Thistle ($12 to $15 per meal): A prior top pick for solo diners with individually prepared dishes that require little to no prep, Thistle is mostly a plant-based meal kit—but there's a $3 option to add sustainable meats to any otherwise vegan meal. How to Optimize Meal Kits AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron Don't order too many meals per week: You know the old John Lennon line: Life is what happens when you're busy, out eating a random burrito, then thinking guiltily about the meal kit at home in your fridge. Remember, you owe nothing to the recipe: Meal kit services hire recipe developers, and on the best meal kits, these chefs have spent a lot of time optimizing each recipe.