Meal kits have often been considered more expensive than buying groceries and cooking from scratch. However, the price per meal for most meal delivery services has come down over the years, with some services offering meals for as little as $5 per serving. Popular meal kit services like EveryPlate, Blue Apron, and HelloFresh claim that users can save money by using their services. To determine if this is true, a comparison was made between the cost of two meal kits from EveryPlate and the cost of purchasing the same ingredients from a midrange grocery store. While grocery shopping was slightly cheaper than meal kits, the difference was minimal, especially when considering the time and energy saved by using meal kits.
The cost of meal kits versus buying groceries was analyzed by comparing the prices of two recipes from EveryPlate to the cost of purchasing the same ingredients from a grocery store. The cheapest meal kits are priced around $5 to $6 per serving, making them comparable to the cost of buying groceries for the same meals. EveryPlate, one of the cheapest meal kit services, offers meal plans for two people at around $5.99 per serving. When factoring in shipping costs, the total cost per serving for a two-person plan from EveryPlate was $7.48, while a plan for four people cost $6.50 per serving.
When comparing the cost of EveryPlate meal kits to buying the groceries yourself, EveryPlate was found to be around $2 more expensive per serving. However, this difference was minimal, especially when opting for a larger plan serving four people. The convenience of meal kits and the time saved by not having to shop for groceries may outweigh the slightly higher cost per serving. Additionally, meal kit services like EveryPlate offer a variety of meal options, ranging from comfort classics to lean and healthy dishes.
While meal kits may come with more plastic packaging than buying groceries, some services have found ways to reduce waste and packaging. EveryPlate, for example, uses minimal packaging and puts all produce and ingredients in a single cardboard box, making it one of the more eco-friendly options. In contrast, buying groceries often leads to more food waste as users may end up throwing out unused ingredients. Despite the plastic packaging, meal kits may actually reduce overall waste by providing exact portions for each meal.
In conclusion, EveryPlate is one of the cheapest meal kit services available, with prices ranging from $5 to $8 per serving. While there may be a slight additional cost compared to buying groceries, the convenience and time saved by using meal kits may make them a more valuable option for some individuals. Other meal kit services like Sunbasket, Green Chef, and Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon offer premium ingredients at a higher cost, while services like HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and Home Chef fall somewhere in between. Overall, the cost of meal kits versus buying groceries may vary depending on the specific service and individual preferences.
