Should I try a meal kit service?

The Bottom Line

Yes, try a meal kit service if you currently eat out 3+ times per week and want to cook more but struggle with meal planning. At $8-10 per serving, meal kits are about half the cost of restaurant meals and eliminate the mental load of deciding what to cook.

But watch out for comparing meal kits to grocery cooking. If you’re already cooking from scratch, meal kits will double or triple your food costs. They’re only a savings compared to eating out—not compared to groceries.

Skip it if you’re on a tight food budget, have a family of 4+, or are an experienced cook who enjoys meal planning. You’ll pay premium prices for convenience you might not need.

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The Real Value Proposition of Meal Kits

Meal kits are everywhere—HelloFresh, Blue Apron, Home Chef, EveryPlate. They promise to make cooking easier and save you money. But do they actually?

The honest answer: it depends on what you’re comparing them to.

The Meal Kit Market Positioning

Meal kits occupy a specific niche in the food cost spectrum:

Option	Cost Per Serving	Convenience	Skill Required
Groceries (scratch)	$2-4	Low	High
Meal kits	$8-12	Medium	Low
Fast casual	$12-18	High	None
Restaurant	$20-40	High	None

Key insight: Meal kits are 2-3x more expensive than groceries but 30-50% cheaper than eating out.

This means meal kits make sense only if they’re replacing restaurant meals, not home cooking.

The Math: When Meal Kits Save Money

Scenario 1: Replacing restaurant meals

You currently eat dinner out 4 times per week at $18 per person:

• Restaurant cost: 4 × $18 = $72/week per person
• Meal kit cost: 4 × $9 = $36/week per person
• Weekly savings: $36 per person

For a couple: $72/week = $288/month savings

Scenario 2: Replacing grocery cooking

You currently cook from scratch 4 times per week at $4 per serving:

• Grocery cost: 4 × $4 = $16/week per person
• Meal kit cost: 4 × $9 = $36/week per person
• Weekly increase: $20 per person

For a couple: $40/week = $160/month MORE spent

The math is completely different depending on what you’re replacing.

Breaking Down Meal Kit Costs

Average cost per serving by service (2025):

Service	Cost/Serving	Monthly (3 meals/2 ppl)	Style
EveryPlate	$5.00	$130	Budget
Dinnerly	$5.25	$137	Budget
HelloFresh	$8.99	$215	Standard
Home Chef	$9.95	$239	Standard
Blue Apron	$10.49	$252	Standard
Sun Basket	$12.99	$312	Premium
Green Chef	$12.99	$312	Premium/Organic
Factor (prepared)	$11.50	$276	Ready-to-eat

Note: First-order discounts (40-60% off) make initial costs lower. Regular pricing kicks in after 3-4 weeks.

The Hidden Costs of Meal Kits

Beyond the per-serving price, consider:

1. Shipping and handling

• Most services charge $8-12/week for shipping
• Free shipping usually requires minimum orders
• Factor in ~$1.50-2 per serving for shipping

2. Packaging waste

• Each kit arrives in an insulated box
• Ice packs, plastic containers, individual ingredient bags
• Environmental and disposal considerations

3. The subscription trap

• Auto-renewal means you pay unless you actively skip
• Many people forget to skip weeks they don’t want
• Cancellation isn’t always straightforward

4. Food waste from skipped meals

• Ingredients go bad if you don’t cook them
• Plans change, but the box still arrives
• Fresh produce has limited shelf life

Who Actually Benefits from Meal Kits

Ideal meal kit customer:

• Eats out frequently (3+ times/week)
• Wants to cook more but lacks time to plan
• Lives alone or with one other person
• Has flexible schedule to cook when ingredients arrive
• Values variety over lowest cost

Meal kits are NOT for:

• Families with 4+ people (costs add up fast)
• Experienced cooks who enjoy meal planning
• People on strict food budgets
• Those with dietary restrictions (limited options)
• Anyone who travels frequently

Meal Kits vs. Meal Prep

If time is your issue, consider meal prep instead:

Factor	Meal Kits	Meal Prep
Cost per serving	$8-12	$3-5
Time per meal	30-45 min daily	2-3 hrs weekly
Variety	High (new recipes)	Medium
Skill building	Yes	Yes
Flexibility	Low (use by date)	High (freeze extras)
Planning required	None	Yes

For many people, meal prep is the better solution—cheaper with similar time investment when you look at weekly totals.

