dailynewsnblog
Pricing
$12 per serving ($6+ per serving for families)
Type
Prepared; frozen
Meal options per week
About 24 for vegan; 18 for vegetarian
Good for
Vegans, vegetarians, no added sugar, lower carb, lower sugar, families up to four
Score Breakdown
Freshness 9/10Taste/results 9/10Value 9/10Recipe variety 9/10Healthiness 10/10
Pros
- Tasty and healthy meals that are easy to prepare
- Interesting and diverse recipes
- Food was cooked well with no mushy vegetables
- Affordable, especially for families
- Easy and intuitive website and ordering process
Cons
- Some excessive packaging
- Shipping free only on orders over 12 items
- Few low-carb options
Keeping healthy, appetizing meals on hand is the best defense against a knee-jerk DoorDash order that sends your vow to “be good” this week into a tailspin. Even the most severe craving for a meat-lover’s pizza can be quelled by the ease of prepared meals sitting in your fridge or freezer, and a healthy meal delivery service that sends them to you weekly or monthly is about as simple as it gets.
I, a meat-eater, seasoned meal kit reviewer, and former recipe and cooking editor for Chowhound, and my colleague, Anna Gragert, a 20-year vegan, both tested Mosaic Foods. Out of dozens tested, we agree that it offers the most consistent, high-quality food, with inventive recipes that remain interesting, even after weeks of eating. It’s also one of the most affordable, with family-style dishes clocking in at around $6 per serving.
Mosaic Foods earns the stamp of approval from vegans and meat eaters alike.
Meal delivery doesn’t need to be your fix for every meal, but it can be the key to keeping yourself honest and well-fed on nights when cooking isn’t on the table and ordering in isn’t in the budget. For plant-based eaters and flexitarians, this is the one prepared meal service we can’t stop recommending.
Read on for our full review of Mosaic Foods, and check out CNET’s full list of the best meal delivery options in 2026.
A quick note before you dive in: As of now, Mosaic’s meal delivery service is available in more than 85% of the US, including both coasts and most of the Midwest. You can check your ZIP code here to see if Mosaic Foods is available where you live.
The inside of Anna’s freezer packed with Mosaic meals.
What is Mosaic Foods?
Mosaic is a newer entry in the growing field of meal delivery subscriptions and a welcome addition to the category. All of the healthy premade food that comes out of Mosaic’s kitchens is vegetarian, and much of it is vegan, too. Mosaic offers healthy plant-based bowls, pizzas, soups, smoothies and oat bowls. All meals are fully cooked and flash-frozen when they arrive and require only thawing, heating and eating with no prep required.
According to the brand, Mosaic’s food is made by chefs, not machines, and the kitchen is helmed by a French Culinary Institute alum. All the food I tried certainly tasted like it was produced by someone with real kitchen experience under their belt.
Mosaic pricing
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| Meal | Cost |
|---|---|
| Veggie bowls | $11 |
| Soups | $9 |
| Oat bowls | $6 |
| Veggie crust pizzas | $12 |
| Smoothies by Splendid Spoon (limited time collab) | $10 |
| Family meals (serves 4) | $24 ($6 per serving) |
How Mosaic Foods works: Picking plans and ordering
Mosaic functions much like other meal delivery subscription services in that you select recipes from a menu and then set a delivery frequency. You can have the premade, frozen meals delivered to your door, either weekly, biweekly or once a month, in an insulated box. From there, you can pop a few on the counter or in the fridge to defrost, or keep them in the freezer until you’re ready.
With Mosaic, you pay for meals a la carte but must order a minimum of six items, which can consist of full meals or smaller dishes such as soups and smoothies. If you order 12 or more items, Mosaic knocks off the $10 shipping. Order 18 or more and you’ll get free shipping, plus another $10 off your total bill ($20 savings).
Mosaic is a subscription service, so the same collection of meals will keep coming if you don’t edit your order, pause or cancel, which you can do anytime. I found the meal plans and the ordering process intuitive, clear and easy, and the website is simple to navigate.
What are Mosaic Foods meals like?
I found the selection of Mosaic meals interesting, a nice cross-section of a lot of my favorite global cuisines such as Caribbean, Greek, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Moroccan and Thai. The food is all plant-based and mostly healthy, but it doesn’t sound, look or taste like “diet food.” There are noodle bowls and spiced curries along with pasta, risottos and even an inventive beet bourguignon. Many dishes are accompanied by rice or another grain.
For those following specialty diets or avoiding dairy, there are a lot of vegan and gluten-free meal options as well as high-protein recipes to choose from. There are almost no carb-free options, however.
Mosaic makes good use of healthy natural meal alternatives such as beans and tofu.
What we ate and how we liked it
Anna tried 15 Mosaic meals, and I had nine. The flavors popped, and the ingredients were all cooked to a proper doneness, which is often not the case with prepared food services. Most of the meals are made with “whole foods,” including meat stand-ins such as jackfruit and cauliflower. There is also some use of tofu and plant-based alt meats, such as vegan sausage, but perhaps not as much as you might expect.
