Living with dietary restrictions is certainly a challenge, but also it has thankfully never been easier. Gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, and even onion and garlic-free options are abundant when you dine out.
However, when it comes to things like gluten-free meal delivery services and meal kits, things can get a little trickier.
While plenty of ready-made meal providers in Australia offer gluten-free meals, it’s not always clear. And, for people living with Coeliac disease, gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean coeliac-friendly.
So, to help out those on a gluten-free diet who still want to enjoy the benefits of using a meal delivery service provider, Mealprep has put together a list of the top Australian meal plan providers who offer the best free-from-added gluten dishes.
Related: Coeliac-Friendly meals that are completely free from gluten
Out of the providers below, only Garden of Vegan make their meals in an entirely gluten-free kitchen (so it’s safe for Coeliacs). The other providers cook out of a shared kitchen, which is worth noting for Coeliacs.
The Best Free-From Gluten Providers
Cost: Meals starting at $9.95
Gluten-free focus: Not a totally gluten-free provider
Customisation: You can choose from a range of different meals
Subscription: You don't have to subscribe but there's a minimum order of $49
Youfoodz is one of the most popular meal delivery services in Australia, but how do they handle gluten-free meals? There used to be a dietary filter where you can select “no gluten added”, but since switching to a subscription based model, it appears that filter is now gone. Howevever, if you search through the meals and ingredients, you will find some no added gluten options. However, there’s also a disclaimer that says there may be traces of products such as milk, eggs, gluten, seafood, peanuts and other nuts in the meals. They, therefore, cannot guarantee a total absence of these products in any of their meals as there may be cross-contamination.
Cost: Starting at $78 for 3-day meal meal (lunch & dinner)
Gluten-free focus: A Life Plus isnāt just gluten-free but does offer a great range of gluten-free
Customisation: Yes! Heaps!
Subscription: No
A Life PlusĀ is great for those following a gluten-free diet who want to jump on the prepared meals bandwagon (they’re great for anyone with any type of dietary requirement, actually!) P
Perhaps the best thing about A Life Plus is the amount of customisation and control you have over your meals. Ā A Life Plus is able to personalise the dishes to your goals, preferences and dietary needs by hand-cooking every one of your dishes to order using fresh, organic ingredients.
This includes personalising for your dietary preferences (e.g. Vegetarian, no gluten), removing ingredients you donāt like (e.g no fish, dairy) all the way to your individual calorie level requirements. (e.g. I donāt want to exceed 1200 calories). Once you’ve chosen your meal, you can add in the special instructions after adding the item to your cart.
Cost: Starts at 14 meals for $94.95
Gluten-free focus: You can filter meals to "no gluten"
Customisation: There are a range of gluten-free meals to choose from
Subscription: No subscription, but you can save when you order in bulk
As Australiaās top rated meal delivery service, my Muscle Chef has a range of gluten-free options. However, they have an allergen disclaimer that says because all meals are made in the same commercial kitchen, they cannot guarantee the total absence of gluten, and there is the risk of cross-contamination.
There is an extensive range of meals that do fall under the “gluten-free” category, however. My Muscle Chef delivers to more than 4,200 postcodes across Australia, as well as a range of small supermarkets.
Cost: Starting at 7 meals for $76.65 per week
Gluten-free focus: Gluten-free options available
Customisation: You can choose from a variety of gluten-free options
Subscription: Yes
Designed for athletes, MACROS provides nutritionally-optimised plans for your performance goals. As the name suggests, their meals are macro-controlled by registered dieticians to help you reach your goals.
MACROS’ filter tool (on the Menu page and at checkout) enables you to select the meals that suit your dietary requirements – so whether youāre after a gluten-free meal plan, paleo plan, plant-based plan, or have a food allergy or intolerance, youāll have plenty of options. They also update their menu every week so you donāt get bored with lack of variety.
All meals are free from preservatives and other artificial ingredients. And, because MACROS is in MyFitnessPal, you can easily keep track of your calorie intake and diet through the app.
Cost: Starting from $58.95 for 2 meals (for 2 people) plus delivery
Gluten-free focus: You can filter to "no added gluten"
Customisation: There are a range of gluten-free meals to choose from
Subscription: Yes, weekly delivery
Marley Spoon is a popular meal kit delivery service that offers 27 recipes weekly including meat & fish, fast, healthy, vegetarian, vegan, family-friendly, low carb and no added gluten options. Out of all the meal providers, Marley Spoon has one of the highest numbers of gluten-free meals available each week.
