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Best Low-Sodium Meal Delivery Services for Quick, Healthy Meals

Fresh N Lean is the best low-sodium meal delivery service for healthier eating

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Meal delivery services are a helpful resource for individuals and busy families who value a home-cooked meal but don’t always have the time or know-how to prepare it themselves. They can also be a considerable convenience and support system for someone on a therapeutic diet. Many Americans with a family or personal history of heart disease will be prescribed a low-sodium diet by their doctors or physicians. However, this can be challenging to adhere to unless you cook every meal from scratch. If this sounds familiar, a meal delivery service offering a low-sodium menu could be the perfect solution. Learn more about our top picks for the best low-sodium meal delivery services.

Best Low-Sodium Meal Delivery Services of 2023

Best Overall : Fresh N Lean


Key Specs
  • Starting Price: $9.99 per serving
  • Delivery Area: 50 states
  • Products Arrive: Fresh
Why You Should Try It

Fresh N Lean delivers organically sourced, gluten-free, ready-to-heat meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Menus are available for meat eaters and plant-based eaters, but all prioritize nutrition and sustainability. 

Pros and Cons
Pros
  • Option to add snacks

  • All meals are generally low-sodium

  • Sustainable sourcing

  • Ability to select allergies and preferences for some customization options

Cons
  • Can’t select delivery date or specific dishes

  • No registered dietitian expert on staff

Overview

Although Fresh N Lean does not have a dedicated low-sodium menu to select from, the majority of its meals could qualify. Eating three meals a day from Fresh N Lean, on average, provides less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, which is within the U.S. dietary guideline recommendations for a healthy adult. Testers like that the company offers a variety of menu options for different eating patterns, including Mediterranean, high-protein/low-carb, keto, paleo, Whole30, and vegan. Just note that, unlike other companies that prompt customers to select specific dishes, Fresh N Lean asks you to choose a particular menu, number of days, and then meal type; you will receive a random assortment of meals unless you choose meals from the à la carte menu.

Pricing and Plans
  • Protein+: starts at $10.32 per meal
  • Keto: starts at $10.66 per meal
  • Paleo: starts at $10.66 per meal
  • Standard Vegan: starts at $9.99 per meal
  • Low-Carb Vegan: starts at $9.99 per meal
  • Whole30 Approved: starts at $10.66 per meal
  • Mediterranean: starts at $10.32 per meal
Meals We Tried
  • Grilled shrimp with caper dill aioli and roasted winter squash
  • Moroccan mint grass-fed steak with spiced cauliflower and brown rice
  • Tikka chicken with turmeric-roasted cauliflower and quinoa
  • BBQ turkey meatballs with white beans
  • Cajun salmon with Yukon potato and tomato rice

Best for Meal Prep : Hungryroot


Hungry Root
Hungry Root
Key Specs
  • Starting Price: $9.69 per serving
  • Delivery Area: 48 states
  • Products Arrive: Fresh
Why You Should Try It

Hungryroot is ideal for meal prep because of its customizable meal-planning options and virtual grocery shopping service.

Pros and Cons 
Pros
  • Combination of recipes plus grocery items; a lot of flexibility and customization

  • Emphasis on minimally processed whole foods

  • Sustainable ingredients and eco-friendly packaging

Cons
  • Ordering process and meal selection are not as straightforward as others

  • No dedicated low-sodium menu

Overview

Hungryroot is unique in that it acts as a meal prep delivery service as well as a virtual grocery store. Customers can choose from a selection of suggested recipes and also receive pantry staples to stock up for the week, offering a lot of flexibility. This less-prescriptive service is great for people who are ordering for multiple family members or who want the option to mix and match recipes provided by Hungryroot along with their own recipes. This does mean that customers have some know-how on how to read food labels and what sodium guidelines they should follow since there is no strict low-sodium menu per se and no registered dietitian on staff to offer additional support.

Pricing and Plans

Plans start at $65+, but the plan size will depend on how much food you want to be included in your order each week.  

