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Managing a low-sodium diet can be an intimidating and time-consuming task — especially if you’re new to it. It can seem like sodium is everywhere, and there’s not much allowed on your plate. Luckily, low-sodium meal delivery services are here to help, not only with managing your dietary restrictions but also with bringing you tasty and effortless meals. Whether your main concern is getting dietitian support or getting the most meal variety possible, there’s a service to fit your needs. Here, we’ve rounded up our selections for the best low-sodium meal delivery services.
Best Low-Sodium Meal Delivery Services of 2023
- Best Overall: Sunbasket
- Best Variety: Hungryroot
- Best Plant-Based: Splendid Spoon
- Best Prepared: Snap Kitchen
- Best for Medical Support: bistroMD
- Best for Seniors: Magic Kitchen
Best Overall : Sunbasket
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- Starting Price: $11.49 per serving
- Delivery Area: 46 states
- Products Arrive: Fresh
Sunbasket is always a crowd-pleaser with its convenient, flavorful, and health-driven meal kits and add-ons.
Meal kits offer lower-sodium choices and more control over added salt
Meals may be customizable
Options for add-on groceries
Prepared meals are higher in sodium
While Sunbasket may not have a fully low-sodium meal plan, we love that the company’s conveniently portioned, cook-at-home kits offer a lot of options to reduce or eliminate unwanted sodium. Sunbasket focuses on health and sustainability, offering quality ingredients, eco-friendly sourcing, and the nutrition information you need before you purchase. If you’ve got dinners covered with the meal kits, we highly recommend looking through the list of grocery items and add-ons to make other mealtimes easier, too.
- Fresh and Ready: start at $9.99 per serving
- Meal kits: start at $11.99 per serving
Meal Kits
- Sea scallops over fresh fettuccine with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach
- Snapper with romesco, vegetables, and almonds
- Burmese chicken and sweet potato curry
- Sirloin strip tacos with zucchini scallion salsa
Prepared Meals
- Broccoli mac and cheese
- Chicken chow mein with broccoli, mushroom, and toasted garlic
- Beef donburi rice bowl with edamame and kimchi-lime vegetables
- Burrito bowl al pastor with plant-based Impossible Beef
Best Variety : Hungryroot
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- Starting Price: $10 per serving
- Delivery Area: 50 states
- Products Arrive: Fresh
We loved Hungryroot’s selection of ready-in-minutes meals that are big on convenience and flavor while still prioritizing health.
Easily searchable recipe database
Meals come together quickly
Credits can be used for meal kits or groceries
Meals may be too basic for some
Ordering system can be confusing
Even with its seemingly endless quantity of recipes and grocery items, you can easily find what you’re looking for with Hungryroot’s search filters and readily available nutrition information. The menu is filled with everything from mains and sides to tacos, stir-fries, salads, wraps, flatbreads, grain bowls, and more. We love Hungryroot for the busy but health-conscious person who wants the freshness of a homemade meal without spending a ton of time in the kitchen.
- 2 servings with 8 recipes: $9.69 per serving
- 2 servings with 7 recipes: $9.69 per serving
- 2 servings with 6 recipes: $10.29 per serving
- 2 servings with 5 recipes: $10.89 per serving
- 2 servings with 4 recipes: $11.39 per serving
- 2 servings with 3 recipes: $11.39 per serving
- 4 servings with 4 recipes: $9.69 per serving
- 4 servings with 3 recipes: $9.69 per serving
- 4 servings with 2 recipes: $10.29 per serving
- 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 Plant-Based : Splendid Spoon
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- Starting Price: $10 per serving
- Delivery Area: 48 states
- Products Arrive: Fresh
Our testers enjoyed Splendid Spoon’s selection of fully prepared plant-based meals with lower-sodium content.
Lower-sodium meals and snacks
Easily searchable online menu
Fully plant-based
Heavy on packaging
If you’re excited by the sound of a coconut curry rice bowl with kale and cashews, or a warming bowl of vegetable Bolognese, you may want to give the lower-sodium menu from Splendid Spoon a try. This meal delivery service is totally plant-based and has a substantial menu of noodle bowls, soups and grain bowls, dishes, smoothies, and extras, many of which meet the criteria for “lower sodium,” or “12% of daily value or less per serving.” In fact, with over 15 different search filters based around dietary needs and avoidances, we’re pretty confident that Splendid Spoon has something for everyone.
