EveryPlate or Dinnerly for busy parents?
For busy parents, Dinnerly is the better pick if your main goal is to make dinner as simple as possible, while EveryPlate is a stronger choice for families who want kid-friendly meals, printed recipe cards, and flexible family options. Both offer affordable meal kits, but their strengths are different.
When you have work, school pickups, homework, activities, and a long list of things to do, deciding what to cook can feel like another job. A meal kit can remove some of that work by handling much of the meal planning and grocery shopping.
EveryPlate and Dinnerly are two budget-friendly options built around that idea. But which one makes more sense for parents?
The answer depends less on which service is “better” and more on what makes your family’s week easier.
EveryPlate vs. Dinnerly at a Glance
| Category | EveryPlate | Dinnerly |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Families wanting kid-friendly choices and simple cooking | Parents who want very simple meal planning |
| Starting price | $5.99 per serving on the current standard offer | $5.99 per serving |
| Weekly menu | 35+ recipes | 100+ recipes |
| Family options | Strong family and kid-friendly focus | Family plan and picky-eater-friendly meals |
| Cooking time | Many meals are about 30 minutes or less | Recipes are designed for quick cooking |
| Recipe format | Recipe cards plus digital access | Digital recipes; printable from your account |
| Family plans | 2, 4, or 6 people; 3–5 meals per week | 2- or 4-person plans; 2–6 meals per week |
| Best advantage | Family-friendly meals and easy instructions | Large menu and simple recipes |
| Main drawback | The menu is smaller than Dinnerly’s | You may need your phone or another device for recipes |
Prices and plans can change, so check the current checkout price before ordering. EveryPlate currently lists plans for 2, 4, or 6 people and 3–5 meals per week, while Dinnerly lists 2- or 4-person plans with 2–6 meals per week.
Which Is Better for Busy Parents?
Dinnerly gets the edge for parents who are short on time and want the simplest possible cooking routine. EveryPlate gets the edge for families with younger or picky eaters who want more kid-focused choices and printed recipe cards.
That difference matters.
A parent who comes home at 6 p.m. and needs dinner ready quickly may care more about having a very simple recipe than having a large selection of meal styles.
Another parent may want a meal that the kids are more likely to eat and a recipe card that can sit on the kitchen counter.
So instead of asking which company wins overall, look at the parts of dinner that cause the most stress in your home.
EveryPlate: Better for Family-Friendly Meal Planning
EveryPlate puts a clear focus on families. Its current family offering highlights kid-friendly dinners, pre-portioned ingredients, easy recipe cards, and meals that can be ready in about 20–30 minutes. Its menu also includes Family Faves and Quick & Easy categories.
This can be useful when your biggest problem is getting everyone to agree on dinner.
EveryPlate currently lists more than 35 weekly recipes across its meal options, with categories such as Meat & Veggies, Quick & Easy, Vegetarian, and Family Faves.
Why parents may like EveryPlate
- Family-focused meal choices
- Kid-friendly recipes
- Printed recipe cards
- Pre-portioned ingredients
- Many meals designed for about 30 minutes or less
- Plans that can cover up to six people
- Ability to skip, change, or cancel deliveries through the account
EveryPlate says its recipes use basic kitchen tools and that most meals take around 30 minutes to prepare.
That does not mean every meal will be equally fast. A recipe involving several pans, extra chopping, or a longer cook time can still take more effort.
Dinnerly: Better for Parents Who Hate Meal Planning
Dinnerly takes a different approach.
Its current site promotes 100+ recipes every week, along with simple cooking steps and familiar family meals. The company also offers ready-to-heat meals and other Market items that can be added to an order.
For a busy parent, the large menu can be helpful because you have more choices when several family members have different tastes.
Dinnerly also offers a 2-person or 4-person plan, with 2–6 meals available each week.
