucial differences that aren’t obvious at first glance.
These services go beyond standard meal delivery because they’re specifically designed to support fitness goals, offering precise macro ratios and portion control. Whether you’re building muscle, losing weight, or simply wanting convenient, healthy meals, this detailed comparison breaks down exactly what you’ll get (and what you might miss) with each service.
Drawing from my personal experience with dozens of meals from both companies, I’ll help you understand which service better matches your lifestyle, dietary preferences, and fitness objectives.
Featured Service
Page Contents
My Muscle Chef vs MACROS: Quick Comparison & Discounts
70+ Meals with Premium Protein Options
Industry-Leading Taste & Texture Quality
Comprehensive Range of Fitness Extras
Get Up To $120 Off Your First 6 My Muscle Chef OrdersClick this link and use code SAVE120
Clean Ingredients, No Artificial Additives
Dedicated Weight Loss Meal Range
Premium Recipe Selections Available
Our comparison will look in detail at each service’s offering, food and cost before making a final recommendation for which service is right for you. If you want, you can click here to skip down to our recommendation.
My Muscle Chef vs MACROS: The Offering
We’ll start by look at the various products and services that each company provides, identifying any differences that are important to consider.
My Muscle Chef
My Muscle Chef has been serving prepared meals since 2012, becoming Australia’s largest meal delivery service (read our full My Muscle Chef review here). Their distinctive bright red-packaged meals (which you really can’t miss on supermarket shelves!) can be found in over 3,000 supermarkets including Woolworths, IGA and Harris Farms, though their full range is only available through direct order.
Subscription Options: My Muscle Chef offers three main ranges: Standard, PRO (higher protein), and PLUS+ (larger portions). You can purchase meals individually with a $99 minimum order, choose from curated 10-meal bundles, or set up a flexible subscription with weekly, fortnightly or monthly deliveries. Each range is designed to support different fitness goals from muscle gain to weight loss, and I’ve found their meal planning tool makes it super easy to hit your macro targets.
Meal Variety: With over 70 different meals available at any time, there’s plenty to explore. While the menu heavily features chicken (53%) and beef (26%) dishes, these aren’t your boring basic meals – think dishes like their incredible Salmon Risotto that completely changed my view on what a microwave meal could be. There are 8 Plant-Based meals including 5 vegan options, and they even offer unique proteins like kangaroo if you’re feeling adventurous.
Delivery Options: Delivery to over 4,200 postcodes across Australia covers all major cities and regional areas in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA, TAS & ACT. Delivery windows are either 8am-6pm or overnight, with SMS tracking provided the night before. In my experience, their delivery service has been consistently reliable with excellent insulated packaging.
Additional Products / Extras: My Muscle Chef’s range of extras is seriously impressive. Their protein yogurts are genuinely delicious (not that artificial protein taste you might expect), and the protein porridge portions are surprisingly generous. While some protein snacks like their cookies can be a bit hit-or-miss, the side dishes are perfect for boosting calories on gym days. You could genuinely get your entire day’s nutrition from My Muscle Chef products, though I’d recommend picking your favorites rather than trying everything at once.
MACROS
MACROS launched in 2018 with a focus on dietician-designed meals that ditch the nasties. You won’t find any dairy, refined sugars, or MSG here. Unlike My Muscle Chef, they’ve kept things focused by selling exclusively through their website rather than expanding into supermarkets.
Subscription Options: MACROS has recently simplified their offering to focus on individual meal selection across seven different categories – Balanced, Weight Loss, Keto, Plant-Based, Sculpt, Perform, and Gain. Each category offers portion sizes between 300g-450g to match your goals. I particularly like their Weight Loss meals which all stay under 350 calories, which is perfect if you’re watching your intake.
Meal Variety: The menu features around 50 different meals that refresh quarterly. While this means fewer options than My Muscle Chef, I’ve found it gives you enough time to discover your favorites before the menu changes. They’ve recently introduced an exciting premium range with luxury ingredients (though at $12.95-$13.95, they’re a bit pricier). You’ll always find at least 9 Plant-Based options available, giving vegetarians decent variety.