Most of my food looked appetizing upon arrival and portions were sufficient for this guy with a famously healthy appetite. Each serving is meant for one. I rarely had leftovers but I also never felt particularly hungry after finishing my meals.
Tangy Thai stir-fry: I was impressed with this first Mosaic meal. The noodles were cooked to a proper al dente texture and the sauce was excellent.
Jackfruit chili with brown rice and pepitas: If you haven’t had jackfruit prepared in a savory context, it kind of takes on the consistency of pulled pork. This jackfruit was excellent and it was swimming in a tasty, smoky chili. This dish was my favorite.
The jackfruit had a texture that was eerily similar to tender pulled pork.
Yellow dal curry with butternut squash: A great yellow curry with lentils. The dish had some heat but I never broke a sweat.
Feta, pepper, tomato and olive ragout:Another big winner. I loved the salty Mediterranean flavors and it went perfectly with the buckwheat — also cooked perfectly. My only complaint was there was very little feta to be found.
The tangy ragout with classic Greek flavors was one of my favorite Mosaic meals.
Mac and greens: This mac and cheese with leafy greens was a Mosaic Plus (premium) meal but was also the one I liked the least. I found it lacked flavor, although the ingredients were cooked properly.
This premium meal of mac and greens was the only one that lacked a little flavor.
Sichuan soba noodles with edamame: Edamame beans are perfect because they don’t get mushy and neither did the noodles in this tasty Japanese-inspired bowl.
Veggie sausage and gouda oats: Savory oat bowls for breakfast are becoming a thing. I really liked the flavors here and the sausage was very tender. The dish was a tad watery for some reason but still an overall positive experience.
Harissa jackfruit bowl: This was another one with excellent jackfruit and nice spice and heat from the harissa.
The dried apricots were a lovely touch.
Moroccan vegetable tagine: This was a delicious couscous dish made with chickpeas, butternut squash, kale and red peppers. I liked the addition of dried apricots and almonds for a more complex flavor.
Brussels and squash harvest bowl: Fresh-tasting and flavorful, this bowl was packed with veggies like two types of squash, beets and Brussels sprouts.
Ginger sesame noodles: Only 460 calories, this was another meal that didn’t taste like it was reheated from frozen. I especially loved the texture of the buckwheat soba noodles and the taste of the sauce that coated them.
Despite being frozen, the star snap peas still tasted fresh with a nice bite.
Coconut chickpea curry: I assumed that this would be higher in saturated fat because of the added coconut milk but it was only 35% of the daily value. A great mix of greens and veggies, I loved the almond topping for crunch.
Peanut tofu bowl: The addition of pineapple gave this tofu bowl a slightly sweet, more complex flavor, which I enjoyed. The tofu was also nicely cooked and wasn’t too chewy or flavorless.
Creamy pesto cavatappi: The only vegetarian meals in the bunch, this one did contain whole milk and Parmesan cheese. They made the pasta sauce nice and creamy, creating a comforting meal that was only 540 calories with 21 grams of protein.
This vegetarian pasta dish was creamy and comforting.
Butternut squash and sage pasta: Despite being vegan, this was still a delicious pasta dish. I especially enjoyed the combination of butternut squash with sage, giving it a cozy flavor.
Spinach saag and tofu: This was tasty, spicy and had a nice crunch from the almonds. High in potassium, the saturated fat was also higher, which is normal for dishes that contain coconut milk.
Tangy Thai stir fry: Although this wasn’t my favorite meal, it was low in calories at 500 calories. I also enjoyed the crunch from the peanuts.
I do wish the tofu had a better texture.
Yellow dal curry: The coconut and pistachio topping was tasty and the dal paired beautifully with the butternut squash. Although low calorie and packed with fiber, the saturated fat was higher because of the coconut milk.
Chipotle mango burrito bowl: The mango added a welcome freshness to this meal, while the pepitas gave it a good crunch. I also appreciated how flavorful the rice seasoning was.
Jerk lentil and plantain bowl: I loved the addition of plantains in this and it was a truly unique prepared meal. Plus, it was a great source of fiber.
The Jerk Lentil and Plantain Bowl was one of my favorites and I especially enjoyed the plantains.
Spicy dan dan noodles: The addition of licorice powder wasn’t my favorite, making this one of my least favorite prepared meals. However, I do appreciate the creativity.
Curried lentil soup: Made with 22 grams of protein, this simple lentil soup was still flavorful even though it wasn’t made with a ton of ingredients. In addition to lentils, there were carrots, tomatoes, lacinato kale, cilantro, onion and coconut.
Green curry noodles: This curry sauce offered a nice flavor and mild spiciness that paired well with the included asparagus. It also had a lower fat content than I’ve seen in other curries.
The asparagus was a fun addition to this curry.
