Why Are Meal Kits So Expensive?

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Meal kits are often curated with premium ingredients, and in recent times, inflation has contributed to increasing the already high cost of premium ingredients.

Despite this fact, the concept of meal kits was more expensive at its inception. These days, many meal kits and meal delivery services range in price. Sometimes, certain meal kits can come out cheaper than buying groceries.

This article will explain why some meal kits are more expensive than others and which meal kits are the most affordable. There are also alternatives to meal kits, such as meal prepping, that can help you organize meals and save money.

Why do Some Cost More than the Others?

Different meal kit providers provide different menus, which means they curate different types of ingredients for certain meals.

Meal kits with prepared meals tend to be the most expensive because all the meals are already prepped and come ready-made for customers.

The companies that create meal kits have to ensure the freshness and quality of foods to reduce any incidents with spoiled food or meals that are not fresh.

Meal kits with more freedom that tend to deliver ingredients for recipes rather than fully prepared meals are often less expensive. The quality of the ingredients also affects the price of meal kits, as some meal services offer a range of meals that can vary in price per serving.

 

What are the Cheapest Meal Kits?

Here are the three top affordable meal kits:

 

• EveryPlate
• Blue Apron
• Hello Fresh

 

EveryPlate is a meal service that provides comfort meals catered to the Average American diet. However, because EveryPlate does not yet cater to specific diets, they are able to provide meals starting at $5 per serving.

Blue Apron is another meal service that provides chef-curated meals using the highest quality, sustainable ingredients.

With meals starting at $8 per serving, subscribers have a wide variety of options, including catering to diet restrictions such as keto, vegetarian, and even meals for those with diabetes.

Hello Fresh, a popular meal service, provides highly customizable meals with a large variety of weekly recipes starting at just $8 per week. There is some light prepping required for the meal ingredients, but HelloFresh overall provides easy-to-make affordable meals.

These are just some examples of affordable meal kits, but there are many more you could choose from!

 

Are Meal Kits Worth it?

The answer to this question really depends on the customer. However, if you factor in the fuel it takes to travel between grocery stores and the time it takes to shop, meal kits are a great way to save time and money.

Most meal kits portion out their meals to reduce food waste, making them more sustainable and giving you enough food for the value you pay without any waste.

No planning or thinking goes into meal kits, so it is the perfect solution for those who want to save time and perhaps save a little money on grocery shopping and dining out.

 

How Can You Save Money on Meal Kits?

Some meal kit brands will have a lower price per serving for the more meals you subscribe to.

For example, Blue Apron offers a lower price per serving with each number of meals per week and per servings. If you get four servings and four meals per week, your price comes down to $8 per serving.

If you want to save even more money on meal kits, there are cheaper options like we mentioned above in our list of some of the most affordable meal kit prices.

Meal kits also save you money if you tend to go out for meals instead of cooking at home.

All in all, it depends on your needs and what you are looking to get out of the meal kit itself.

 

Meal Kit Alternatives

There are some alternatives to using meal kits, including meal prepping and DIY meal kits.

Meal prepping is a popular way of preparing meals and saving time in the kitchen by preparing meals to last the whole week.

Meal prep also saves money on grocery shopping and dining out, as meal kits do.

While you do have to use your own fuel and time shopping for ingredients, you have full control over the meals you eat when it comes to meal prepping.

Whether you have diet restrictions or not, meal prepping is 100% customizable. DIY meal kits are similar to meal prepping, but DIY meal kits are often inspired by recipes found in already existing meal kits.

Making your own meal kit is a great way to recreate your favorite recipes in meal kits you have used and have more control over your meals and the source of your ingredients.

 

Final Thoughts on Why are Meal Kits So Expensive

Meal kits are a great way to save time and money in this day and age. With so many meal services to choose from, you can easily have your favorite meals delivered right to your door.

However, premium-grade ingredients made to prepare pre-portioned meals can lead to [premium prices. Not to worry, though. There are alternatives to meal kits that give you more control over the meals you eat and the money you spend on ingredients for your meals.

Whatever you choose, meal kits are a popular way for people are saving money and spend less time in the kitchen.

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