Delivery Options: MACROS delivers to most metropolitan areas across Australia, with delivery windows scheduled between 8am-6pm. While their coverage isn’t quite as extensive as My Muscle Chef, they make up for it with excellent tracking. You’ll get SMS updates the night before with a live tracking link so you know exactly when your meals will arrive.
Additional Products: Unlike My Muscle Chef’s extensive range, MACROS takes a more focused approach with just a select few extras. They offer a small range of protein snack bars (including Coconut & Cacao and Mixed Nut Blend varieties) and some refreshing drinks like organic kombuchas and cold-pressed juices. The selection is more limited, keeping their focus purely on quality main meals and select snacks.
My Muscle Chef vs MACROS Service Comparison
These are the key differences you should consider when choosing which service to purchase:
Overall, these two services have evolved to serve slightly different needs. My Muscle Chef edges ahead in variety and accessibility, while MACROS focuses on clean eating with no dairy, refined sugars, or MSG in their meals.
My Muscle Chef vs MACROS : The Food
Knowing the difference in the options provided by these two meal delivery services, it’s important to talk about how good their actual food is! This definitely comes down to a lot of personal preference, but hopefully I can give you a good idea about what you’ll receive.
My Muscle Chef Meals
Packaging: Meals now arrive in distinctive bright red trays with a cardboard sleeve and innovative vacuum-seal technology. The vacuum seal expands as you cook, which not only helps maintain freshness but makes preparation incredibly simple. Just pop it in for 90 seconds in the microwave and you’re ready to eat, although I’ve found 2 minutes works better in some microwaves.
Flavour: Let me be clear: these meals completely redefined what I thought possible from microwave meals. The flavoring is consistently bold and delicious. Their Salmon Risotto genuinely surprised me with restaurant-quality taste. After 8+ years perfecting these recipes, their experience shows in every bite.
Texture: The vacuum-seal packaging creates some kind of magic. You won’t find the typical mushy vegetables or dry meat common in other microwave meals. Even traditionally difficult dishes like risotto maintain the perfect bite, while most proteins remain tender and juicy. Some meals can be slightly watery and a few have an overly acidic taste, but these are rare exceptions to their usually excellent quality.
Additional Products: Their protein yogurts taste genuinely delicious without any artificial protein flavor, and the porridge portions offer surprisingly generous servings. The protein snacks vary in quality (the cookies particularly need work), but their side dishes work perfectly for boosting calories on gym days.
My favorite My Muscle Chef meals include the incredible Salmon Risotto, Korean Beef, Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl, and Chicken Nasi Goreng. All of these I’d happily eat again and again.
MACROS Meals
Packaging: MACROS meals arrive in deep white plastic containers with separate compartments for different components. This compartmentalized approach keeps rice and vegetables separate from meat and sauces. A standard plastic film covers the top, requiring a quick peel before microwaving. Each meal needs about 2 minutes to cook, slightly longer than My Muscle Chef.
Flavour: The taste quality of MACROS meals matches what you might cook at home. Their Chipotle Chicken and Turkey Larb Bowl stand out as particularly enjoyable options. Most meals rely on simple sauces to deliver their flavor. While not quite reaching the heights of My Muscle Chef, many dishes provide satisfying results. Quality can vary between meals, so it pays to experiment until you find your favorites.
Texture: This is where MACROS faces its biggest challenges. Meat can often become tough or chewy when reheated, while sauces frequently turn watery. The separation of components helps prevent sogginess, but cannot completely solve these texture issues. For a quick post-workout meal this might not matter much, but it might disappoint if you’re looking for a proper dinner experience.
Additional Products: Unlike My Muscle Chef’s extensive range, MACROS takes a more focused approach with just a select few extras. They offer a small range of protein snack bars (including Coconut & Cacao and Mixed Nut Blend varieties) and some refreshing drinks like organic kombuchas and cold-pressed juices. While the selection is more limited, they compensate with thoughtful additions like MyFitnessPal-compatible barcodes on all their meals for easy nutrition tracking.
My favorite MACROS meals include the Chipotle Chicken, Plant-Based Protein Pesto, and Turkey Larb Bowl. The seafood dishes particularly impressed me, with options like the Spanish Style Barramundi maintaining good flavor despite the reheating process.
