Your Weekly Meal Prep Budget: What Influences the Price?
Establishing an ideal meal prep budget is not a one-size-fits-all formula. The total cost depends heavily on personal preferences, financial goals, and lifestyle choices. While reports show home-cooked meals are significantly cheaper than dining out, the final figure is influenced by a range of decisions.
Factors That Determine Your Expense
- Ingredient Selection: The type of ingredients you choose is the single biggest factor. Opting for expensive, grass-fed proteins and organic produce will naturally increase your expenses, while relying on budget-friendly proteins like chicken thighs, eggs, and legumes will drive the cost down. Buying pantry staples like grains and canned beans in bulk also offers significant savings.
- Shopping Habits: Where you shop and how you shop impacts your budget. Shopping sales, using coupons, and buying in bulk from warehouse clubs can greatly reduce your overall grocery bill. Planning your meals around seasonal produce also ensures you get the best prices and flavor.
- Meal Repetition vs. Variety: Creating a menu with a variety of different meals each week requires a broader range of ingredients, which can increase the total cost and the potential for food waste. Focusing on a few core ingredients that can be used in multiple, simple meals is often the most cost-effective strategy.
- Food Waste: Wasted food is wasted money. By planning your meals carefully and using leftovers, you can minimize waste. Using similar ingredients across different meals and freezing excess portions are smart ways to ensure nothing goes uneaten.
- Equipment Costs: While not a weekly expense, the initial investment in good quality storage containers is essential. Reusable glass or BPA-free plastic containers are a worthwhile purchase that will save you money in the long run by keeping food fresher and eliminating the need for disposable alternatives.
DIY Meal Prep vs. Meal Kits: A Cost Comparison
Deciding between preparing your own meals from scratch and using a meal kit service is a key financial consideration. Each option has its own trade-offs regarding cost, convenience, and time investment. Here is a breakdown of the typical costs involved:
| Feature | DIY Meal Prepping (from scratch) | Meal Kit Service (e.g., EveryPlate) | Meal Prep Service (e.g., Prepared meals) | Eating Out (Restaurant) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost per Serving | ~$4–$6 | ~$5–$10 | ~$10–$17 | ~$15–$20+ |
| Upfront Costs | Kitchen tools, storage containers. | None. | None. | None. |
| Time Investment | High (Shopping, prepping, cooking). | Low-Medium (Cooking time varies). | Minimal (Heat and eat). | None (Service included). |
| Skill Level | Medium-High. | Low-Medium (Instructions provided). | None. | None. |
| Control | Full control over ingredients, portions, diet. | Limited customization based on service. | Limited customization. | None. |
| Food Waste | Minimal with careful planning. | Low (Pre-portioned ingredients). | None. | None. |
| Convenience | Low to Medium. | Medium to High. | High. | Very High. |
How to Minimize Your Costs with DIY Prep
If you choose to do it yourself, there are several ways to drive down your costs:
- Plan Your Menu Around Sales: Before writing your shopping list, check weekly grocery store flyers for items on sale. Build your meals around these discounted ingredients to maximize savings.
- Go Meatless: Incorporating vegetarian or plant-based meals once or twice a week is a great way to save money, as proteins like legumes, lentils, and beans are substantially cheaper than meat.
- Embrace Batch Cooking: Make larger quantities of staple components like rice, roasted vegetables, or chicken. This saves both money and time throughout the week. For example, roast one large tray of vegetables for salads, side dishes, and wraps.
- Make Your Own Sauces and Dressings: Pre-made condiments can be expensive. Learning to make simple salad dressings or marinades from scratch using pantry staples like oil, vinegar, and spices is a cheap and healthier alternative.
The True Cost: Beyond the Grocery Bill
The financial cost of meal prepping isn't just the final grocery bill. It's also important to factor in your time and energy. While a DIY approach might have a lower dollar-for-dollar cost per meal, your time has a value too. Some people find the mental energy and hours spent on planning and cooking stressful, making the higher price of a meal kit or service a worthwhile investment for their overall well-being.
Similarly, convenience is a key factor. Having a pre-made healthy meal ready to go can prevent a last-minute decision to order takeout or pick up fast food, which almost always costs more in the long run. A balanced approach might involve a mix of strategies—batch cooking simple staples while using a budget-friendly meal kit for a few nights a week for variety.
Conclusion
The question of how much should meal prepping cost has no single answer, but it’s clear that a well-executed plan can lead to significant savings compared to frequent eating out. The optimal budget depends on your personal choices, but by implementing smart strategies like planning around sales, embracing batch cooking, and reducing waste, you can keep costs low. For those with less time, meal kits and prepared services offer a cost-effective middle ground. Ultimately, the biggest factor is your own dedication to planning and preparing meals efficiently, which will put you in control of both your health and your finances.
Budget-Friendly Meal Prep Ideas
Easy & Cheap Recipes to Get Started
- Southwest Chicken Bowls: Combine shredded chicken (use a rotisserie chicken for ease), black beans, rice, and salsa for a hearty lunch.
- Vegetarian Chili: A fiber-packed, one-pot meal using canned tomatoes, kidney beans, and inexpensive spices. Make a huge batch and freeze portions.
- Overnight Oats: Simple, customizable, and great for busy mornings. Make several jars at once with oats, milk, and various toppings like berries or peanut butter.
- Lentil Curry: Inexpensive lentils and warming curry spices can be stretched to make multiple meals, served over rice.
- Chicken Stir-fry: Use chicken thighs and seasonal vegetables for an affordable, quick, and nutritious meal. Pair with a batch of pre-cooked rice.
Resource
For more great tips on saving money through meal planning and a variety of recipes, check out the resources at Healthline(https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/meal-prep-tips).