The Learning Curve Benefit

One legitimate argument for meal kits: they teach you to cook.

What you learn:

• Basic cooking techniques
• Flavor combinations
• Kitchen timing
• Ingredient preparation
• Recipe following

For new cooks: 3-6 months of meal kits can build skills you keep forever. Then you graduate to grocery cooking at 1/3 the cost.

This “culinary training” value is real, but temporary. Once you’ve learned to cook, the training wheels should come off.

Maximizing Meal Kit Value

If you decide meal kits make sense for you:

1. Stack intro offers

• Most services offer 50-60% off first 2-4 weeks
• Try multiple services at discounted rates
• Cancel before regular pricing kicks in

2. Choose the right plan size

• More meals per week = lower per-serving cost
• 4 meals/week is usually the sweet spot
• 2-serving plans cost more per serving than 4-serving

3. Pick economical proteins

• Chicken and pork are cheaper than beef and fish
• Vegetarian options often cost less
• Premium proteins add $2-4/serving

4. Skip strategically

• Skip weeks with boring menus
• Skip when traveling or busy
• Skip holiday weeks (prices often higher)

5. Keep ingredients for later

• Many sauces and seasonings can be saved
• Build a spice collection over time
• Learn which ingredients to buy in bulk

The Food Waste Argument

Meal kit companies claim to reduce food waste. Is it true?

The argument:

• Pre-portioned ingredients = no leftovers
• No unused vegetables rotting in your fridge
• Studies show 62% less food waste than grocery shopping

The reality:

• True if you cook every kit you receive
• But unused kits = 100% waste
• Packaging waste offsets some benefit
• Disciplined meal planners waste little anyway

If you’re the type who buys vegetables with good intentions and throws them out a week later, meal kits do reduce waste. If you’re already efficient, the benefit is minimal.

Meal Kit Alternatives

Before committing to meal kits, consider these options:

1. Recipe planning apps (free-$10/month)

• Mealime, Paprika, Yummly
• Create meal plans with shopping lists
• Fraction of meal kit cost

2. Grocery delivery + simple recipes

• Instacart, Walmart, Amazon Fresh
• Plan simple 5-ingredient meals
• $4-6/serving vs. $9-12

3. Rotisserie chicken strategy

• $5-8 rotisserie chicken feeds 4
• Add sides and you’re done
• $3-4/serving, no cooking required

4. Freezer meal services

• Schwan’s, Omaha Steaks, Thrive Market
• Stock freezer with quality meals
• Heat and eat when needed

5. Prepared meal services

• Factor, Freshly, CookUnity
• Fully cooked, just heat
• Similar price to meal kits, zero cooking

The Break-Even Question

When do meal kits make financial sense?

Break-even equation: Meal kits work if: (Restaurant meals replaced × restaurant cost) > (Meal kit cost)

Example:

• You’d eat out 3 times at $18 = $54
• Meal kit for 3 meals at $9 = $27
• Savings: $27/week = $108/month

The key variable: How many restaurant meals are you actually replacing?

Be honest with yourself. If you’d cook from groceries anyway, meal kits are an expensive upgrade. If you’d genuinely eat out, meal kits save money.

Making Your Decision

Try meal kits if:

• You eat out 3+ nights per week
• You want to learn basic cooking
• You hate meal planning but want home-cooked food
• You’re a couple or single person
• You have disposable income for convenience

Skip meal kits if:

• You already cook from scratch regularly
• You’re feeding a large family
• You’re on a tight food budget
• You have strict dietary needs
• You travel or have unpredictable schedule

Use the intro discounts to test:

• Try 2-3 services at 50%+ off
• See if you actually use them
• Cancel before regular pricing
• Decide based on real experience

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The Verdict

Meal kits are a convenience product priced between groceries and restaurants. They make financial sense if—and only if—they’re replacing restaurant meals.

For most people, the sweet spot is temporary use: subscribe for 3-6 months to learn cooking skills and break the takeout habit, then transition to grocery cooking at 1/3 the cost.

The intro offers make testing risk-free. Try a few services at discount prices, see if they fit your lifestyle, and make an informed decision.

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Pricing based on 2025 rates for major meal kit services. Costs vary by region, plan size, and menu selections. Most services offer introductory discounts of 40-60% for new customers. Regular pricing applies after initial promotional period.