Flavorama! Healthline’s Food Pros' Favorite Subscriptions

Healthline's picks of the best food subscriptions to gift, including Farmer Jones Vegetable of the Month club, Mouth Pickles of the Month, and salmon from Blue Circle Foods

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A quick look at the best food subscriptions to gift:

Best for the adventurous palette: Piquant Post Spice Subscription Box

Best for the person with a sweet tooth: Harry & David Fruit-of-the-Month Club

Best for the friend who always orders a salad: Farmer Jones Vegetable of the Month Club

Best for the hostess with the mostest: SOMOS Salsero Holiday Gift Set

Best for the coffee snob: Atlas Coffee Club Coffee of the Month

Best for the tea connoisseur: Sips By Personalized Tea Discovery Box

Best for the person eating for two: Mouth Pickle of the Month Club

Best for the person who would rather be trekking around Europe: iGourmet Pasta Dinner Subscription Box

Best for the constant nosher: Nuts.com

Best for the healthy foodie: Here Here Food With Benefits

Best for the landlocked seafood lover: Blue Circle Foods

Best for the mover and shaker: Hungryroot Gift Card

What’s better than receiving an awesome gift that you love and appreciate? Getting a gift that you can love and appreciate over and over again!

While there is no shortage of subscriptions that are full of yummy chocolates, cookies, or wine, there is also a surprisingly impressive selection of better-for-you choices for the health-conscious people in your life.

We asked our Healthline food pros — aka registered dietitians (RDs) — which healthy food subscription boxes are on their “nice” list this year, and the selections were quite impressive.

From teas and fresh fruit to pickles and even seafood, here are our picks for the 12 best subscriptions to keep those warm and fuzzy feelings going all year long.

We tested the best food subscriptions to gift this holiday season

How we chose

A simple online search for a subscription box will result in pages and pages of options, making it difficult to know which ones are actually gift-worthy.

We rounded up the best food subscription boxes to suit a range of taste buds and budgets using the following criteria:

Expert recommendations: All of the subscriptions below were chosen and reviewed by RDs.

Nutritional value: We selected boxes with items that are free from excessive amounts of added sugar or sodium. We also prioritized services that emphasize high quality ingredients and minimize the use of artificial additives.

Taste: Yes, nutrition is important, but taste is also key. The subscriptions on our list provide products that are fresh, flavorful, and enjoyable to consume.

Gift factor: We chose subscriptions that offer a gift-worthy feel, whether it’s how they’re packaged, the types of items inside, or the overall vibe of the box.

Price: We know budgets can vary, so we included gifts at a range of price points.

Vetting: All the products included have been vetted to ensure that they meet Healthline’s medical and business standards. Any brands that make extravagant health claims or foster an unhealthy relationship with food were immediately disqualified (we’re looking at you, juice cleanses).

So, without further ado, here are the 12 RD-approved subscription boxes we will be gifting this holiday season.

Healthline’s picks for the best dietitian-approved food subscriptions to gift

Best for the adventurous palette

Piquant Post Spice Subscription Box

Price: ranges from $10.99–$12.99 per month, depending on the subscription plan

If you know someone who loves exploring new flavors and cuisines, Piquant Post will be a welcome addition to their spice drawer.

Each month, recipients will receive four freshly ground spice blends, along with recipe cards, to create delicious, globally inspired meals.

Subscribers also get online access to recipes, substitutes, and alternate ideas for how to use the flavor kits. Bonus: Each spice blend is free from fillers, preservatives, and sugar.

This box was recommended by Nutrition and Fitness Market Editor Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, who received this gift.

McGrane shared, “I was impressed by the quality of the spices and loved that the blends weren’t ones that you regularly find at the grocery store — plus, the packets were thin and compact, making them easy to store. The monthly recipe cards were also great as they helped with meal planning and added variety to our dinner rotation.”

Subscribe now at Piquant Post

Best for the person with a sweet tooth

Harry & David Fruit-of-the-Month Club

Price: $109.99 for 3 months, with discounts available for longer subscription plans

Sure, the obvious choice for people with a sweet tooth is to send them a candy delivery. But fresh fruit offers that same satisfying taste in a better-for-you package as it is packed with natural sweetness and no added sugar.

