You might hear lots of people tell you about the benefits of a weekly meal prep service. But you probably have an extra question in mind – how much does it actually cost? To be more specific, how much can you actually save?
Changing your eating habits and picking different ingredients can affect your food expenses. So, how exactly does a meal prep service become cheaper?
Let’s delve into the average cost of these services, what they offer, and how the expenses compare to typical food prep methods.
Average Cost of Meal Prep Service
Various factors can affect the price of a meal delivery kit. Portion size and ingredients used are a few of the top elements that could determine whether they really help you save. Still, you should keep in mind it considers the time and effort you put into food prep.
You can find meal kits for less than $10 a meal. For instance, The Fresh Plan generally costs around $9 to $17 per meal, depending on the subscription you choose. Some also throw in cost-effective additions, like free shipping, discounts, or an extra meal for a specific plan.
What Can You Get from a Meal Prep Service?
Now that you have an idea of the cost of a weekly meal prep service, you want to know what it really offers. Saving time and effort is a big factor, among other helpful benefits. Sometimes, those are enough to get people to religiously subscribe to these services.
But how do you determine its cost value? You look into what meals it offers in comparison to what you usually have.
Fully Prepared Meals
The whole idea of a meal prep service is to provide fully prepared meals that you can easily set up within less time. Some of these come in packages you only need to heat up, while others come with pre-portioned ingredients you simply need to put together.
Either way, it provides you with the ingredients at the perfect portion and the recipes to follow. So, you won’t have to spend time pondering in the kitchen as you decide what to make.
Custom Subscription Plans
A weekly meal prep service will likely allow you to customize your plan to fit your tastes and diet. So, you can feel at ease knowing your meals effortlessly follow your specific eating lifestyle or needs.
Customization gives you the freedom to change your eating habits. This way, you can maintain a balanced diet every time while keeping it within your budget and preference.
How Meal Kits Compare to Regular Food Prep
Getting a weekly meal prep service may sound like a large expense. But if you put it in the right perspective, it offers more benefits than you think.
Here’s how it compares to commercial meals and grocery costs.
Commercial Meal Expenses
The approximate cost for a commercially prepared meal is $13 to $20 or so, whether you eat it in the restaurant or have it to-go. With these prices, you can easily spend up to $300 or higher in only a week. Moreover, you have to consider the cost of delivery, app service fees, and tips.
While some meal kits come at a similar price, there’s less work to worry about. Moreover, you can save about half of those expenses if you subscribe to cheaper plans.
Grocery Trips
Families spend an average of $270 a week on groceries, depending on the number of people in the family. Admittedly, making your own meals is cheap in itself. But compared to meal kits, you have to spend time sourcing ingredients and preparing them before you get to your dish.
These factors add to the value of these kits and contribute to their worth. Additionally, buying them in bulk makes it easier for you to feed bigger families. Since they come pre-portioned, it also takes away food waste, whether from ingredients or extra servings.