  • 3 to 4 recipes with 6 to 8 servings: $9.99 per serving
  • 5 recipes with 10 servings: $9.49 per serving
  • 6 recipes with 12 servings: $8.99 per serving
  • 7 to 8 recipes with 14 to 16 servings: $8.49 per serving
Meals We Tried 
  • Spinach artichoke and mushroom tortelloni 
  • Roasted salmon and sweet potato on Brussels sprouts
  • Southwest chicken and rainbow veggie tacos 
  • Thai peanut beef and broccoli stir-fry

Best Variety : bistroMD


BistroMD

BistroMD

Key Specs
  • Starting Price: $10.99 per serving
  • Delivery Area: 48 states
  • Products Arrive: Frozen
Why You Should Try It

Founded by a physician, bistroMD is a meal delivery service that offers a large selection of frozen meals for various therapeutic diets, including heart-healthy, low-sodium meals.

Pros and Cons
Pros
  • Over 100 low-sodium meal options

  • Registered dietitians on staff

  • Meals are not just low-sodium but overall nutritionally balanced

Cons
  • Lots of language around weight loss on the website

  • Only single-serving meal options

Overview

BistroMD specializes in single-serving frozen meals to support individuals with weight loss goals along with providing meals for those on specific therapeutic diets, such as a heart-healthy protocol. The Heart Healthy Menu contains over 100 meal options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. All meals are at or below the American Heart Association recommendations for calories, sodium, total fat, and saturated fat. Each meal is below 600 mg of sodium and 3.5 g of saturated fat. The Diabetic Menu also includes low-sodium meals, averaging around 500 mg of sodium, so customers have no shortage of options. Registered dietitians can help answer questions and customize meal plans for customers based on their nutritional needs and preferences. 

Pricing and Plans

Customers can choose between five- and seven-day options and opt to include breakfast or choose to receive lunch and dinner

  • Diabetic Meal Plan Pricing
  • Seven days
  • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner: $219.80
  • Lunch and Dinner: $188.86
  • Five days
  • Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner: $187.35
  • Lunch and Dinner: $149.90
Meals We Tried
  • Chicken, rice, and cheddar casserole
  • Salmon with dill mustard sauce
  • Turkey breast with cranberry apple chutney
  • Oven-fried catfish with spicy tomato leek sauce
  • Baked pasta marinara with chicken sausage
  • Meatloaf with honey bourbon glaze
  • Mojo pork with black beans and rice
  • Chicken pad Thai
  • Grilled salmon with creamy pesto
  • Lasagna with garden marinara

Best for Dietitian Support : ModifyHealth


Modify Health
Modify Health.

Modify Health 

Key Specs
  • Starting Price: $12.95 per serving
  • Delivery Area: 48 states
  • Products Arrive: Fresh
Why You Should Try It

ModifyHealth offers Mediterranean Diet meal delivery that is nutrient-dense, gluten-free, and low in sodium.

Pros and Cons 
Pros
  • Evidence-based dietary guidelines

  • Gluten-free for those who need this modification

  • Registered dietitian support available as an add-on service

Cons
  • Only single-serving portions

Overview

ModifyHealth delivers fully prepared, ready-to-eat meals designed by doctors and dietitians. It offers a low-FODMAP menu for the dietary management of digestive issues and a Mediterranean menu for general metabolic health. The Mediterranean menu is also in line with the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), so it is low in sodium and emphasizes good fats, lean protein, and various fruits and vegetables. ModifyHealth has add-on services, including consultations with a registered dietitian and access to other resources, making them stand out as going above and beyond a regular meal delivery service.

Pricing and Plans

Minimum order of six meals per week, free shipping included.

Mediterranean Meal Plan

  • Six meals per week or more: $12.95 per meal

Low-FODMAP Meal Plan

  • Breakfast: $9.99 per meal
  • Entrées: $12.95 per meal

Registered Dietitian Support

  • $99 for up to three virtual consultations with a registered dietitian

Six-week Mediterranean FIT Quickstart Plan: $399 one-time fee for six weeks, $49 per month thereafter.

