Are meal kits a good fit for people with food allergies?

If you've ever had to return a meal at a restaurant or hold everyone up at the grocery store to cross-examine a nutritional label, you understand that living with a moderate to severe food allergy can be tough. The question is: Are meal kits, in all their convenient glory, a good match for people with allergies? 

Meal delivery services like Green Chef, a certified gluten-free company, offer a number of ways to minimize risks for people with food allergies. In Green Chef's case, that includes safety practices that reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

Green Chef isn't the only meal kit that can work for those with food allergies. The best meal kits offer a variety of meal options, substitutions, and meal plans that work with most food restrictions. 

Are meal kits a good fit for people with food allergies?

Thanks to transparent nutritional labels and a variety of diet-friendly meals to choose from, many of the most popular meal kits can be a great fit for people with food allergies. 

Which foods are we talking about exactly? The FDA narrows down the list of foods that can cause allergic reactions to eight major culinary culprits: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. 

These ingredients are found not only in in a variety of recipes, but also via cross-contamination whenever food is handled in a facility using these allergens. Meal delivery services like HelloFresh take steps to greatly reduce the chances of this being an issue by following certain rules that keep ingredients safe.

According to the meal delivery company itself, HelloFresh accommodates food allergies by keeping most ingredients sealed in their packaging -- right up until the meal kit lands on your front door. HelloFresh claims to offer the same level of care in handling ingredients as you'd find in an average supermarket.

HelloFresh prices typically start at $10 per serving, but new subscribers can save up to $143 off their first box, enjoy free shipping, and receive free breakfast items by using their email when building their meal plan.

Choosing the right meal kit for your needs

Zeroing in on the right meal kit for your diet is simple enough. Start by listing any allergies or sensitivities you have. Meal delivery services typically make it easy to browse their weekly food menus, so take a look at how many recipes you can find that would work for you. 

Some meal delivery services offer a number of allergy-friendly meals per week (look for recipe labels such as "soy-free" or "gluten-free"), while others provide a full menu of worthy meals. 

If you're looking for the best dairy-free meal kit, for example, we recommend Daily Harvest. This meal delivery service boasts entire weekly menus with dairy-free foods, from smoothies and frozen treats to pasta dishes, harvest bowls, and soups. Daily Harvest focuses on whole fruits and veggies and sustainable farming methods when sourcing its food.

Daily Harvest plan options include small, medium or large, letting you pick nine to 24 items per delivery. Use promo code DH65 when signing up to save up to $65 on your order.