How we prepared our meals
The instructions on the box generally gave two options, one for the microwave and one not. As with just about anything I make — prepared or not — I avoided the microwave and gently heated everything in a pan over the range. I hold that a 10-second rinse of a nonstick skillet is worth it every time for a markedly better result.
As for Anna, she used the microwave for ease of use. It was nice being able to have a fresh-tasting vegan or vegetarian meal ready for you in a few minutes.
I reheated all my meals gently in a nonstick skillet and suggest you do the same.
How much does Mosaic cost?
Standard veggie bowls are $11 each. Mosaic used to have a premium tier called Mosaic Plus for $12 each that were made in partnership with high-end restaurants, including Balaboosta and Olmsted. It seems to have been discontinued now, but Mosaic has a limited-time partnership now with Splendid Spoon for smoothies, which come in at $10 each. You can also choose hearty soups for $9 each, veggie crust pizzas for $12 and breakfast oat bowls for $6.
Mosaic has family-size meals on the menu with about 12 options per week including veggie pot pie, vegetarian “meatloaf” and a buffalo cauliflower pasta bake. These larger meals serve four people and cost just $24, bringing the price per serving down to a very affordable $6. I tried several and they were as good as the individual meal with less packaging waste and bigger savings.
As mentioned, the minimum order is six items but that can be delivered as infrequently as every four weeks. Shipping is an extra $10 unless you order more than 12 items at a time.
My plant-based meals upon arrival.
Packaging and environmental friendliness
The food came housed in cardboard containers that theoretically could be recycled, although if cardboard is heavily soiled with grease or oils it can’t be. What I found a little strange is that the meal boxes were housed in yet another protective cardboard box. Those were clean and can certainly be recycled but it still seemed like Mosaic could have probably gotten each meal into a single box.
For Anna’s meals, she was instructed to remove the plastic covering from the cardboard packaging, making it easier to recycle. This was a nice feature.
Soba noodles with edamame and vegetables.
Is Mosaic healthy?
Our wellness editor found Mosiac Foods to have healthy meals for vegetarians and vegans, some of which were packed with protein and fiber. They offered a nice mix of greens, grains and vegetables with a few comforting dishes thrown in. Nothing on the nutrition facts on the back of the packaging surprised her when she looked each dish over.
If you have any health concerns or are looking to change your diet in any way, make sure to consult your doctor first.
Who is Mosaic good for?
If you’re a busy person with a desire to eat better or incorporate more vegetarian food into your diet but don’t want to sacrifice taste and quality, this is a great meal delivery pick. There are also plenty of vegan meal options for those avoiding all animal byproducts.
Mosaic is one of the best meal delivery services for families too, because the larger meals are just $24 and feed four people. I’d say this service is an ideal fit for someone with a moderately adventurous palate, as a wide array of cuisines and flavors are represented. But you can find some more basic recipes with milder flavors, in case that’s more your speed.
Our wellness editor also recommends Mosaic for vegans or vegetarians who are looking for lower-calorie meals with no surprise ingredients or alarming nutrition facts. Out of all the 15 meals she ate, she didn’t find one nutrition fact that concerned her. However, if you have a specific diet, make sure to consult your doctor first.
Who is Mosaic not so good for?
This is obviously not a good choice for a serious meat eater who desires chicken, beef, pork or seafood in their meal delivery. I’d also urge picky eaters to consider other options because the food is inventive with lots of global flavors, spices and sauces. Lastly, with lots of rice, grains and starchy vegetables, this is not a good meal delivery service for those who keep to a keto diet.
Mosaic recently added pizzas to the menu.
The final verdict on Mosaic
I’ve gone through a good many of the most popular meal delivery services, and Mosaic now ranks firmly in my top four. It’s also the best 100% plant-based meal delivery service I’ve tried. Of the nine Mosaic meals I tried, none missed the mark; I enjoyed almost all of them and would gladly order them again.
My favorites were the tender jackfruit chili and the olive, pepper and feta ragout, both of which I plan to try and replicate at home. There were no mushy vegetables either — a plague in meal delivery — and the meat stand-ins like jackfruit, tofu and vegan sausage were used in creative ways and cooked well.
Anna agrees that Mosaic is a top meal delivery service, especially as a long-time vegetarian who doesn’t mess around with plant-based meals. Her favorites were the jerk lentil and plantain bowl, creamy pesto cavatappi and Moroccan vegetable tagine.
Best of all, Mosaic is affordable, especially with family meals at just $6 per serving. Most solo meals clock in at $9 or $11, which also isn’t bad for what you get, and they’ll make for a nice respite on those busy days you don’t want to cook but don’t want to spend $30 on takeout, either. I give Mosaic’s plant-based prepared meals a full endorsement. If you’re looking for an easy vegan or vegetarian meal service, I’d encourage you to give it a try, too. If Mosaic doesn’t deliver to your area, know the brand is expanding rapidly.
Mosaic will give you $20 off your first box of $100 or more with promo code CNET20 at checkout.