  • Three virtual consultations with a registered dietitian
  • Downloadable tools and resources
  • ModifyHealth starter pack
  • Access to virtual cooking demonstrations 
  • Discount on your first order of ModifyHealth Mediterranean meals
Meals We Tried  
  • Greek chicken and rice
  • Longevity stew with black-eyed peas and kale
  • Shrimp chimichurri with black beans and rice
  • Lemon thyme chicken with tahini cauliflower and za'atar quinoa
  • Blackened salmon with quinoa, broccoli, and red bell pepper
  • Roasted pistachio salmon with white beans and kale

Best Plant-Based : Splendid Spoon


Splendid Spoon
Splendid Spoon
Key Specs
  • Starting Price: $9.99 per serving
  • Delivery Area: 48 states
  • Products Arrive: Frozen
Why You Should Try It

Splendid Spoon offers a 100 percent plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free menu of fully prepared, flash-frozen grain bowls, soups, noodles, and composed dishes, including a selection of low-sodium items.

Pros and Cons 
Pros
  • Low-sodium menu filter

  • Emphasis on whole foods, without artificial ingredients

  • Flavorful dishes with good use of spices

Cons
  • Only single-serving sizes

  • Limited menu

Overview

When ordering from Splendid Spoon, customers can be assured that meals are 100 percent plant-based, gluten-free, and dairy-free, making it a good option for individuals with multiple dietary restrictions. Customers can also include additional nutritional preferences such as cilantro-free, coconut-free, soy-free, sesame-free, nothing spicy, and so on. The Splendid Spoon menu includes grain bowls, noodles, soups, smoothies, and, most recently added, some composed dishes. The menu is still more limited than the others on this list, but our testers were impressed with the quality of the ingredients and overall flavor. A low-sodium menu filter features dishes with 12 percent or less of the daily recommended limit for sodium (less than 276 mg).

Pricing and Plans

Plans are available for seven, 14, and 21 meals per week and vary based on the type of meals you select in your box; meals start at $9.99 per serving and go up to $13.49 per serving.

  • Seven meals per week: box items + $12.99 shipping
  • 14 meals per week: box items + free shipping and $10 off every box
  • 21 meals per week: box items + free shipping and $25 off every box
Meals We Tried

Smoothies

  • Cacao almond
  • Blackberry basil
  • Green matcha
  • Power greens
  • Raspberry cacao

Soups

  • Red lentil dal
  • Green tomatillo chili
  • Lentil and kale
  • Kimchi fried quinoa
  • Cauliflower tikka
  • Cauliflower potato
  • Butternut turmeric
  • Garden minestrone

Best Frozen Meals : Magic Kitchen


Magic Kitchen

Magic Kitchen

Key Specs
  • Starting Price: $10 per serving
  • Delivery Area: 48 states
  • Products Arrive: Frozen
Why You Should Try It

Magic Kitchen delivers various frozen prepared meals designed primarily for seniors who need therapeutic menus, including a low-sodium menu. 

Pros and Cons 
Pros
  • Variety of low-sodium options that also meet other dietary needs

  • Family-style options in addition to individual meals

  • Company helps to facilitate insurance reimbursement

Cons
  • Shipping not included

  • Presentation of some dishes is less than desirable

  • Focused primarily on senior population

Overview

Magic Kitchen specializes in premade frozen therapeutic meal options commonly needed among seniors. Its menu primarily features classic American comfort food items such as meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes, vegetable stew, and cheese ravioli, but also includes some diverse options such as pierogies, salmon caponata, and scrambled eggs with creamy polenta and creole jambalaya sauce. Each menu item is tagged with icons that indicate whether the meal is low-sodium, low-carb, dairy-free, diabetic-friendly, etc. The items on the à la carte low-sodium menu contain less than 400 mg sodium per main course, side dish, soup, or dessert, while complete meals contain less than 700 mg sodium per meal.

Pricing and Plans

Magic Kitchen offers meal plans and à la carte pricing. 

À la carte meals average around $10 to $14 each, and discounts are applied if you sign up for a meal program. 

Sample Meal Plan Pricing:

  • One meal per day (choice of breakfast, lunch, or dinner): $82 to $90 for seven days
  • Two meals per day (choice of breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner): $164 to $180 for seven days
  • Three meals per day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner): $246 to $275 for seven days
Meals We Tried  
  • Vegetable caponata with orzo and spinach
  • Beef and broccoli over noodles and vegetable blend
  • Balsamic glazed chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans
  • Chili with beans with carrots and broccoli florets

Best Prepared Meals : Mom’s Meals


Mom's Meals

Mom's Meals

Key Specs
  • Starting Price: $7.99 per serving
  • Delivery Area: 48 states
  • Products Arrive: Fresh
Why You Should Try It

Mom’s Meals is a ready-to-heat meal delivery service that delivers fresh meals for those with specific nutritional needs, including offering a lower-sodium menu. 