Overall, My Muscle Chef’s meals consistently taste better, benefiting from their longer experience in the market. Their vacuum-seal packaging helps maintain better textures across most dishes, with the Salmon Risotto being a standout example.
While MACROS has some strong options like their Chipotle Chicken and seafood range, their meals can have inconsistent textures, particularly with meats. MACROS does offer cleaner ingredients with no dairy, refined sugars or MSG, making them worth considering if these ingredients are a concern for you.
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Before I compare the cost of each service, it’s worth considering the discounts you can get with each service. Taking advantage of a discount when you subscribe will make your first box incredibly good value, allowing you to make your own decision about the food. Simply click one of our unique discount links to get access to your money off.
My Muscle Chef vs MACROS : The Cost
Understanding the real cost of meal delivery services means looking beyond just the price per meal. Let’s compare My Muscle Chef and MACROS across all pricing elements to help you make an informed choice. You might also be interested in my industry analysis of the cheapest prepared meal service.
Base Meal Pricing
| Service | Standard Meals | Premium/Specialty Meals | Minimum Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Muscle Chef | $10.95 – $12.95 | $12.95 – $13.95 | $99 (~10 meals) |
| MACROS | $10.50 – $11.95 | $12.95 – $13.95 | $50 (~5 meals) |
At first glance, both services appear similarly priced for their standard meals. However, MACROS’ lower minimum order makes it more accessible if you’re just wanting to try the service or need fewer meals per week.
Bulk Discounts
| Service | Discount Tiers | Lowest Possible Price |
|---|---|---|
| My Muscle Chef | 2.5% off 13+ meals 5% off 16+ meals 10% off 21+ meals 15% off 25+ meals | $9.31 per meal |
| MACROS | 5% off 12+ meals 10% off 20+ meals | $9.85 per meal |
My Muscle Chef clearly wins on bulk ordering with better discounts, though you’ll need to order more meals to access them. For regular large orders, this difference of $0.54 per meal could add up significantly over time.
Delivery Costs
| Service | Standard Fee | Free Delivery | Additional Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| My Muscle Chef | $15 – $20 | With subscription | +$5 per box after 30 meals |
| MACROS | $10 – $15 | Orders over $150 | None |
Delivery costs can significantly impact the total price of your order. MACROS offers cheaper standard delivery, but My Muscle Chef’s free delivery with subscription could save you more in the long run if you’re ordering regularly. Note that My Muscle Chef’s boxes hold up to 30 meals each. If you order more, you’ll need additional boxes at $5 each.
Which Service Offers Better Value?
The best value depends on your ordering habits:
- Trying for the first time? MACROS has a lower barrier to entry with their $50 minimum order
- Regular orders 10-20 meals? Both services are similarly priced, though MACROS offers earlier discounts (5% at 12 meals)
- Large orders (20+ meals)? My Muscle Chef becomes more cost-effective with their higher bulk discounts
- Weekly subscription? My Muscle Chef’s free delivery can provide significant savings, especially on larger orders
Remember that both services frequently offer introductory discounts for first-time customers.
Should I buy My Muscle Chef or MACROS?
After extensive testing of both services, My Muscle Chef emerges as the clear leader with a rating of 9.0/10 compared to MACROS’ 7.4/10 (see MACROS review). The difference comes down to three key factors:
- My Muscle Chef consistently delivers better-tasting meals with superior textures, particularly evident in complex dishes like their Salmon Risotto
- Their menu offers greater variety with 70+ meals and a comprehensive range of extras including breakfast, snacks, and protein shakes
- Their bulk ordering discounts and subscription benefits provide better value for regular customers
However, MACROS does have specific advantages that might suit some customers better:
- Lower minimum order ($50) makes it easier to try
- Clean ingredient focus with no dairy, refined sugars, or MSG
- Dedicated weight loss meals under 350 calories
- Simpler menu structure focused purely on main meals
For most people, I recommend starting with My Muscle Chef for the best prepared meal experience. However, if you’re particularly focused on clean eating or want to try with a smaller initial order, MACROS remains a solid choice. Take advantage of first-order discounts with either service (My Muscle Chef discount | MACROS discount) to test them yourself.
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