Vegetarian Meals and Meal Plans in Canada 2024
Vegetarianism has become an increasingly popular diet and way of life in the 21st century. More and more people, especially younger generations, are becoming vegetarians for various reasons (related to one or a combination of health, ethical, or environmental). According to a survey conducted by Dalhousie University, led by Canadian researcher Sylvain Charlebois, the majority of Canada’s vegetarians are under the age of 35.
Almost ten percent of Canadian adults consider themselves vegetarians, with nearly 3 million people in Canada being vegetarians. This is a big rise from fifteen years ago when there were only 900,000. And nearly 2 million Canadians identify themselves as vegan. The rate of vegetarianism and veganism is expected to continue to rise, and meal kit companies in Canada are responding to this surge with vegetarian meals and meal plans. But what are the best vegetarian meal kits in Canada? Read on to learn how to get Canada’s tastiest vegetarian meal kits delivered right to your door.
Best Vegetarian Meal Kits in Canada
These companies offer the best vegetarian meal kits to their Canadian customers:
Why Do Canadians Go Vegetarian?
Among the many reasons why Canadians go vegetarian are environmental concerns and personal health benefits. Many vegetarians and vegans are also striving for a cruelty-free lifestyle and seek to avoid products that were obtained through the mistreatment of animals. A vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, fish, and other seafood. A vegan diet is plant-based only.
Going Vegetarian for Environmental Reasons
Environmental researchers have found that farm animals contribute to global warming by producing methane. Vegetarians understand that the less meat they eat, the fewer animals need to be farm-raised. It also takes a lot more land to raise animals than grow crops so more trees have to be cleared. By reducing the population of farm-raised animals, vegetarians hope to decrease global warming. Many vegetarians not only quit eating meat but also stop wearing clothes made of fur and leather and any other product that comes from animals.
Another issue that vegetarians stand against is animal cruelty. Many commercial farms raise animals in inhumane overcrowded conditions, using toxic medication and hormones, and many environmentally-friendly vegetarians strongly oppose those practices by supporting animal welfare causes.
Going Vegetarian for Personal Health Benefits
Scientific research has shown that a vegetarian lifestyle is very beneficial for one’s personal health. People who eat mostly vegetarian meals tend to lose excess weight and keep it off. As a result, they have fewer cardiovascular problems, lower glucose levels, better cholesterol levels, and a lower incidence of total cancer. Research shows that a vegetarian diet may also reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, which includes obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Vegetarian Meal Kits and Meal Plans
Almost every meal kit company in Canada responded to the rising wave of vegetarianism with vegetarian recipes, vegetarian meal kits, and even all-vegetarian meal plans. Getting vegetarian meal kits delivered is a major convenience for busy Canadians who may not have the time to shop for vegetarian ingredients in a retail store.
One of The Big 3 companies, HelloFresh, offers a Veggie Plan that includes three to five meals for two or four people who do not eat meat. HelloFresh vegetarian recipes feature plant-based proteins and delicious vegetables. Menu items include vegetarian meals such as Veggie Chili, Arugula and Pesto Flatbread, Kale and Black Bean Quesadillas, and more.
HelloFresh Vegetarian Meal Prices| 3 Recipes | 4 Recipes | 5 Recipes | |
| 2 People | $12.16 | $11.87 | $11.50 |
| 4 People | $10.83 | $10.31 | $9.25 |
Chefs Plate: Try Chef's Plate Meal Kits From $2.99 Per Serving!
HelloFresh: Get Up to $200 Off + Free Breakfast for Life
Chefs Plate, another Big 3 company, also supports a vegetarian diet and offers a vegetarian food subscription box to its customers. This is a meal plan that includes nutritious vegetarian recipes packed with fresh produce, whole grains, and plant-based proteins.
| 2 Recipes | 3 Recipes | 4 Recipes | 5 Recipes | |
| 2 People | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| 4 People | $8.99 | $8.99 | $8.99 | $8.99 |
Cook It is another company that offers a robust vegetarian meal plan. Each week customers can choose from 4 to 6 diverse vegetarian dishes and select whether they want 2, 3, or 4 portions of each. Cook It also strives to ensure that their produce is local and organic wherever possible, stating that they “guarantee a minimum of 50% local products in every box for maximum freshness and flavour.” For now, this meal kit company is only available in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.
CookIt Vegetarian Meal Prices
| 2 People | 3 People | 4 People | |
| 2 Recipes | N/A | $12.47 | $11.40 |
| 3 Recipes | $12.47 | $11.16 | $10.76 |
| 4 Recipes | $11.40 | $10.76 | $10.12 |
| 5 Recipes | $11.07 | $10.18 | $9.53 |
| 6 Recipes | $10.76 | $9.79 | $9.23 |
| 7 Recipes | $10.69 | $9.52 | $9.08 |
Goodfood also has a vegetarian plan, and it was one of the first vegetarian meal kits that became available to subscribers. The price per serving is less than $10. There are five vegetarian recipes available for two or four people every week.
Goodfood Vegetarian Meal Prices
| 2 Recipes | 3 Recipes | |
| 2 People | N/A | $13.49 |
| 4 People | $12.49 | $11.49 |
These are some of the best vegetarian meal kit services in Canada. However, not only big nationwide meal kit companies offer vegetarian meals and plans. Smaller local companies such as Zesty Kits, which is currently only available in Saskatchewan, also offers vegetarian meal plans. The Plant-Based Plan at Zesty Kits offers three vegetarian recipes for two people ($13.67 per serving), four people ($12.08 per serving), or six people ($10.83). Another vegetarian meal kit company called Rooted serves Alberta vegetarians and vegans. The price per dish ranges from $8.83 to $16.49.
One other local meal kit company, FreshPrep delivers meal kits in the Vancouver area. The company does not have a specific vegetarian plan. However, there are always vegetarian options available among ten meal choices each week. The price per dish ranges from $10.99 to $13.99.
Final Words About Vegetarian Meal Plans
Overall, a vegetarian diet has a lot of great benefits, which include improved health and addressing environmental and animal cruelty concerns. It is a more ecologically-sustainable option and a positive lifestyle choice, so there is no surprise that more and more Canadians are choosing a vegetarian diet.
In response, many meal kit delivery companies in Canada now include vegetarian recipes in their menus and offer vegetarian meal plans. Every major meal kit company, such as Hello Fresh, Goodfood, and Chefs Plate, delivers vegetarian meal kits nationwide, and smaller companies like Zesty Kits also offer vegetarian meal kit delivery to their local customers. When searching for vegetarian meal kits in Canada, you’ll be glad to see that there is something for everybody.
Chefs Plate: Try Chef's Plate Meal Kits From $2.99 Per Serving!HelloFresh: Get Up to $200 Off + Free Breakfast for Life