The Flawed "Price Per Serving" Comparison
On a surface level, comparing the direct price per serving often suggests that buying groceries is cheaper. After all, a full meal kit comes with a subscription fee, delivery charges, and the mark-up for pre-portioned ingredients and curated recipes. However, this simple math ignores several crucial factors that can swing the balance in favor of meal kits for certain individuals and households. The real question is not just what the sticker price is, but what is the total cost of your weekly food consumption, including wasted food, spontaneous takeout, and your own time and effort.
Breaking Down the Cost of Grocery Shopping
For decades, traditional grocery shopping has been the default for home cooks. It offers complete control over ingredients, brands, and recipes. For families or individuals who are disciplined planners, budget-conscious, and cook frequently, it can still be the most cost-effective option. However, several factors inflate the real cost:
- Food Waste: The average Canadian household throws away over $1,300 worth of food per year. A trip to the supermarket for a new recipe can mean buying a full container of a spice or an ingredient you only need a pinch of, which then expires in your pantry. Meal kits eliminate this by providing precise quantities.
- Impulse Buys: Grocery stores are designed to encourage extra purchases. The strategically placed snack displays and checkout lane treats can significantly drive up your total bill without you noticing. A controlled online meal kit subscription largely avoids this pitfall.
- Transportation Costs: The cost of fuel or public transport to get to and from the store is a hidden expense that adds up over time.
- Time: While not a direct monetary cost, the time spent planning meals, writing lists, commuting to the store, and browsing aisles has a value. If your time is limited, this convenience factor becomes a significant consideration.
Breaking Down the Cost of Meal Kits
Meal kits simplify the cooking process by delivering pre-portioned ingredients and recipes directly to your door. While the per-meal price may initially appear higher than grocery shopping, the true value comes from offsetting the hidden costs of traditional shopping. A budget meal kit, such as EveryPlate, may average around $8 per serving, including shipping, which can be very competitive with a carefully planned grocery trip, and potentially cheaper if you are a single person avoiding bulk purchases.
Meal kits provide several economic benefits:
- Eliminated Food Waste: Because all ingredients are pre-measured, there's little to no food waste from unused items going bad.
- Reduced Takeout: For many, meal kits replace expensive, unplanned takeout orders, which can lead to significant savings. One study by CNET found adults spend nearly $3,000 per year on restaurants and takeout, and meal kits offer a far cheaper alternative.
- Budget Control: Your weekly food expenditure becomes a predictable, fixed cost, making it easier to budget and manage your finances.
- Cooking Education: Meal kits can be a great way to learn new recipes and skills without the pressure of sourcing obscure ingredients, which can empower you to cook more affordably from scratch in the future.
Comparing Meal Kit and Grocery Costs: A Table
Here is a simple breakdown comparing the factors that influence the total cost of groceries versus meal kits.
| Cost Factor | Traditional Groceries | Meal Kits |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Price per Meal | Lower | Higher |
| Food Waste | High (often overlooked cost) | Low (pre-portioned ingredients) |
| Impulse Buys | High risk (store layout encourages it) | Low risk (pre-ordered online) |
| Transportation | Incurred (fuel, public transport) | Included (shipping fee) |
| Time/Effort | High (planning, shopping, prepping) | Low (recipes provided, prep minimized) |
| Flexibility | High (choose any recipe, any store) | Low (choose from weekly menu) |
| Environmental Impact | Higher (often more food waste) | Lower (streamlined supply chain, less waste) |
Making the Final Decision
Ultimately, the cheaper option for you depends on your personal habits, priorities, and lifestyle. If you are a single person who frequently orders takeout and often throws away unused produce, an affordable meal kit like EveryPlate or Dinnerly might actually be more cost-effective and reduce your overall food spending. On the other hand, if you are a dedicated meal planner, buy in bulk for a family, and are diligent about using up all your ingredients, traditional grocery shopping is likely to be the more economical route. Meal kits provide undeniable convenience and can help break cycles of food waste and reliance on expensive takeout, offering a significant value beyond the simple per-meal price. To make the best choice, it's essential to conduct your own personal cost-benefit analysis by honestly evaluating your food waste habits and the value of your time. Consider trying a meal kit service for a month to see how it impacts your total food budget and lifestyle. For more information on food waste in the supply chain, you can read Environmental impacts of meal kits versus grocery store meals.
How Your Household Size Affects the Equation
Singles and Couples
For single individuals and couples, meal kits often present the most compelling case for saving money. Buying full containers of ingredients for a single or double serving of a new recipe often results in significant food waste. Meal kits, which provide precise portions, virtually eliminate this issue. The value of time saved on planning and shopping is also a major benefit for busy professionals or those with less time for cooking.
Families
Families face a more complex calculation. While the convenience of meal kits is appealing, especially for busy parents, the per-serving cost can add up quickly for larger households. Additionally, meal kits may not cater to the varied tastes of picky eaters. For families, mastering a smart grocery shopping strategy with meal planning and bulk purchasing is often the most budget-friendly approach. However, a meal kit can be a great tool to introduce variety or simplify a particularly hectic week.
Conclusion: The Final Verdict
While grocery shopping has the potential to be cheaper on a per-meal basis, especially for large households with diligent meal planners, this isn't always the case. Meal kits effectively combat the hidden costs of food waste, impulse buying, and expensive takeout, providing a predictable and often healthier alternative for busy individuals and couples. Your personal circumstances, cooking habits, and true food consumption patterns are the real determining factors in whether groceries or meal kits are cheaper for you. Analyze your current spending, including hidden costs, to find your perfect balance between convenience and budget.
List of Factors to Consider When Calculating Your True Cost
- Food Waste: Do you frequently throw away unused or expired produce and ingredients?
- Takeout Frequency: How often do you order takeout or delivery due to a lack of dinner plans?
- Time Investment: How much do you value the time you spend on meal planning and shopping?
- Cooking Skills: Are you comfortable experimenting with new recipes from scratch, or would you benefit from guided recipes?
- Impulse Buying Habits: Are you susceptible to unplanned purchases at the grocery store?
- Household Size: Does your living situation make bulk grocery purchases economical or wasteful?
Your Ideal Scenario
- Choose Groceries If: You have a household of four or more, you are a disciplined meal planner, you hate food waste, and enjoy the control of cooking from scratch.
- Choose Meal Kits If: You are a busy single or couple, you want to reduce food waste, you want to try new recipes, and you want to reduce your reliance on expensive takeout.
