The cheapest first box is rarely the cheapest box. Introductory deals knock 40-65% off your first delivery, then quietly disappear - so the only fair way to compare value is on full price. Below we rank every food box on full price per portion (or cheapest full-price box for veg boxes), then explain where the real savings and the hidden costs are.
Food boxes ranked by value
| Box | Type | Our rating | Value | Subscription | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MuscleFood | Fitness / meal prep | 7.3/10 | £1.93 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| Gousto | Meal Kit | 8.4/10 | £3.84 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| HelloFresh | Meal Kit | 8/10 | £4.06 / portion | Subscription only | Read review |
| Parsley Box | Ready Meals | 7/10 | £4.26 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| Wiltshire Farm Foods | Ready Meals | 7.8/10 | £4.45 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| allplants | Ready Meals | 7.3/10 | £4.50 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| COOK | Ready Meals | 8/10 | £5.25 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| Grubby | Meal Kit | 7.7/10 | £5.75 / portion | Subscription only | Read review |
| Pasta Evangelists | Fresh pasta | 7.6/10 | £6.00 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| Green Chef | Meal Kit | 7.6/10 | £6.30 / portion | Subscription only | Read review |
| Prep Kitchen | Fitness / meal prep | 7.6/10 | £6.95 / portion | Subscription only | Read review |
| Mindful Chef | Meal Kit | 7.8/10 | £7.08 / portion | Subscription only | Read review |
| Field Doctor | Ready Meals | 8.1/10 | £7.29 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| The Cookaway | Meal Kit | 7.4/10 | £9.00 / portion | One-off available | Read review |
| SimplyCook | Recipe Kit | 7.5/10 | from £9.99 | Subscription only | Read review |
| Oddbox | Veg Box | 7.9/10 | from £11.99 | Subscription only | Read review |
| Abel & Cole | Veg Box | 8/10 | from £14.50 | One-off available | Read review |
| Riverford | Veg Box | 8.5/10 | from £16.50 | One-off available | Read review |
| Fresh Fitness Food | Fitness / meal prep | 7.5/10 | - | One-off available | Read review |
Ratings are our own editorial scores. Value shows price per portion where a box is priced that way, or the cheapest full-price box otherwise. Prices were checked in June 2026 and exclude introductory offers.
How we rank value
We use the full, non-discounted price per portion, because that is what you actually pay after the first few boxes. For veg boxes, which are sold by the box rather than the portion, we use the cheapest full-price box. We then weigh that against portion size, flexibility and quality - because a cheap box you stop using is not good value.
The best value by type
- Meal kits - Gousto and HelloFresh are cheapest per portion at larger boxes (from around £3.80-£4.10); small two-person boxes cost more per head.
- Recipe and spice kits - SimplyCook is cheapest on paper (£9.99 for four recipes), but you buy the fresh ingredients yourself, so add £3-£6 a head.
- Veg boxes - Oddbox is the cheapest entry box at £11.99, helped by its food-waste model; the organic boxes cost more, but Riverford delivers free.
- Ready meals - Parsley Box and Wiltshire Farm Foods are the cheapest per meal, around £4.25-£4.45.
- Fitness meal prep - MuscleFood's Goal Getters plans are the cheapest prepared meals here, from about £1.93.
The hidden costs to watch
- Delivery - most meal kits add £4-£6 a box; Riverford and Wiltshire Farm Foods deliver free.
- Introductory pricing - never judge a box on its first-box price; check what it costs from box four onwards.
- Minimum orders - COOK (£45) and Field Doctor (around £50) have minimums that push up the real entry cost.
- Food waste - the cheapest box is worthless if half of it ends up in the bin, so size it to how much you actually cook.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest food box in the UK?
Among the boxes we compare, recipe kits like SimplyCook have the lowest box price, but you buy the fresh ingredients yourself. For everything-included boxes, Gousto and HelloFresh are the best value per portion at larger box sizes, and Oddbox is the cheapest veg box.
How do you measure value for money?
We use full price per portion (not the first-box discount), or the cheapest full-price box for veg boxes, then weigh that against portion size, flexibility and quality.