Should I try a meal kit service?
Compare meal kit costs to grocery shopping and eating out to see if services like HelloFresh or Blue Apron make sense.
By ShouldICalc Team
Updated January 2025 · See our methodology
Your Numbers
Your Results
Annual Savings
$0 – $0
per year
5-Year Savings
$0 – $0
Break Even
— months
Enter your numbers above to see personalized results.
Trade-offs to Consider
Every decision has pros and cons. Here's what to weigh:
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Money
Cheaper than restaurants but more than grocery shopping. Good middle ground for busy people.
-
Time
Less planning than grocery shopping, recipes included. But still requires 30-45 min cooking.
-
Quality
Fresh, pre-portioned ingredients. Learn new recipes and techniques.
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Convenience
Delivered to your door, no grocery trips. But requires cooking commitment.
Related Products
Products that can help you save money. (Affiliate links)
Chef's Knife Set
Essential for meal prep
Glass Food Storage Containers
Store leftovers from larger kits
Vegetable Spiralizer
Make healthy sides quickly
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which meal kit service is cheapest?
Do meal kits reduce food waste?
Are meal kits healthy?
Can I pause or cancel anytime?
How We Calculate Meal Kit Value
The Comparison
Meal kits sit between two alternatives:
- Grocery cooking: Cheapest but requires planning, shopping, and full prep
- Restaurant meals: Most convenient but expensive
What Makes Meal Kits Worth It
The value proposition improves when you:
- Would otherwise eat out
- Waste a lot of groceries
- Don’t enjoy meal planning
- Want to learn cooking skills
- Value time over money
What We Calculate
We compare your meal kit spending to:
- Cost if you bought groceries instead
- Cost if you ate out instead
- Weighted average based on what you’d actually do
Who Should Use Meal Kits
Good fit:
- Busy professionals who eat out often
- Couples wanting dinner variety
- People learning to cook
- Those who waste groceries
Not ideal for:
- Large families (servings get expensive)
- Experienced cooks who enjoy planning
- Very tight budgets
- Picky eaters
Cost Per Serving Comparison
| Option | Cost per Serving |
|---|---|
| Home cooking (from scratch) | $2-4 |
| Budget meal kits | $5-7 |
| Standard meal kits | $8-10 |
| Premium meal kits | $11-14 |
| Fast casual dining | $12-18 |
| Restaurant dinner | $20-35+ |
Tips to Maximize Value
- Use intro offers - Most services offer 50%+ off first orders
- Choose cheaper proteins - Chicken and pork cost less than steak
- Skip expensive weeks - Skip when menus don’t appeal
- Get the right plan - More meals per week = lower per-serving cost