Meal Delivery Services Offer Convenience at Higher Cost Than Groceries

Meal delivery services ship food directly to customers on a recurring schedule, usually weekly. Two main formats exist: meal kits that include pre-portioned ingredients and recipes, and prepared meals that arrive fully cooked and ready to heat. Services such as HelloFresh and Green Chef provide meal kits, while Factor supplies prepared meals.

Customers select the number of meals and servings, and many plans allow skipping or pausing deliveries.

50 to $14 per serving.

Six dinners for two people total about $150 per week, while six dinners for four people total about $300 per week. Shipping fees add $10 to $15, and some locations include sales tax. U.S. Department of Agriculture. The same number of HelloFresh dinners for four costs $300 and covers only dinners.

Delivery services eliminate weekly meal planning and grocery shopping. Pre-portioned ingredients reduce food waste from unused produce. Meal kit subscribers receive new recipes each week. Prepared meal plans can replace multiple takeout orders and accommodate vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or high-protein preferences.

Smiley stated that services may provide lifestyle benefits beyond cost when users aim to reduce takeout or increase consistency with home meals. Pediatric and family dietitian Dr. Qianzhi Jiang noted that meal kits can be more cost-effective for one or two people who otherwise waste ingredients or order takeout frequently.

Drawbacks include higher total expense than groceries for larger households, additional plastic packaging, and the need to pause subscriptions during travel to avoid charges for unused meals.