Why parents may like Dinnerly
- Very large weekly menu
- Simple recipes
- Family plan available
- Familiar meals for picky eaters
- Multiple meal quantities
- Digital recipe access
- Add-ons and ready-to-heat choices
Dinnerly says its meals start at $5.99 per person and describes its recipes as fast and easy.
For parents, that can reduce one of the biggest weekly chores: figuring out what everyone will eat.
Which One Is Faster?
Both services are designed around quick home cooking, so neither requires you to spend an hour making a typical dinner.
EveryPlate says its meals are generally ready in about 30 minutes and offers a Quick & Easy category for meals that take 30 minutes or less.
Dinnerly also focuses on quick recipes and says its approach is built around reducing lengthy chopping, mixing, and prep.
For a parent, though, total effort matters more than the number printed beside a recipe.
A 25-minute meal with lots of chopping may feel harder than a 30-minute one-pan dinner.
When comparing individual meals, look for:
- One-pan or one-pot recipes
- Short prep times
- Few ingredients
- Minimal chopping
- Simple cooking steps
- Meals your children already like
That is a better way to save time than choosing a service based only on its advertised cooking time.
Which Has Better Choices for Kids?
EveryPlate has the clearer family-focused setup.
Its Family Faves category is specifically designed around family-friendly dinners and picky eaters. EveryPlate also promotes kid-friendly meal delivery with pre-portioned ingredients and recipes designed to be ready in 20–30 minutes.
Dinnerly also targets families and says its meals are “picky eaters approve,” with familiar flavors and family favorites.
So both can work for families, but the emphasis is slightly different.
If your main concern is finding meals your kids will actually eat, start by browsing each company’s current menu. A great meal kit is not useful if half the box ends up untouched.
Which Has More Menu Variety?
Dinnerly has the bigger advertised menu.
Dinnerly currently promotes more than 100 recipes every week. EveryPlate currently advertises 35+ recipes through its meal delivery options.
That gives Dinnerly an advantage for households where people get bored with meals quickly.
But bigger does not always mean better.
If your family tends to rotate the same 8–10 favorite dinners, you may not need hundreds of choices. In that case, EveryPlate’s smaller menu can actually make choosing dinner feel easier.
Which Is Easier When You Have Kids Running Around?
This is where small details can make a real difference.
EveryPlate provides recipe cards with its meal kits, so you can keep the instructions on the counter while cooking.
Dinnerly provides recipes digitally, although its official information says customers can download or print the recipe cards from their account.
For some parents, using a phone during cooking is no big deal.
For others, it is one more thing to manage while helping with homework or keeping an eye on a toddler.
If you want a physical recipe card ready beside the cutting board, EveryPlate has the more convenient setup.
What About the Cost for a Family?
Both brands are positioned as lower-cost meal kit services, but the total weekly bill depends on your plan, number of meals, shipping, promotions, and any extras you add.
EveryPlate currently lists standard plans starting at $5.99 per serving, while Dinnerly also lists meals starting at $5.99 per person.
Dinnerly’s current help information lists the following standard plan prices before its $10.99 shipping charge:
| Dinnerly plan | Current listed price |
| 2 meals for 2 people | $45.96 |
| 3 meals for 2 people | $59.94 |
| 4 meals for 2 people | $79.12 |
| 5 meals for 2 people | $97.90 |
| 6 meals for 2 people | $116.28 |
| 2 meals for 4 people | $79.92 |
| 3 meals for 4 people | $107.88 |
| 4 meals for 4 people | $142.24 |
| 5 meals for 4 people | $173.80 |
| 6 meals for 4 people | $191.76 |
The exact price you see can differ because promotions and plan selections change. Dinnerly also says shipping can be up to $11.99 per order in its help center.
EveryPlate likewise says shipping fees apply to deliveries, and its current promotional price is for qualifying new customers rather than the normal ongoing price.
The real cost question for parents
Don’t compare only the per-serving number.
Ask:
How much would these meals cost me after shipping, and how much time would they save me?