Pros and Cons
Pros
  • The company helps facilitate insurance reimbursement

  • Evidence-based nutrition guidelines

  • Long shelf life of fresh meals

Cons
  • Focused primarily on senior population

  • High shipping costs

Overview

Mom’s Meals specializes in fresh, fully prepared meals developed in collaboration with registered dietitians to meet the needs of those on therapeutic diets. Dishes on the Lower Sodium menu all contain 600 mg of sodium or less and 10 percent or less saturated fat per meal, aligned with nutritional guidelines from the American Heart Association. In addition to lower-sodium meals, Mom’s Meals has menus for diabetic-friendly diets, vegetarians, general wellness, gluten-free, renal-friendly, and even pureed. All meals have a shelf life of up to 14 days from the date of delivery in the refrigerator or can be frozen to extend this shelf life even longer. 

Pricing and Plans 

Self-Pay: $7.99 for most meals, plus flat-rate shipping of $14.95 per delivery

Meals We Tried 
  • Curry vegetables with pineapple and brown rice, string cheese, vanilla pudding
  • Cheeseburger and seasoned mixed vegetables, whole-wheat bun, orange 
  • Chicken and stir-fry vegetables with teriyaki sauce, white rice, applesauce 
  • Sweet and sour chicken with stir-fried vegetables, white rice, grape juice, ginger spice cookie
  • BBQ chicken with potato medley, seasoned green beans, applesauce 
  • Beef goulash over whole-wheat pasta, seasoned carrots, orange 
  • Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy, potatoes, seasoned vegetables, whole-wheat dinner roll, gelatin
  • Mushroom risotto, seasoned peas and carrots, whole-wheat roll, grape juice
  • Korean-style BBQ meatballs with white rice, seasoned broccoli, ginger spice cookie
  • Creamy macaroni and cheese, seasoned vegetables, mandarin orange cup, blueberry applesauce

Final Verdict

Fresh N Lean was our pick for best overall because customers can feel comfortable ordering from any of its seven menus and know that the meals will be relatively low in sodium, especially compared to typical premade meals from similar companies. The company’s mission is centered around performance nutrition and optimizing health through the food we eat, so all meals are thoughtfully prepared with that in mind. Fresh N Lean’s plans don’t feel as clinical or restrictive as some of the other low-sodium menus and delivery services, making it a good choice for anyone who wants to watch their sodium intake, not just those with a preexisting medical condition. 

Compare the Best Low-Sodium Meal Delivery Services

Company Starting Price   Delivery Area Products Arrive Customers Can Choose Delivery Date? Free Shipping?
Best Overall: Fresh N Lean $9.99 50 states Fresh No Yes
Best for Meal Prep: Hungryroot $9.69 per serving 48 states Fresh Yes Yes, for orders over $70 
Best Variety: bistroMD $10.99 per serving 48 states Frozen No No
Best for Dietitian Support: ModifyHealth $12.95 per serving 48 states Fresh No Yes
Best Plant-Based: Splendid Spoon $9.99 per serving 48 states Frozen Yes Yes (for boxes of 14 or 21 meals)
Best Frozen Meals: Magic Kitchen $10 per serving 48 states Frozen No No
Best Prepared Meals: Mom’s Meals $7.99 per serving 48 states Fresh No No

How to Choose the Best Low-Sodium Meal Delivery Service

Factors to Consider

  • Price/Cost Per Meal: Consider your budget if you plan on relying on a meal delivery service week after week. Look for options that offer cost savings on larger orders or free shipping. 
  • Number of Meals Per Delivery: Consider how many meals you will need per week and whether you are ordering for just yourself or also for your family. Are you ordering one meal per day, or do you need meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Do you need meals for five to seven days per week?
  • Flexibility: Determine how easy it is to modify your orders, pause deliveries, change your plans, or mix and match dishes from different menus. 
  • Menu Selection: Most importantly, determine if the menus offer foods you will enjoy based on your food preferences and your dietary needs for you and your family. Also, consider whether variety is important to you or if you prefer to have repeat meals each week.
  • Nutrition Goals/Dietary Restrictions: If you have special nutritional goals or dietary needs, it is important to be able to trust that your meal delivery service is providing meals that meet these needs. We recommend opting for a service that is transparent about its nutritional criteria and has registered dietitians on staff to help with menu design and compliance. 