Two-Person Menu
- 3 meals per week: $13.49 per serving
- 4 meals per week: $12.99 per serving
Four-Person Menu
- 2 meals per week: $12.99 per serving
- 3 meals per week: $12.49 per serving
- 4 meals per week: $11.99 per serving
Six-Person Menu
- 3 or 4 meals per week: $11.99 per serving
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 Prepared : Snap Kitchen
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- Starting Price: $11.34 per serving
- Delivery Area: 48 states
- Products Arrive: Fresh
Snap Kitchen makes it easy to moderate sodium intake with prepared meals and snacks to support you at any time of the day.
Fully prepared meals that heat up in minutes
Nutrient-friendly menu filters
Free shipping
Smaller menu compared to other services
Managing sodium content can be one of the most challenging parts of creating prepared foods, which makes us all the more impressed with the offerings from Snap Kitchen. With breakfasts, entrées, and snacks in line with its “moderate sodium” and “sodium conscious” filters, it’s easy to find delicious prepared meals that offer both convenience and attention to salt content for those who need it. Enjoy tasty dishes like Korean BBQ meatballs with sesame broccoli and carrots, or chicken piccata with garlic-roasted cauliflower.
- 6 meals per week: $13.84 per meal
- 12 meals per week: $11.34 per meal
- Baked ziti with Italian beef sausage
- Stir-fry chicken and broccoli with garlic sauce
- Chicken vermicelli bowl with Vietnamese dipping sauce
- Herb butter steak with bacon-roasted Brussels sprouts
- Shawarma chicken bowl with lemon tahini sauce
- Peach BBQ brisket with loaded cauliflower
Best for Medical Support : bistroMD
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BistroMD
- Starting Price: $11 per serving
- Delivery Area: 48 states
- Products Arrive: Frozen
Our experts were impressed with bistroMD’s attention to detail on diets, as well as the availability of expert support.
Diet-friendly meals designed by medical professionals
Convenient heat-and-eat options
Dietitian support available
No self-select option for meals
BistroMD is designed to provide structure and ease with its zero-effort meal program designed by physicians. Several of bistroMD’s diet plans will work with a low-sodium requirement, and all that remains for you to do is decide how many meals you want per week. Additionally, there are easy options for getting support from dietitians, in case you’re still learning how to eat for your health outside of bistroMD’s plan.
- Full program 7 days: $219.80 (includes 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners)
- Full program 5 days: $187.35 (includes 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 5 dinners)
- Lunch and dinner 7 days: $188.86 (includes 7 lunches and 7 dinners)
- Lunch and dinner 5 days: $149.90 (includes 5 lunches and 5 dinners)
- 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 Seniors : Magic Kitchen
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Magic Kitchen
- Starting Price: $12 per serving
- Delivery Area: 48 states
- Products Arrive: Frozen
Catering to the dietary needs of seniors, Magic Kitchen gave our testers plenty of meals to choose from without compromising on specialty diet accommodations.
Multiple diets accommodated
Wide selection of menu options
Meals can be covered by certain insurance plans
Portions may be smaller
Can’t choose delivery date
Magic Kitchen really has a lot to offer to seniors, with over 10 dietary accommodations, plus the ability to self-select meals à la carte or as a part of a “complete meal,” which includes main dishes and sides placed together. Subscriptions are available for this prepared meal delivery service, and there is even an option to have some of your meals covered by your health insurance.
Pricing varies by meal item and quantity purchased, with individual meals, bundles and “complete meals” available. Entrées start at $12 per serving, and shipping costs vary by location.
- 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
Final Verdict
Sunbasket’s food is anything but the flavorless and clinical image that comes to mind when you hear the words “low-sodium diet.” Colorful, creative, and globally inspired meal kits make it easy to moderate sodium intake without sacrificing flavor, and they’re a great fit for families, too.