When looking at the meals on offer, it’s very easy to spot the gluten-free options as it’s labelled “no added gluten”. However, there’s no easy filter button to see only the gluten-free items. They deliver to metro and surrounding areas of Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart, Launceston, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Wollongong, Newcastle and Darwin, with more coming soon.
Cost: Starting at $14.95 per meal
Gluten-free focus: 100% gluten free
Customisation: You can pick and choose your meals
Subscription: No subscription
Garden of Veganās entire menu is vegan-friendly and is also entirely gluten-free. Having recently moved into a new kitchen where no gluten products are used or produced, GoV might just be the biggest meal provider delivering across Australia that’s good for coeliacs.
Garden of Vegan serves delicious, low-carb, nutrient-dense meals using certified organic, non-GMO and locally sourced ingredients, designed and prepared by its in-house team of chefs, nutritionists, and health experts. They have a range of meal plans (like weight loss and fitness), or you can pick and choose what you want. However, the minimum order is $79.00, (or minimum of 6 meals). You can choose meals from its seasonal menu each week, to suit your current lifestyle and customise your meal plan/box with ease.
They deliver to almost every state across Australia, and you donāt need a subscription.
Cost: $125 for 14 frozen meals
Gluten-free focus: 100% gluten free menu
Customisation: No
Subscription: No
In 2015, there was a noticeable gap in the market when it came to finding convenient, healthy, ready-made meals. This led to the birth of Market Day Meals, a company dedicated to filling that void by offering gluten-free and dairy-free options.
The folks behind Market Day Meals strongly believe that selecting nutritious meals should be a breeze, all while ensuring they taste absolutely delicious. They go the extra mile by supporting local businesses when sourcing their ingredients and opt for seasonal whole foods without any added preservatives. All of their meals are prepared using traditional cooking methods.
It’s worth noting they only deliver across Melbourne at this stage!
How’d We Make this List?
The below providers offer the biggest range of meals that are free-from added gluten. So for all of the below providers, there is a degree of risk when it comes to cross-contamination.
We based our list on the following criteria:
- š°Cost: Whatās the cost per serving?
- š½ Gluten-free focus: Does the company cater exclusively to gluten-free diets, or does it also offer meals for other diets?
- āļø Customisation: Can you personalise your order?
- š Subscription: Do you need a subscription, or can you buy on an as-needed basis?
What’s the best gluten-free meal delivery service?
Having recently moved to an entirely gluten free kitchen, we’d rate Garden of Vegan as the best gluten-free meal delivery service. My Muscle Chef comes in a close second with a range of gluten-free options.
However, they have an allergen disclaimer that says because all meals are made in the same commercial kitchen, they cannot guarantee the total absence of gluten, and there is the risk of cross-contamination.
Meanwhile, A Life Plus allows you to fully customise your meals to suit your dietary requirements, including gluten free. However, like MMC, the meals are prepared in a kitchen where products with gluten are also prepared.
Do you know of any gluten-free meal providers we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments!
I believe this article and title more specifically is misleading. None of these brands meals are made in a gluten free facility yet you rank them as the best. Are they labelled gluten free on their packaging? Are these brands are paying you to be listed? There is a brand or possibly brands that do make meals in gluten free kitchens which are coeliac safe yet not mentioned. This is a disappointing experience for people who are coeliac and looking for gluten free meals.
Hey Tracey, you are right. The title has been updated to better reflect the content. You’ll note the article mentions multiple times these providers do not have dedicated gluten-free cooking facilities, so it is not ideal for Coeliacs. The brands are not being paid to be mentioned, this is purely from research. If you have found some providers who are 100% gluten-free and safe for Coeliacs, please let me know your favourites.
Hi
Just wanted to let you know there is a Company that sells gluten free meals. They are called Market Day Meals – based in Frankston in Victoria and deliver
Youfoodz have recently changed their website (in the last week, July 2022). And have removed the filter for No added Gluten (NaG), you now have to open each meal and check the ingredients.
They also don’t change the NaG offering. And all the vegetables stay the same, carrots, sweet potato and peas – in almost EVERY meal. I trialled Youfoodz for 3 weeks and they also couldn’t deliver their food to the right address, OR follow any instructions.
TERRIBLE experience. Would not bother again.
Hey Amanda, thanks for letting us know! It might be in line with their new website/subscription-based model offering. If you didn’t love YouFoodz, I’d recommend giving My Muscle Chef a go. Highly rated by thousands of customers and you can still filter to a “no added gluten” option.