Who should consider low-sodium meal delivery services? 

A low-sodium diet is most important for an individual with, or at risk of, heart disease, specifically high blood pressure, and individuals with chronic kidney disease. The daily recommended sodium intake for an average adult is 2300 mg, but the average American intake is closer to 3,400 mg of sodium per day. The American Heart Association states that an ideal target for sodium intake is no more than 1,500 mg per day, especially for those with high blood pressure. This can be very challenging to adhere to, and it’s time-consuming to read food labels, identify low-sodium foods, and then maintain a regular eating pattern that’s low in sodium. A reliable meal delivery service offering low-sodium meals can be a convenient solution to help someone stick to a low-sodium diet. A low-sodium meal delivery service can also be beneficial for someone accustomed to eating meals that are high in sodium, whether from restaurants, fast food, takeout, or the prepared section of the grocery store. These services can remove the stress from meal planning and, in some cases, provide additional resources for customers on low-sodium diets. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is considered high sodium for one meal?

    The daily recommended sodium intake for an average healthy adult is less than 2,300 mg per day. According to the FDA, when looking at the food label of a single product, any amount above 20 percent of the daily value (greater than 460 mg) is considered high. For someone eating three meals per day and two snacks, meals above 600-700 mg sodium can be regarded as high in sodium. However, for one meal, one can think about how 2300mg (or less) is distributed between your various meals and snacks throughout the day.

  • How do you start a low-sodium diet?

    The first step is to identify the most common sources of sodium in your diet and assess how frequently you are eating out versus cooking at home. Cooking more from scratch using minimally processed foods is one way to reduce sodium intake, but if that is not always feasible, relying on a meal delivery service that offers low-sodium meals can be a smart solution. It will also be helpful to identify which of your daily meals or favorite foods typically contain more high-sodium ingredients and incorporate some low-sodium swaps at those meals.

  • What foods should you avoid on a low-sodium diet?

    Generally, foods that are highly processed or use salt as a preservative should be minimized. Examples include canned soups, canned vegetables, and beans that are not labeled low-sodium, jarred simmer sauces, savory snacks, premade seasoning packets, and more. Minimally processed ingredients such as cheese, olives, pickles, jerky, deli meats, etc. that are not highly processed but require a lot of salt for the natural preservation technique will also be high in sodium.  


    Bread and similar bread products such as wraps and flatbreads also tend to be a common source of sodium, which quickly adds up since sandwich fillings are often high in sodium as well (condiments such as ketchup, mustard, relish, etc., plus cheese, meats, and pickles as previously mentioned).  


    Lastly, foods that contain a combination of high-sodium ingredients will naturally also be high in sodium. This includes foods such as pizza, burritos, sandwiches/subs/wraps, mixed pasta dishes such as lasagna or macaroni and cheese, and premade entrées with seasoned sauces, among others.

  • Is a low-sodium diet healthy?

    A low-sodium diet does not inherently mean it is healthy just by looking at sodium content alone. Someone can follow a low-sodium diet but not get adequate amounts of many important nutrients including a variety of vitamins and minerals and fiber-rich foods. However, for many people, lowering sodium intake and paying attention to the sodium content of foods can result in increased consumption of foods that are less processed, which does have positive health benefits. 

Methodology

This list was compiled after reviewing results from testers who sampled dozens of meal delivery services that offer low-sodium meal options. Testers evaluated companies based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors such as appearance, taste, variety, flexibility, company history, pricing, transparency around ingredient sourcing, and more. For the low-sodium menus, priority was given to companies that used credentialed nutrition experts (e.g., registered dietitians) to help design the menus and those that aligned with American Heart Association guidelines. 

low sodium meal in lunch boxes with bamboo cutlery

9dreamstudio / Getty Images

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