Best for a Simple Cooking Experience

It can become more difficult for seniors to maintain a consistently healthy diet. Mobility issues, chronic illness and low energy levels can make shopping for ingredients a chore. A meal delivery service allows seniors to skip most of the work involved in meal prep, as all of the ingredients required are portioned and prepackaged before delivery. Once delivered, seniors only have to combine the ingredients and cook the meal. Because the company has designed its meal plans around pre-portioned and easily combined ingredients, we have voted Martha & Marley Spoon as the best for a simple cooking experience

Pros:

  • Recipes created by celebrity chef Martha Stewart
  • Seasonal, sustainable ingredients
  • High-quality ingredients sourced from award-winning companies
  • Reasonable costs per serving, as well as reasonable shipping costs

Cons:

  • Lengthy cooking times, as some recipes may take longer than 30 minutes.

Overview of Martha & Marley Spoon

Martha & Marley Spoon is the brainchild of Martha Stewart and the meal kit company Marley Spoon. This partnership combines Martha’s unique culinary spice blends and recipes with Marley Spoon’s experience and dedication to providing its customers with convenient, simple meal delivery and preparation services. Marley Spoon is a global company based out of Germany that has been in business since 2014, with Martha Stewart joining in the collaboration in 2016.

Meals Available
Lunch and dinner
Cost per Serving
$8.69-$12.99
Shipping Costs
$9.99
Special Diet Options
-Health & diet
-Vegetarian & Vegan
-Meat & fish
-Under 30 minutes
-Family-friendly
Number of Weekly Meal Choices
45+

How Much Does Martha & Marley Spoon Charge for Meal Delivery Service

The meal kits provided by Martha & Marley Spoon range between $8.69 and $12.99 per serving. The company offers a couples plan (2 servings) and a family plan (4 servings), with a minimum of two recipes per week, so total costs can fall anywhere between $51.96-$208.56 per week. Most seniors will find the two-serving plan adequate for their needs, so their costs will fall at the lower end of this range, with the addition of a $9.99 shipping charge per meal kit.

Martha & Marley Spoon offers one of the most transparent pricing policies on the market. The company has a flexible subscription policy, meaning that seniors can cancel, skip or pause their service without being penalized. Each delivery price is provided when customers choose their recipes and meal delivery schedule. Seniors may also pay more if they add market goods to their order. 

Full Review of Martha & Marley Meal Delivery Features

Martha & Marley meal delivery service has a number of features that make it an attractive option for seniors, regardless of their cooking abilities or diet requirements.  

Flexible Specialized Meal Options

Martha & Marley provides a flexible range of meal options for seniors with particular preferences or dietary needs. The company works with an in-house nutritionist to create recipes from five different categories: Vegan/vegetarian, Meat and Fish, healthy/diet, Family-friendly and Under 30 Minutes, allowing them to cater to seniors with different dietary requirements. The company frequently adds new and seasonal recipes to diversify its offerings. 

Simple and Fresh Meal Prep

While many meal kit companies ship complete dinners that only require customers to heat and serve, Martha & Marley Spoon meals are shipped unprepared, giving seniors who enjoy cooking the opportunity to remain in control of preparing and cooking their own meals. Seniors can also modify or embellish dishes to fit their preferences. 

Straightforward Subscription Policy

Martha & Marley Spoon has a very flexible subscription. No long-term commitments or requirements. Seniors can pause or skip deliveries whenever they wish without being penalized and they can cancel any time. Customers also have until the week before a meal kit is delivered to edit an order. 

Large, Ever-Changing Menu Options

Seniors can choose from more than 45 recipes in five different categories, including vegetarian and healthy/diet dishes, as well as those that take less than 30 minutes to fix. New recipes are added on a regular basis, with seasonal dishes on rotation throughout the year. While most recipes are main-course meals, the company occasionally adds new dessert or breakfast recipes.

Focus on Customer Satisfaction and Sustainability

Martha & Marley Spoon put time and dedication into making sure customers are satisfied with the meals they receive or have a way to voice their dissatisfaction. The online dashboard is easy to navigate and use; a toll-free customer service line answers questions that seniors cannot find the answer to on their customer service FAQ page. The company also makes a point of ensuring that their products are fresh and their packaging is Earth-friendly. 

Who Should Consider Martha & Marley Meal Delivery Service? 

Seniors Who Love to Cook But Dislike Grocery Shopping

Martha & Marley Spoon is specifically made for those who want the convenience a meal delivery service offers but prefer to do their own meal prep and cooking. In their meal kit, seniors receive a simple-to-follow recipe card and the dish’s main ingredients, pre-portioned but unprepared, leaving them to chop/slice the vegetables or other raw ingredients, combine them and cook the meal.

Seniors With a Need for Flexible Meal Service

Martha & Marley has nearly 50 recipes to choose from that fall within a variety of categories, giving seniors the flexibility to try dozens of different dishes. Since the company has a flexible subscription service, seniors can change their delivery schedule to fit their needs, modifying how often they receive a delivery, pausing it for a week or two, or canceling it altogether without penalty. 

What Are People Saying About Martha & Marley Spoon?

Martha & Marley meals are designed for customers who enjoy cooking but dislike the prerequisite steps like shopping for ingredients and measuring out spices/condiments. Not all seniors find this service to be convenient enough, particularly if they don’t have the time or the desire to prepare and cook the meals. However, seniors who typically enjoy cooking appreciate that the company is dedicated to simplifying the process. 

Some people express that customer service can be hard to connect with at times, but a thorough support page and a user-friendly account dashboard make it easy for them to find the answers or support they need when they cannot reach a customer service representative. 

Frequently Asked Questions


Can I Order Food for My Parents if They Live in Another State?



Most meal delivery services, including Martha & Marley Spoon, allow seniors to order meals using an online platform. Anyone with the account password is able to order meals and have them shipped to a particular address, regardless of where they live. Click here for our full answer to this question.


What Foods Should Seniors Avoid?



Seniors have a higher likelihood of experiencing the negative effects of certain foods. They should avoid empty calories and sugary foods that can contribute to a risk for Diabetes. They should also avoid high-sodium and high-fat foods that can lead to cardiovascular disease. Finally, seniors should avoid unpasteurized milk and undercooked foods that can give them food poisoning. Click here for our full answer to this question. 


How to Get Home Delivered Meals to Seniors?



Seniors can order fresh or pre-cooked meals through a meal delivery service such as Martha & Marley Spoon. They may also be able to have meals delivered through their local Senior Support Agency or Area Agency on Aging (AAA) office, which often includes Meals on Wheels and other senior food programs. Click here for our full answer to this question.


How Many Meals Should an Elderly Person Eat a Day?


Seniors are encouraged to eat 5-6 small meals a day. By eating smaller meals throughout the day, seniors often find it easier to keep their insulin levels in check. Smaller meals are also beneficial for seniors who experience chest or stomach discomfort when they eat too much at a time. Click here for our full answer to this question


What Is the Easiest Meal Prep Service?



After more than 40 hours of research, the Caring.com team found that Martha & Marley Spoon is the easiest meal prep service in the industry. Seniors and caregivers don’t have to do any complicated measuring for meal ingredients. The majority of the ingredients, including spices and condiments, are pre-portioned and packaged individually. Click here for our full answer to this question