From fresh pears and oranges to giant strawberries and honey mangoes, the fruit that shows up on recipients’ doorsteps each month will never bore them. Plus, the variety of shipments might help people discover fruit they haven’t tried before!

The Fruit-of-the-Month Club was chosen by Healthline Senior Nutrition Editor Lisa Valente, MS, RD, who shared, “I’ve never gotten a subscription but always wanted to! It’s a nice way to send something healthy and delicious to someone you love. Their pears are out of this world!”

Subscribe now at Harry & David

Best for the friend who always orders a salad

Farmer Jones Vegetable of the Month Club

Price: $196.65 for 3 months, with discounts available for longer subscription plans

You may want to gift the veggie lover in your life a box of restaurant-quality produce.

Every month, a box of seasonal vegetables, harvested at peak freshness, will be delivered straight to your recipient’s door.

According to the company’s website, each box contains enough vegetables to feed a family of four for one to two meals, depending on how you prepare the vegetables.

Family Jones Farm is an Ohio-based family farm that’s been around for more than 30 years and has supplied vegetables to world-renowned chefs and restaurants.

Subscribe now at Farmer Jones Farm

Best for the hostess with the mostest

SOMOS Salsero Holiday Gift Set

Price: $40

With four SOMOS salsas and a hand-painted salsa dish perfectly wrapped for the holidays, the presentation of this gift has a serious wow factor.

While it isn’t a subscription box, recipients can easily order more salsas right from the SOMOS website.

The four salsas included are Roasted Tomatillo, Jalapeno, Cuatro Chiles Taqueria, and Smoky Chipotle Red and Roasted Tomatillo Pasilla. All of the salsas are gluten-free, non-GMO, and totally delicious.

Shop now at SOMOS

Best for the coffee snob

Atlas Coffee Club Coffee of the Month

Price: $9–$28 per shipment

Atlas Coffee Club will help elevate any coffee lover’s affection for the java bean.

To help you brew the perfect cup, the company asks subscribers to select their brew method, preferred grind type, and roast preference.

Each month, recipients will receive a bag (or two) of coffee procured from various regions of the world, along with information about the sourcing location and the unique features of the bean.

Think of it as having an expert coffee guide giving you a tour of the world’s best single-origin coffees without having to leave your kitchen.

Subscribe now at Atlas Coffee Club

Best for the tea connoisseur

Sips By Personalized Tea Discovery Box

Price: $19.99 per month, with discounts available for longer subscription plans

Sips By claims to be the only personalized tea subscription service and is the perfect gift for the camelliaphile — or tea enthusiast — in your life.

The service offers a variety of great gifts and subscription options, but our pick is the Personalized Tea Discovery Box.

Using an online quiz, Sips By curates a box of teas that’s completely personalized to your recipient. Each box contains four types of teas, a reusable tea filter, and a gift card for subsequent tea orders.

The box is also a favorite of Healthline writer and RD Cara Rosenbloom, who explained, “I liked that the first box offered something tangible when the gift arrived (the tea and infuser), while the gift card allowed me to select the exact types of teas that I wanted to receive monthly.”

Shop now at Sips By

Best for the person eating for two

Mouth Pickle of the Month Club

Price: $60 per month, with discounts available for longer subscription plans

The craving for pickles during pregnancy is all too common for many parents-to-be.

Imagine the delight an expecting parent will feel when they get a delivery of three jars of gourmet pickles every month during their prenatal journey (and beyond if you want the subscription to extend beyond 9 months).

From sweet bread and butter pickles to garlicky kirbys to an occasional pickled tomato, you will be hard-pressed to find a pregnant friend who would not be thrilled to get this subscription box.

Subscribe now at Mouth

Best for the person who would rather be trekking around Europe

iGourmet Pasta Dinner Subscription Box

Price: $45 per month, with discounts available for longer subscription plans

Move over ho-hum pasta and jarred sauce from the grocery store. For people who truly appreciate a quality pasta dish, this subscription box will have them licking their lips.