If a meal kit replaces one grocery trip and several minutes of meal planning each week, that convenience may be valuable even if cooking from scratch could cost less.
What About Leftovers?
Leftovers can be especially useful for busy parents.
Suppose you cook dinner on Tuesday and have enough food left for one parent’s lunch or a child’s next-day meal. That can reduce the need to prepare another meal.
But don’t assume every meal will produce lots of leftovers. Portion needs vary by household, and children may eat very different amounts from one day to the next.
If leftovers matter to you, check the serving size of each recipe before adding it to your weekly box.
Which Is Better for Picky Eaters?
EveryPlate has a slight advantage if your first priority is family-focused meal choices.
Its Family Faves category is built around kid-friendly dinners, while Dinnerly also emphasizes familiar meals and picky-eater-friendly choices.
For a family with picky eaters, however, the smartest approach is to review the actual weekly menu before ordering.
Look for meals built around foods your children already accept.
For example, if your child reliably eats chicken, rice, potatoes, pasta, or tacos, choose recipes using those familiar foods instead of hoping a new meal will suddenly become a favorite.
A Realistic Busy-Parent Example
Imagine a family of four with two school-age children.
One parent gets home late from work. The other handles school pickup and after-school activities. Dinner needs to be simple, and nobody wants to spend 30 minutes deciding what to cook.
EveryPlate may make more sense if the family wants kid-friendly choices, printed recipes, and a few familiar dinners each week.
Now imagine another family where one child likes tacos, another wants pasta, and the parents want several different choices each week.
Dinnerly may be the better fit because its larger weekly menu gives the family more options. Dinnerly’s 4-person plan can also be set for 2–6 meals per week.
Neither family is choosing the “wrong” service. Their needs are simply different.
Which One Should Busy Parents Choose?
Use this simple rule:
| If your biggest problem is… | Better fit |
| Getting kids to agree on dinner | EveryPlate |
| Wanting printed recipe cards | EveryPlate |
| Family-focused meal categories | EveryPlate |
| Wanting a huge menu | Dinnerly |
| Reducing meal-planning decisions | Dinnerly |
| Wanting more weekly meal choices | Dinnerly |
| Keeping recipes simple | Dinnerly |
| Feeding a family of four | Either |
| Keeping the weekly box budget-friendly | Compare your exact plans |
EveryPlate or Dinnerly for Busy Parents: Final Verdict
For most busy parents, Dinnerly is the better choice when saving time and reducing meal-planning stress are the top priorities. Its large menu and simple recipes make it easy to build a week of dinners without spending much time planning.
EveryPlate is the better choice when your family needs kid-friendly options and a more traditional meal-kit experience with recipe cards. Its family-focused categories and 20–30-minute meal options are especially useful for hectic weeknights.
Before signing up, look at the current menus for both services and price the exact number of servings your family needs. The best choice is the one that fits your family’s actual week—not simply the one with the lower advertised price.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is EveryPlate or Dinnerly better for families with kids?
EveryPlate has a stronger family-focused presentation, including Family Faves and kid-friendly meal options. Dinnerly also offers familiar meals aimed at picky eaters, so the better choice depends on which current menu your children are more likely to eat.
Is Dinnerly easier than EveryPlate for busy parents?
Dinnerly can be a better fit when simple recipes and a large menu are your main concerns. EveryPlate is also designed for quick cooking, with many meals taking about 30 minutes or less.
Can a family of four use both EveryPlate and Dinnerly?
Yes. EveryPlate currently offers plans for four people, while Dinnerly has a dedicated 4-person plan. Compare the weekly menus, total price after shipping, recipe style, and serving needs before deciding which one fits your household.
A practical tip: don’t judge either service from its introductory promotion alone. Check the regular weekly price, shipping, serving size, and the meals available for your family’s next few weeks. That gives you a much better idea of which meal kit will actually make busy family dinners easier.