Compare the Best Low-Sodium Meal Delivery Services
Company | Starting Price | Delivery Area | Products Arrive | Customers Can Choose Delivery Date? | Free Shipping? |
Best Overall: Sunbasket | $11.49 per serving | 46 states | Fresh | Yes | No |
Best Variety: Hungryroot | $10 per serving | 50 states | Fresh | Yes | No |
Best Plant-Based: Splendid Spoon | $10 per serving | 48 states | Fresh | Yes | Yes |
Best Prepared: Snap Kitchen | $11.34 per serving | 48 states | Fresh | No | No |
Best for Medical Support: bistroMD | $11 per serving | 48 states | Frozen | No | No |
Best for Seniors: Magic Kitchen | $12 per serving | 48 states | Frozen | No | No |
Guide to Choosing the Best Low-Sodium Meal Delivery Service
What to Consider
- Price/Cost per Meal: Consider pricing per meal carefully, as it can vary widely by service. Be sure to have an idea of what you are looking to spend per meal as you shop around.
- Number of Meals per Delivery: Some services will provide three meals per day for seven days per week, while others are more geared toward providing a few dinners and some extras to get you through the week.
- Flexibility: Unfortunately, low-sodium diets can be one of the most challenging to follow successfully, especially if you’re eating prepared foods or dining out. Meal delivery services are a great way to ensure you’re receiving a lower-sodium intake but getting more flexibility and variety than you could do on your own.
- Menu Selection: Most of our favorite services for low-sodium meal delivery allow customers to choose their own meals, but if you’re looking to put something on autopilot, there are several companies that let the professionals choose meals for you instead.
- Nutrition Goals/Dietary Restrictions: Low-sodium meal delivery services may also work with additional dietary restrictions — especially some of our recommendations for seniors or medical assistance.
Are Low-Sodium Meal Delivery Services Right for You?
If you’re considering how best to approach a low-sodium diet, and are not well-versed in the sodium content of foods, you may want to consider a low-sodium meal delivery service. These are especially helpful if you’re new to the diet and learning, or if you’re managing multiple health conditions or an extremely busy schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What Is Considered a Low-Sodium Meal?
This truly varies by individual, as low-sodium restrictions rarely get down to the meal-by-meal level but rather refer to how much sodium should be consumed over the course of a day. In general, you can take the daily value of sodium that is your target and divide it among three meals and two snacks per day to get the average amount you’ll want to aim for.
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Who Should Consider a Low-Sodium Diet?
Low-sodium diets are often recommended for conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), other forms of cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease, among others. In order to decide if a low-sodium diet is right for you, we recommend seeking out a health care professional to determine if the diet is necessary and effective for any conditions you may have.
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What Should You Eat on a Low-Sodium Diet?
Most unprepared and unprocessed foods can be consumed without concern for excessive sodium, such as fruits and vegetables, whole cuts of meat (rather than pre-marinated or precooked), fish, eggs, legumes, and nuts. However, bear in mind that these foods, when prepared, likely have sodium added to them. When consuming certain dairy items, bread and baked goods, soups, lunch meats, prepared sauces, and other commonly sodium-rich foods, be sure to check labels and look for the “low sodium” stamp.
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How Can You Make Low-Sodium Food Taste Better?
A common complaint about low-sodium food is a lack of flavor, and while nothing can exactly replicate salt, there are other ways to enhance food without increasing sodium. One incredible ingredient is monosodium glutamate (aka MSG), which is widely available and naturally enhances flavor — especially savory notes, which can be the hardest to replicate. In addition, using fresh or dried herbs, additional spices, and ingredients with tartness (like vinegar and citrus) can impart flavor and increase your enjoyment of a low-sodium meal.
Methodology
In order to present the best meal delivery services in the industry, we tasked a team of nutrition experts with ordering, cooking, and testing the top kits in the meal delivery marketplace. Each company was subjected to an extensive evaluation based on price point, sustainability, nutrition information transparency, cooking experience, and, of course, flavor and food quality.
After our experts made their way through more than 30 different companies, our data team analyzed the outcomes and created the rating that you see for our reviews. Registered dietitians, chefs, and food industry professionals make up our expert panel, and each review is fact-checked to ensure the accuracy of medical statements.
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