When food kits When they arrived on the scene, they were primarily a dating project and looked expensive. Since then, meal kits have become more affordable, with top meal delivery brands like Blue Apron and HelloFresh becoming less of a special event and more of a utilitarian service for busy families and home cooks with limited experience preparing quick meals. and easy. In our degree, Each plate is cheapest meal kit service, about $5 or $6 per service depending on the plan you choose. It made me wonder if EveryPlate is more expensive than grocery shopping.
to find the cost difference between Each plate and cooking from scratch, I calculated the price of a two-serving meal cost of food It is necessary to make the same two recipes. The difference was about a dollar, and probably even closer considering the gas it takes to go to the store.
Here’s how I got those numbers and what I learned about food collection cost and cost in 2023.
Food versus food kit
| EveryPlate (meal for 2 people) | EveryPlate (meal for 4 people) | Store bought food | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of service | $7.48 | $6.50 | $5.44 |
Are meal kits more expensive than buying groceries?
If you’re wondering if meal kits are significantly more expensive than buying all the groceries yourself, I did the math. While some meal kit services are still comfortably in the splurge category – Sun basket And green leader to name only two – the the cheapest meal kit is about $5 or $6 per serving.
After calculating the price difference between buying groceries and ordering two recipe meal kits from my favorite meal kit service, Each plate, just a dollar separates the two dinner ways. The perception of meal kits as expensive evening splurges may be more myth than reality.
how i did math
To calculate the cost of meal kits versus buying groceries, I took two EveryPlate recipes and evaluated the ingredients. To keep things the same, I used the cheapest results to fill FreshDirectA popular online grocery delivery service in the Northeast.
Since spices are usually sold in 1 or 2 ounce bottles, I divided the cost by 20 since each bottle of spices contains about 20 servings. This also applies to ingredients such as sour cream and soy sauce, which are also sold in large quantities. I divided the total cost by the approximate amount needed to complete each recipe.
How much does a meal kit service like EveryPlate cost?
EveryPlate is one of the cheapest meal kit services many plans around $5 a serving. It’s just over $5.99 per serving for two people and a three-times-a-week meal plan. I used it the more expensive two-person plan Compare the cost of buying your own food. There is also a fixed delivery charge of $9, which I spread over three meals. Ultimately, EveryPlate will cost you $7.48 per serving for the two-person plan. Choose a meal for four and it will cost you only $6.50.
EveryPlate is my favorite budget meal kit service and will set you back around $7 per serving with delivery.
How much do meal kits cost if you buy individual groceries?
Below is a breakdown of the two Every Plate recipes if you buy the food yourself, there will be a cost. These prices are calculated from FreshDirect In April 2022. I haven’t included the grocery service delivery fee or the cost of gas needed to get you to and from the store. It’s also worth noting that the grocery store prices listed below are significantly lower than what I’ve found at local markets in Brooklyn.
Homemade pork stew with potatoes and carrots (2 servings)
- Carrots (12 oz): $1.50
- Five Yukon Gold Fries: $1.50
- One yellow onion: $0.90
- Two green onions: $0.50
- Two 5-ounce pork chops: $4.93
- One packet of chicken broth concentrate: $0.60
- Cayenne Pepper: $0.20
- Sour Cream (4 oz): $1.50
Total: $11.13
Service charge: $5.56
EveryPlate offers approximately 15 meal plan recipes per week, from comfort classics to lean and healthy.
Cherry cutlets with zucchini and garlic mashed potatoes (2 servings)
- Five Yukon Gold potatoes: $1.60
- White bread (two slices): $0.50
- Zucchini: $1.50
- Ground beef (8 oz.): $4.30
- Cherry Jam (1 oz.): $0.85
- Garlic Powder: $0.10
- Sour Cream (4 oz): $1.50
- Soy Sauce (1 oz): $0.50
Total: $10.85
Service charge: $5.42
While testing EveryPlate, I loved every dish I had, but the goisin meatloaf was my favorite of the bunch.
How much does a meal kit cost to buy groceries?
Compared to the cost of buying all the groceries you need at the grocery store, EveryPlate saves you approx Additional $2 per serving. If you had to choose one of the four-part plans, this would be fine Another $1. So that’s a lot of washing.
After all, it’s the convenience you pay extra for. But if you choose a budget service like EveryPlate or Dinnerly, it’s nothing extra.
What about environmental cost, packaging and waste?
Grocery delivery services definitely use more plastic than buying their own food. That being said, cheaper services have found ways to cut costs. In many cases, this means using less packaging.
The inside of a HelloFresh shipment with mostly recyclable packaging.
For example, EveryPlate is one of the greenest services I’ve tried. The company packs all of its products and other ingredients into one cardboard box, while others wrap each ingredient individually, creating more waste. Most packaging, including coolers and ice packs, is recycled at the curb.
On the other hand, meal kits usually give you what you need for each meal and no more, so you’re less likely to have that kind of food. food to create Who hasn’t thrown away the last ounces of a jar of sour cream or a few green onions before you wilt?
What about other meal kit services?
EveryPlate is the cheapest meal kit service Dinner. The most expensive clothes are Sun basket, green leader And Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon — costs $10 or closer to $13 per serving. The added value is usually due to premium ingredients such as grass-fed beef and organic produce. With these, you’ll find a greater delta between the cost of a meal kit and the cost of cooking at home. services like HelloFresh, blue apron And home cook falls somewhere in the middle with meal kits ranging from $9 to $10 per serving.
Not interested in cooking at all? I tested all the best players to find out The best prepared food services of 2023.
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