Mom’s Meals Meal Delivery Review

Updated: Jul 17, 2022

AgingInPlace.org keeps our resources free by working as an affiliate partner with some companies mentioned on our site. These partnerships or the commission we may earn do not affect our opinions or evaluations of the products we mention. Our reviews are solely based on our research methodology and from input from our AgingInPlace.org Advisory Board. Learn more about our ad policies.

Touted as “healthy meals for independent living,” Mom’s Meals NourishCare is a USDA-approved delivery service that aims to provide tasty, nutritious, hand-prepared, fresh meals that are ready to heat and eat. Unlike its competitors in the meal delivery market, the company has been around for over 15 years and offers specific offerings for seniors and others with special health needs.

OVERALL RATING
1.6/5
Quality
4.5/5
Ease of Prep
5/5
Value
5/5
Delivery
4/5

The Bottom Line

Mom’s Meals is the most affordable option for most seniors, and it’s one of the few meal delivery services tailored specifically for their lifestyle and needs.

Pros

  • Fresh, high-quality, wholesome meals designed for seniors in mind

  • 9 menus for special dietary requirements

  • No long-term commitment

  • Great flexibility

  • 10% discount on recurring orders

  • Available throughout the continental U.S.

  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner options

  • Good taste/affordability ratio

  • Serves a wide range of dietary needs

  • Option of ordering by phone

Cons

  • Shipping is pricey

  • No refunds for already-delivered meals

  • Some orders or customer service issues must be expedited over the telephone

  • Complaints with customer service and delivery

  • Complaints with ice packs not adequately placed

  • High sugar content, with 82 grams in one meal

  • Multiple complaints that renal and diabetic menus are too high in carbs and sugar

Mom’s Meals Review

Older adults find themselves more dependent on others to run errands and obtain necessities like food. With the uncertain future of Meals on Wheels services due to cuts in government funding, seniors and their caregivers alike are on the lookout for other sources for meal delivery. Many customers and reviewers find Mom’s Meals NourishCare to be a much healthier option than the hand-delivered Styrofoam Meals on Wheels containers.

While there are about 150 meal delivery businesses on the market today —with over a dozen highly successful options delivering nationwide —the closest competitor is Silver Cuisine by BistroMD. But rather than a senior-targeted brand extension, Mom’s Meals was created with seniors in mind.

Who Can Order Mom’s Meals?

Mom’s Meals is available for any individual or caregiver looking for simple, budget-friendly, and hassle-free meals. Organizations and state agencies can also use Mom’s Meals to coordinate home-delivered meals for a member or patient. Whether you’re ordering online or over the phone, Mom’s Meals makes it easy to distinguish the ordering process for AAA or State Agency workers and case managers.

For AAA and state governments, Mom’s Meals works with agencies by arranging meal delivery covered under Medicare and Medicaid. Some programs that qualify include Long Term Care, Chronic Care, and Post-Discharge Care. Similarly, case managers can work with Mom’s Meals to determine if their patients qualify for home-delivered meals covered by Medicare or Medicaid.

With highly-rated customer care assistance, Mom’s Meals offers easy ordering and self-pay pricing for individuals and caregivers.

Benefits of Ordering Mom’s Meals

With Mom’s Meals, customers can choose from over 50 breakfast, lunch or dinner meals that are designed by Mom’s Meals team of executive chefs and registered dietitians and then prepared by qualified kitchen staff in USDA approved and inspected facilities. Mom’s Meals customers always have full control over the type of meals that they receive.

Additional Benefits Of The Mom’s Meals Home Delivered Meal Program:

  • Meals are delivered by FedEx in a cooler and are packaged using a cutting-edge USDA approved technology that allows freshness under refrigerated conditions for up to two full weeks.
  • Mom’s Meals can deliver just about anywhere in the contiguous 48 states and drivers do their best to accommodate special delivery instructions.
  • Every meal is prepared in a USDA certified kitchen and each has a USDA nutritional label, a use-by date and simple microwave heating instructions.
  • Each order from Mom’s Meals comes with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Mom’s Meals guarantees that all meals will arrive fresh to the customer’s doorstep with no added preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils and no added trans-fat. Mom’s Meals will never provide frozen food, dried meats, shelf-stable meals or vacuum-sealed meals.
  • Mom’s Meals customers can select from 14 or 21 meals and choose whether they would like to place a single order or receive their meals weekly, bi-weekly through an auto-delivery option.
  • Mom’s Meals has an excellent customer service team that is dedicated to making sure that the ordering process is simple. These representatives are also available to answer questions pertaining to meal ingredient information to ensure that the meals that are selected match varying lifestyle requirements and nutritional parameters.

Types of Meals

Mom’s Meals currently boasts over 60 different meals available through nine menu options:

  • Vegetarian
  • Diabetic-Friendly
  • Renal-Friendly
  • Heart-Friendly
  • Lower Sodium
  • Cancer Support
  • Gluten-Free
  • Pureed
  • General Wellness

Frequently Asked Questions

Some recipients of Medicare may be eligible for Mom’s Meals home delivery, though it depends on your plan and qualifications. You may be qualified for free meals if you’re over 65, disabled, and require assistance while grocery shopping and cooking.

