Meal kits promise quick dinners with no stress, but here’s the question that matters: meal kits vs grocery cost—who wins? With food inflation creeping into every checkout, we ran the numbers on HelloFresh, Blue Apron, and others against an average grocery bill. The results may surprise you.
Let’s dig in and see where the savings really stack up.
The True Cost of Meal Kits
Meal kits usually land in the $8–$12 per serving range. That includes pre-portioned ingredients and doorstep delivery, but not tips or premium add-ons. By contrast, the average grocery bill for the same recipe often drops to $4–$6 per serving if you shop smart. Think chicken stir-fry with fresh veggies for under $20, serving four people.
A Blue Apron pasta that costs $11 per plate can be recreated at home for about $7. So the gap is real, but it’s not the whole story. Meal kit prices are higher, but they also buy you convenience, reduced waste, and saved prep time.
Want proof from another angle? The Guardian’s breakdown shows recipe boxes can cost 74% more than groceries for the same dish. Numbers don’t lie.
HelloFresh vs Grocery Prices
HelloFresh markets itself as the everyday cook’s lifesaver, with plans averaging $9.99 per serving. Recreate the same dish with ingredients from your local grocery store and you’ll likely spend closer to $6 per serving. That $3 gap per plate might not sting once, but stretched across four meals a week, it’s nearly $50 more per month.
Still, HelloFresh trims away last-minute grocery runs, simplifies planning, and reduces the risk of spoiled produce in your fridge. For many busy households, that convenience carries weight.
To see how small savings add up, check out 10 Everyday Products That Are Way Cheaper in Bulk.
Blue Apron vs Grocery Shopping
Blue Apron charges about $11 per serving, while a grocery run can recreate many of the same meals for closer to $7–$8 per serving. That may not seem like much, but over a week of four dinners, the difference climbs to $60 or more per month.
The catch is that Blue Apron often layers in fun extras, such as wine pairings, premium proteins, and seasonal recipes, that are harder to price out at the supermarket. Still, if your main focus is savings, the grocery store nearly always wins.
To put it in perspective, see Outlet Malls vs. Online Outlets: Which Saves You More?.
Other Meal Delivery Services Cost Compared
EveryPlate and Home Chef advertise meals starting around $5–$7 per serving, which puts them much closer to grocery math than HelloFresh or Blue Apron. Dinnerly also competes in this lower-cost tier, with pared-down packaging and simpler recipes to cut expenses. Green Chef, on the other hand, markets premium organic meals that often push past $12 per serving.
Even at the budget end, hidden extras like delivery fees, fuel surcharges, and packaging creep into your total. But where kits shine is food waste savings. No half-bags of spinach going slimy in the fridge.
For singles and couples, that’s a legit perk. But if you’re feeding four? Cooking at home vs meal kits with bulk buys stretches dollars much further.
Thinking about getting a warehouse membership? See Are Warehouse Clubs Really Worth It? Breaking Down the Math.
Final Verdict
When it comes to meal kits vs grocery cost, groceries almost always win on raw numbers. HelloFresh vs grocery prices shows a $3 gap per plate. Blue Apron vs grocery shopping isn’t far behind. Lower-cost services narrow the margin, but kits still carry a convenience tax.
So, are meal kits cheaper than groceries? Not if you cook often. But if time, variety, and reduced waste matter more than the extra cash, they can be worth the splurge.
