Meal Kits vs. Takeout: Which Is Cheaper in 2024?

Should you’re seeking to spend much less time over a scorching range however nonetheless eat properly this summer time, there are trendy mealtime shortcuts to reap the benefits of. Takeout and supply is one technique to lighten your load, however all that ordering can get costly. Meal kits and ready meal companies are one other dinnertime hack, however are they any cheaper? 

To search out out, I priced out the typical value of varied well-liked takeout and supply meals in my neighborhood and in contrast them to the per-serving value from a median plan from a couple of of our top-rated, budget-friendly meal kits corresponding to EveryPlate and Blue Apron and ready meal supply companies together with Each day Harvest and Issue. 

This is how I did the maths and a snapshot of how less expensive a ready meal or meal package subscription is than takeout or supply in 2024. 

This is how a lot the typical takeout meal prices

This is not essentially the most easy reply since there isn’t a common value for takeout. As a substitute, we’ll have to make use of some ballpark figures and averages to discover a quantity to check to meal kits and ready meal companies.

Restaurant takeout prices differ by area, however this report reveals the typical restaurant takeout meal prices round $13. To confirm, I priced out the price of takeout in my New York Metropolis borough of Brooklyn for a wide range of well-liked dishes at midrange eating places. 

From there, I’ve taken the typical of these meals to search out an approximate value per serving for restaurant takeout. Common all these meals out and also you get $12.90 for the typical takeout meal. Fairly spot on with the opposite information I discovered for common meal prices. Should you wished to incorporate a few bucks towards a tip for the counter individual, it might be extra like $15. 

Supply is markedly dearer because it usually consists of app service charges, supply expenses and an even bigger tip. For supply, the typical value per meal with charges is a whopping $21.80.

Whereas these are technically “one-serving” meals, you may actually argue that the standard order of pad Thai, lamb curry or hen fried rice is nice for multiple serving. That stated, a lot of the meal kits I’ve made are additionally good for extra servings than marketed. A meal package “for 2” is commonly extra like three meals in my home, and I am a reasonably good eater (simply ask my mother). So let’s simply name {that a} wash.

Are meal kits cheaper than takeout?

In a earlier breakdown, we outlined how less expensive takeout classics are to make at dwelling. In one other, we priced meal kits in opposition to shopping for all of the groceries to make your self. Right here, we worth out how less expensive it’s per serving to make use of a meal package versus ordering out. As a result of meal package plans differ relying on what number of meals and servings you order, I used each the worth for a median, middle-of-the-pack plan and the most cost effective plan for every meal service to see how they examine.

As proven under, budget-friendly meal kits corresponding to EveryPlate and Dinnerly value roughly half as a lot as a typical takeout meal. Should you order supply with all these added charges, your typical meal will value about 3 times as a lot as the most cost effective meal package service. Even the costliest meal kits value lower than the typical takeout meal. 

Should you select the most cost effective plans — normally accessible while you buy extra meals per week — from the varied companies, the financial savings are better. The most cost-effective meal kits are about one-third the price of takeout on common and greater than 75% inexpensive than supply.”

How less expensive is ready meal supply than takeout?

Ready meal companies corresponding to Recent N Lean, CookUnity and Issue are a more in-depth match to takeout and supply since there isn’t a prep or cooking required, simply heating and consuming. Whereas the delta between ready meal supply and takeout is smaller than with meal kits, most companies are nonetheless cheaper than most orders of takeout and cheaper than supply, which sits at almost $22 per meal. 

Should you select a service corresponding to Mosaic Meals (one in every of my favorites) which has bigger family-size meals, you may save massive over takeout with parts clocking in at $6, far lower than the price of the typical takeout meal. 

Is meal supply more healthy than takeout?

There is not any straightforward technique to measure the general healthiness of meal supply versus meal kits or ready meal supply. I’ll say this from my very own expertise: Should you’re selecting meals in bulk for the week or weeks forward on an information-packed web site, you are in all probability extra prone to choose some wholesome, protein-packed dishes than you’d be for those who’re hungry whereas perusing a takeout menu with all its tantalizing choices. 

Meal kits and meal supply companies present you all of the substances and dietary info as you are deciding on them, together with energy, protein, carbs, sugar and salt so you may make a measured resolution as to what you need in your eating desk within the coming days and weeks. 

What is the catch? With meal kits, you may must do some cooking however most of them do all of the measuring for you prematurely and a few even do the prep, so dinner can take as little as 20 minutes from begin to end. Companies corresponding to Blue Apron and House Chef even have ready-to-cook meals that take as little as 5 minutes to arrange, plus time to cook dinner. Ready meal supply extra intently resembles the comfort of takeout. 

The underside line: Meal kits or ready meal supply could possibly be the reply to your restaurant takeout funds woes. Select the appropriate one, like every from this CNET-tested listing of the finest wholesome meal supply companies and it’d simply kick your wholesome consuming habits into gear, too.