Diet & Nutrition

The 5 Best Grocery Delivery Services for Healthy Food

Linda Childers
By
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Many of us fell in love with grocery delivery services during the pandemic. Yet even as life returned to normal, you may still enjoy having a week’s worth of food delivered directly to your door. Here, we review the best grocery delivery services that prioritize a seamless shopping experience, value, selection, and quality.

The 5 Best Grocery Delivery Services

In addition to convenience, grocery delivery services offer the opportunity to plan healthy meals in advance and resist impulse shopping, says Rachel Dyckman, a registered dietitian-nutritionist and the owner of Rachel Dyckman Nutrition in New York City.

“Shopping for groceries online is not only convenient, it can also help you stay focused and stick to your meal plan,” Dyckman says. “Sometimes wandering the grocery store aisles can lead to temptation and cause you to gravitate toward less healthful items.”

Dyckman says that impulse shopping is a common side effect of shopping for groceries on an empty stomach.

“When blood sugar is low, we're less likely to make food choices that will best serve us and may end up selecting items that we typically wouldn’t eat,” she says.

While ordering groceries online can benefit busy families, Jackie Newgent, RDN, a Brooklyn, New York–based chef, a certified dietitian-nutritionist, and the author of The Plant-Based Diabetes Cookbook, says that some people — especially those shopping for one — may add more items than they need to reach a certain price level for free shipping.

“If you’re following a certain eating plan or use many of the same foods on repeat, typically you can easily add previously ordered items to your cart,” Newgent says. “This streamlining of your shopping saves time and can ultimately help you stick to your health-focused eating plan long term.”

With a growing number of grocery delivery services now available, it can be challenging to decide which one best fits your needs. Some charge membership fees, and others have a limited selection or only deliver to certain areas of the country.

To help you decide what delivery service best meets your needs, we reviewed five grocery delivery apps and websites using the following criteria:

Shopping Experience

  • Was it easy to use?
  • Was shopping fun and seamless, or did it require a lot of effort to place an order?

Customer Service

  • How was the quality of the items?
  • Was it affordable?
  • Was there a good selection?
  • Did the order arrive in good condition?

Best in a Pinch

Instacart

Price

  • $99 annual fee or $9.99 per month
  • Free delivery on purchases over $35
  • $3.99 and up for same-day delivery under $35
Sign Up

Pros

  • Partners with popular grocery chains
  • Schedule delivery times that are convenient for you
  • Ideal for those who can’t get to stores easily
  • Serves all zip codes in the U.S.

Cons

  • Store inventory can vary; option to substitute or get a refund
  • Personal shopper determines your experience
  • Membership, delivery, and service fees
  • Doesn’t partner with all grocery stores

This service connects customers with personal shoppers in their area. It’s easy to use the app or website to place an order for groceries and other items. Upon receiving your order, your personal shopper will select your groceries and deliver them to your home. Instacart partners

Best Overall for Healthy Groceries

Thrive Market

Price

  • $59.95 annual membership or $12 per month
  • Free shipping over $49
  • $5.95 shipping under $49
Sign Up

Pros

  • Price matching
  • Paleo, keto, dairy- and gluten-free options
  • Each paid membership gifts one to someone in need
  • Eco-friendly packaging, carbon-neutral ground shipping
  • Accepts SNAP on all eligible purchases
  • Free one-year memberships available for some

Cons

  • Membership required
  • No refrigerated items or produce
  • Somewhat limited selection
  • Prices aren’t always less expensive with shipping included

Thrive Market emphasizes non-GMO, ethically sourced, organic foods and sustainable products. In addition to pantry items, wine, and frozen foods, Thrive Market sells beauty, bath, and body products, as well as vitamins and supplements. It doesn’t sell produce or refrigerated

Best for Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Misfits Market

Price

  • Subscription box; a standard delivery has $30 to $50 of groceries
  • Minimum order of $15
  • Shipping starts at $5.99 per order
  • Free shipping on $70 and up
Sign Up

Pros

  • Flexible plans
  • Can shop a la carte
  • Most produce is certified organic and non-GMO
  • Available throughout the continental United States

Cons

  • Must notify if you want to skip a week
  • Inconsistent inventory
  • Shipments available only on certain days

By shopping with Misfits Market, you’re helping fight food waste. Farmers may dump up to 50 percent of their produce because it wouldn’t be accepted by grocers for cosmetic reasons. This online grocer sells high-quality, affordable organic produce that may not be perfect

Best for Healthy Pantry Staples

Vitacost

Price

  • Pay for the cost of your order
  • Shipping on orders under $49 depends on location
  • Free shipping on orders $49 and up
Shop

Pros

  • 10 percent off first order with auto-shipping
  • 5 percent discount on some items in recurring orders
  • Regular sales on top of discounted prices
  • No membership fee
  • Sustainable packaging
  • Organic, cruelty-free, and eco-friendly products

Cons

  • Not a full grocery store
  • Some customer complaints of slow shipping
  • Some customer complaints of order cancellations

If you’re in the market for health foods, vitamins, supplements, and organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free foods, Vitacost offers a one-stop online shopping experience. Vitacost boasts a wide variety of products, including vegan protein powders, eco-friendly cleaning products,

Best All in One

Amazon Fresh

Price

  • With Amazon Prime, $139 membership fee (or $14.99 per month) plus free shipping on orders $100 and up
  • Without Amazon Prime, pay for shipping based on your order and location
Shop

Pros

  • Anyone can order for delivery or pickup
  • Order from a variety of retailers
  • Happy Belly (Amazon’s brand) is cheaper than many store brands
  • Accepts SNAP on eligible purchases
  • One-stop shopping

Cons

  • Available in only 42 cities across eight states and Washington, DC
  • More limited options than a large grocery store
  • Items can go out of stock and take a while to restock

With Amazon Fresh, you can order everything on your grocery list — produce, pantry staples, meat, and household products — if delivery or pickup is available in your area.

Amazon Prime members receive free shipping on orders over $100, and other shipping fees vary depending