Each delivery contains two packages of different Italian pastas and two different jars of pasta sauce.

Thanks to the company’s use of high quality ingredients, your recipient will feel as though they’ve been transported to the gorgeous Amalfi Coast with every bite.

Subscribe now at iGourmet

Best for the constant nosher

Nuts.com

Price: gift boxes range from $24.99–$149.99

Nuts.com offers a variety of roasted, flavored, and simply delicious nuts, making for a satisfying gift packed with plant-based protein.

Gifts can be curated according to preferences, and the auto-ship selection can be chosen if the gift giver wants a recurring delivery.

The nuts are roasted the same day they are shipped for maximum flavor. And along with high quality nuts, Nuts.com offers dried fruit, popcorn, chocolate, and other goodies.

Shop now at Nuts.com

Best for the healthy foodie

Here Here Food With Benefits

Price: $49 per box

This quarterly subscription box is a foodie’s dream come true.

Each box contains a mix of better-for-you pantry staples, including snacks, breakfast items, baking mixes, cooking staples, and more.

Available nationwide, the Here Here Food with Benefits box is the perfect way to help your friend discover their new favorite products with zero commitment.

Subscribe now at Here Here Market

Best for the landlocked seafood lover

Blue Circle Foods

Price: prices vary by item and delivery location; $96 for the Holiday Gift Box

Many of us are not eating enough seafood, which can be very beneficial for heart health. Take the effort of running to the grocery store or fish market off the plate by enlisting the help of Blue Circle Foods subscription service.

Subscribers can choose from classic seafood options, like salmon filets and black tiger shrimp, to more unique offerings, including salmon burgers and salmon sausage. The products arrive frozen, individually wrapped, and packaged with dry ice to ensure freshness.

During the holiday season, Blue Circle Seafood is also offering a curated Holiday Gift Box to make gifting even easier.

Shop now at Blue Circle Foods

Best for the mover and shaker

Hungryroot Gift Card

Price: starts at $75

Combining the best parts of a grocery and meal delivery service, Hungryroot is perfect for people who want to cook more meals at home but don’t want to spend their time or energy on meal planning or grocery shopping.

Using the results of an online quiz, Hungryoot ships a curated package of groceries, along with recipes and a multi-day meal plan.

While you could gift a box, we recommend sending your recipient a Hungryroot gift card instead. That way they can set up their food profile and request items that they’re most interested in trying.

Shop now at Hungryroot

Frequently asked questions

What is a food subscription?

A food subscription is a service that delivers food to your doorstep based on a specific schedule.

A wide variety of food subscription types are available, from meal kits and groceries to more niche offerings, like seafood, snacks, produce, and sweet treats.

While some services provide curated boxes, others allow you to pick and choose your items.

Can I give a meal kit as a gift?

A meal kit subscription can be a great gift for people who don’t have time to meal plan, aren’t proficient in the kitchen, or have a hard time making it to the grocery store on a regular basis.

Most meal kit services, including HelloFresh and Sunbasket, offer gift cards that can be used toward any new or existing subscription plans.

Additionally, some prepared meal delivery services, like Splendid Spoon and Daily Harvest, offer one-time gift boxes filled with pre-made entrees, snacks, and smoothies.

Read Healthline’s picks for the best meal delivery services of 2022.

How much do food subscriptions typically cost?

Food subscriptions vary greatly in price. While some cost as little as $15 per month, others can cost more than $100 per delivery.

Factors like the delivery frequency, number and types of items, quality of the items, and whether the contents are perishable all contribute to the wide variation in cost.

Also keep in mind that many food subscriptions require an additional fee for shipping, though some services offer free shipping on larger orders.

The bottom line

From an eclectic variety of teas to farm-fresh produce, there is no shortage of food box options that satisfy even the pickiest taste buds.

Plus, as the gift giver, you can feel good knowing that your gift is helping your recipient include more nutritious foods and beverages in their (likely very busy) lifestyle.

Ready for a calm and stress-free holiday? Check out Healthline’s Season of Self Care, your go-to destination for the latest must-have health and wellness gifts for your loved ones — and yourself!

Posted : 2024-08-29 10:50

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