Since eliminating dietary restrictions is one of the first steps in the registration process, you won’t see the 60+ meal options if you have a specific diet. Vegetarians, for example, may find themselves with only seven menu options. But a customer with no dietary restrictions can find a wide selection of international cuisine and other bright dishes.

Some recent reviewers complain that the diabetic-friendly and renal-friendly options sometimes are higher in sugar and carbohydrates than medical professionals recommend for diabetics or dialysis patients. Also, be aware that you can only choose one dietary restriction at a time. As many seniors have multiple dietary concerns, you should always carefully read the nutrition information before choosing your meals. Because you must be a registered customer to view the current menu in the first place, you may want to carefully review other meal delivery options before you commit or opt for a smaller package. If you are ordering for the first time, you can choose the 3-meal trial at about $33 with delivery to minimize your risk.

Mom’s Meals Menu

When you view the available menu, what you see is what you get: simple, home-style meals. A Mom’s Meals dinner can mean Grilled Chicken Breast with Orange Wild Rice Salad and Spiced Fruit Medley, or Roasted Pork Loin with Apple Cranberry Sauce over White Rice and Mixed Vegetables. Typical breakfast options include Brown Sugar Peach Oatmeal and Turkey Sausage Links, Mini Pancakes and Colby Cheese Omelet, or Vegetable Egg Scramble and Peaches with Cherries. The presentation isn’t four-star restaurant-caliber, but it is adequate and often even aesthetically pleasing. Unlike many leading meal delivery services, the company offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.

Quality

Since 2017, consumers have noted a sharp uptick in quality for this budget-minded PurFoods subsidiary. While there were many complaints in years past about palatability and broken seals on microwaved trays, in recent years, meals have garnered rave reviews. Intended for people who may not tolerate or be able to eat spicy or salty foods, the meals are not haute cuisine by any means. But their diverse diet options could easily provide something for everyone —including anyone on a budget.

How Much Does Mom’s Meals Cost?

As of this writing, the cost of meals usually starts at $6.99 plus $14.95 for shipping. The only higher price point is with pureed meals, which are $7.99 each. Auto-shipments come with a 10% discount. If you opt for the three-day trial, the shipping costs are somewhat lower at roughly $13 per delivery. The total cost for Mom’s Meals goes down as the number and frequency of your meals rise.

If you are over 65, disabled, receive Medicaid or Medicare, or require assistance shopping and preparing meals, you may qualify for Mom’s Meals Nourish Care Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS) government assistance program.

Subscriptions and Plans

One of the best benefits Mom’s Meals has over other meal delivery services is that it does not require a subscription to order food. Nor must you keep a credit card on file unless you opt for Auto Shipment.

Delivery

Whatever meals you choose, Mom’s Meals employs a managed schedule to coordinate deliveries with the end of a previous order.

How to Order

It is possible to order Mom’s Meals by phone, where customers can talk to company representatives about nutritional needs and menu options. You can also request to have a menu mailed to your address. Self-pay customers can also order online.

In both cases, you’ll receive a scheduled delivery date when the selected items are delivered directly to you by either a Mom’s Meals NourishCare staff member or a third-party partner.

Mom’s Meals provides communication aids and services for customers with special needs. These include interpreters for American Sign Language and assistance for non-English speakers at no extra cost.

The company also offers gift certificates in values from $64 to $113 and $14.95 for shipping. The drawback: you must redeem the gift certificates over the phone rather than online. However, it is easy for caregivers and other family members to order meals for individuals, even if they are a great distance away.

Using the Website

For an interested consumer who has not already been referred to Mom’s Meals by a state agency, navigating the website and selecting a meal can be confusing. Unlike other meal delivery programs, you can’t easily browse current menus until you begin the registration process. Only sample menus can be viewed without action from the customer.

To get to Square One, click the purple “Get Started!” button on the screen’s upper right corner. Then indicate whether you will be paying for your meals, are on Medicare or Medicaid, or are recovering from a hospital stay and need nutrition support. After that point, you can choose your meal and menu preferences.

Selecting Your Plan

To proceed further, choose the number of meals you want to order (ranging from 3, 7, 10, 14, or 21) and if you wish to select each meal or opt for the “Chef’s Choice.” At this point, the number of food options will appear before you move on to the account, shipping, payment, and checkout stages.

Though the website may not be the easiest to use for everyone, it does categorize meal offerings on each menu with the main meat or source of protein and type of meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner). You can browse meals of fish, poultry, pork, or beef.

Canceling Your Plan

Mom’s Meals ships weekly. If you need to cancel a shipment, you must do so via the customer service line over the phone by 1 p.m. Eastern Time on the Friday before delivery. The company doesn’t give refunds for anything that has already been delivered. You will be refunded for your remaining shipments within ten business days of a confirmed cancellation.

If you purchase a program at a promotional rate and cancel part of that program per the Cancellation Policy, you will be prorated to the regular price of the specific program you purchased for the portion of the program you have already received or is en route at the time of cancellation.

