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We expect everything to happen in a snap these days: News, entertainment and certainly food. Snap Kitchen is a prepared meal service looking to capitalize on “snap culture” with simple, freshly prepared meals sent to your door each week. Snap aims to handle lunch or dinner for you on those days you don’t want to cook dinner or spend the money on takeout. You can store your weekly shipment in the fridge or freezer and heat one quickly when the mood strikes.
Sounds pretty good, right?
There are dozens of prepared meal services geared towards a busy person and many with some pretty delicious offerings. I’ve tried most of the meal subscriptions and so you’ve gotta be rather proficient (translation: delicious) to get my full-throated endorsement. To see how Snap Kitchen stacks up in a crowded field of meal delivery options, I tried a week’s worth of its meals.
Like
- Meals were generally tasty
- Most meals under 450 calories
- Lots of weekly options
Don’t Like
- Portions were small for the price
- No vegetarian or vegan options
- Some meals were underwhelming
Snap Kitchen lived up to its moniker with meals that are ready in a jiff, and most of them were pretty decent. The portions were small, however, and, for the money, I think there are better options out there. But for someone seeking smaller portions or to cut total calories, Snap Kitchen may be the key to unlocking more time each week doing the stuff you love and less time seeking out sustenance.
Here’s what I thought of Snap Kitchen in case you’re thinking of trying the popular subscription service.
How Snap Kitchen works
Snap Kitchen is a prepared meal subscription service that sends weekly boxes of ready-to-eat meals. You won’t be doing any chopping, dicing or cooking at all — just heating and eating. It’s a snap. Get it?
Once you sign up for your meal plan — either six or 12 meals per week — you’ll choose meals from a weekly menu of about 35 options. Recipes range from hearty pasta dishes to lighter fare like grilled chicken breast and vegetables. There are one or two breakfast options sprinkled in but most of Snap’s meals are geared toward lunch and dinner.
My six meals arrived fresh and neatly packaged ready to be eaten or frozen for later.
David Watsky/CNET
You can select your meals each week or let Snap pick them for you. You can also skip any week’s delivery of meals if you won’t be around to eat them. But it is a subscription so they’ll keep on coming if you don’t pause or cancel.
Snap Kitchen delivers to most states but not all. You can punch in your zip code here to find out if you’re in the zone.
Snap Kitchen pricing
Snap Kitchen offers two simple plans. You can subscribe to get six meals per week $76 ($12.67 per meal) or 12 meals a week for a grand total of $126 ($10.50 per meal).
Snap Kitchen pricing
| Meals per week | Price per meal |
|---|---|
| 6 | $12.67 |
| 12 | $10.50 |
What are Snap Kitchen meals like?
Snap Meals are eclectic, with 35 weekly options spanning several cuisines — Japanese, Indian, Korean, French, Italian. There are also some basic recipes including herb-grilled chicken with a side of vegetables. Some meals are loaded with lean protein and healthy veggies while others would be best categorized as comfort food, with carbs a-plenty. There are virtually no plant-based options and few featuring seafood.
The jerk chicken with mango salsa was super tasty but the portion was too small for this guy.
David Watsky/CNET
While the meals arrive fresh and not frozen, most can be frozen if you’re not planning to eat them in the first few days. I would recommend freezing anything you don’t plan to eat within two or three days, especially anything containing seafood.
I wouldn’t classify Snap Kitchen as a health-focused food delivery service but it has plenty of healthy options. The portions also tend to run small so if you’re looking to cut total calories without giving up red meat, pasta and potatoes, Snap has plenty of weekly picks. Most meals are between 350 and 450 calories.
What I had and how I liked it
I chose six of Snap Kitchen’s meals and tried them over the course of a few days. Here’s what I ate and how I liked it.
Beef bourguignon with potato-turnip mash: I had high hopes for this meal but the meat proved tough and grisly. The turnip-potato mash was OK, but I wouldn’t want to eat this meal again.
I love beef bourguignon but Snap Kitchen’s version did not impress.
David Watsky/CNET
Chicken shawarma with lemon tahini sauce: This meal was big on flavor with an awesome sauce to drizzle over. The chicken itself was a bit dry and just OK.
Korean barbecue meatballs: This dish was my favorite of the bunch. The meatballs were tender and tasty with a nice umami-rich barbecue sauce. The accompanying broccoli still had some spring in it too.
These sweet and spicy Korean meatballs with vegetables and rice was the best in the bunch.
David Watsky/CNET
Jerk chicken with mango salsa: This was another of my favorites, with tender chicken and tangy mango salsa. Unfortunately, it was far too small, with just a few spoonfuls of rice that didn’t fill me up.
Pesto pasta with chicken sausage meatballs: The chicken meatballs were dry but still tasty. The pasta was slightly undercooked (a good thing!) so when I heated it up, it became a nice al dente. The pesto was also good, but be prepared to taste the garlic.
The chicken meatballs with pesto pasta didn’t blow me away but it one of the better meals I tried.
David Watsky/CNET
Cajun salmon with braised greens and bacon: The salmon was fresh enough. The braised greens (collard, I believe) were good, if overcooked. The bacon added nice flavor, as you’d expect.
Who is Snap Kitchen good for?
Since meals are on the small side, Snap Kitchen is good for portion control and general calorie cutting. Most are under 500 total calories with many meal options under 400 cals. I prefer to eat bigger meals with healthier ingredients or fewer carbs. If you crave those heavier foods but don’t quite trust yourself with leftovers (who can blame you?), this might be a good meal delivery service to try.
The plastic packaging was mostly recyclable. Nutritional information for each meal was easy to find.
David Watsky/CNET
Who is Snap Kitchen not good for?
Snap Kitchen isn’t suitable for vegetarians or vegans since there are no plant-based offerings each week. It’s also not a great option for big eaters. The small portions might frustrate someone with a sizeable appetite.
I also wouldn’t recommend this service for families since it would get expensive to feed three or four people with Snap Kitchen. For that, try Mosaic Foods: It’s one of my favorite meal delivery services and one that offers family-sized plans. EveryPlate is a budget-friendly meal kit service I also loved that’s great for families, with portions clocking in at around $5. Although you’ll have to do the cooking yourself.
Snap Kitchen meals were mostly pretty tasty but the portion sizes were a bit small for me.
David Watsky/CNET
The final verdict on Snap Kitchen
Snap Kitchen succeeded on a few fronts. The majority of meals were tasty, with a couple of misses out of the six I tried. The sauces were fun and the veggies and starches were cooked well and not overdone. The main beef I have with this service is there wasn’t enough beef — I’m talkin’ portion size. At over $10 a meal (for the cheapest 12-meal plan), I would expect the meals to be filling, and many just weren’t. That said, if maintaining portion control is important, this might be a good subscription to try.
For meal delivery in this price range, I’d suggest Freshly or Fresh n’ Lean if you’re willing to spend a few more dollars per meal. For vegetarians and vegans, Mosaic Foods is my top choice, with excellent plant-based prepared meals that cost between $9 and $11.
More meal delivery picks
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