Packaging

While Mom’s Meals boxes aren’t environmentally friendly, they are one of the best organized “kits” available on the meal delivery market…and the easiest on customers. A typical box does weigh 40 lbs., which, while not unique to meal delivery companies, it will require planning on the part of a senior or caregiver to get the meals into a fridge.

Meals are packed in Styrofoam containers with enclosed icepacks, and an invoice on top lists the contents under tight wrap. Each neatly stacked individual meal container has clear, bulleted heating instructions in a large, high-contrast font. The container’s side and bottom have descriptions of the dish with nutritional information – though the font is not as large as that used for the other text. Still, it is nevertheless more accessible to read than most other meal delivery service products. The design makes it easy to see the stacked contents in the refrigerator.

The microwaveable container is sealed with a film that adheres enough to keep the food fresh but is also easy for arthritic hands to peel off. Meals can stay in the refrigerator up to 14 days from delivery as long as they are kept within 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Because Mom’s Meals operates with third-party carriers, it is essential to understand the division of responsibility. The company can only guarantee that packages will be shipped out on time and in excellent condition. It also provides tracking numbers for every shipment that is sent out.

Mom’s Meals ships all packages with a “shipper release” default that authorizes FedEx or UPS to drop them off at your door without a signature. Once the box is at your door, it becomes your responsibility. If you’re uncomfortable with this, you can contact the Mom’s Meals customer care team to change to a “shipper required” authorization. However, the company is not responsible for your food’s freshness if you are not present to sign for the package, and the carrier holds it for the next business day. Delivery service problems, whether they are weather-related or the fault of FedEx or UPS is the carrier’s sole responsibility. Customers can file a claim of $100 (the highest-permitted value for which a package can be insured) with FedEx or UPS for a missed delivery. Any claim for a lost, stolen, missing, and / or damaged shipment is the third party’s responsibility.

That said, the company has a clear protocol for property damage or theft. If this happens, all you have to do is call the Mom’s Meals compliance department to walk through the process.

More Things to Know

While customer care standards and training are expressly outlined on the website, one recurring complaint is customer service. Website instructions for purchasing gift certificates and filing a complaint are offered over the phone only.

In theory, Mom’s Meals offers a “satisfaction guarantee,” however, the website states that it will not issue refunds for any meals or shipments that have already been delivered.

History and Popularity

Founded more than 15 years ago in Iowa, Mom’s Meals focuses on seniors’ unique needs and health-challenged individuals. These dietician- and chef-designed creations are fresh rather than frozen, transported in a fresh-lock container, and ready to eat in as little as two minutes.

Most of today’s seniors are either Baby Boomers or belong to the Silent Generation—both generations that are accustomed to communicating by phone and have less experience with online communication. With this in mind, Mom’s Meals wisely invests in a phone-based 8-to-5 customer service system. It is important to note that self-pay consumers have a different customer line from Medicaid Waiver clients.

The company ships refrigerated, freshly prepared meals everywhere in the U.S. except Alaska and Hawaii. But within the Lower 48, you should be able to find Mom’s Meals delivery no matter how remote your area. Mom’s Meals show up at your door, ready to heat and eat. From the time the box arrives at your door, this comfort food will stay fresh for two weeks in the refrigerator.

Mom’s Meals NourishCare is both a private enterprise and a long-term support/home-and community-based services program. The company waives costs for those who are eligible for government-funded nutrition programs, and the service is a very viable option for seniors with health and mobility issues.

Summary

Making an accurate apples-to-apples comparison with other meal delivery services is challenging. Of the top dozen companies, Mom’s Meals explicitly targets seniors and consumers with health or mobility issues. With no subscription commitment per se and the lowest bottom line, this is the most affordable option for many seniors, and if the menu is to your taste, it is the best option for you.

Even if you have been turned off in the past by bad reviews, recent improvements make this meal solution well worth a second look. What Mom’s Meals gets right is a winning balance of dietary options, affordability, and palate-pleasing cooking. All in all, Mom’s Meals offers many seniors the best package out there for them —literally and figuratively.

  • Was this Article Helpful ?
  • YesNo

WRITTEN BY

Corey Whelan is a writer, health care professional, and Brooklyn, New York native. She is a reproductive health advocate who has helped countless patients through the trials and triumphs of infertility and adoption over the past 25 years. Corey's passion is sharing her knowledge of health and wellness through her writing, and no topic is off limits. She's mom to two grown children and two rescue dogs who captured her heart.

View Author

Do you want to cite this page? Use our ready-made cite template.

Cite This Page

MLA8

Whelan Corey. "Mom's Meals Meal Delivery Review" AgingInPlace.org. Jul 17, 2022. Web. Mar 19, 2024. <https://aginginplace.org/meal-delivery/moms-meals-meal-delivery-review/>.

APA7

Whelan C. (2022, Jul 17). Mom's Meals Meal Delivery Review. AgingInPlace.org. https://aginginplace.org/meal-delivery/moms-meals-meal-delivery-review/

CHICAGO

Corey Whelan, "Mom's Meals Meal Delivery Review," last modified: Jul 17, 2022, https://aginginplace.org/meal-delivery/moms-meals-meal-delivery-review/.