Between Trump’s tariffs, a bird flu-related egg shortage and lingering inflation from the coronavirus disruption, grocery prices are noticeably high and expected to jump as much as 3.3% in 2025. A CNET survey shows that groceries remain the single biggest cause of sticker shock among US shoppers.
In an effort to retain subscribers and attract new ones, Blue Apron recently announced a 6-month price freeze, which has us wondering if meal kits are actually cheaper than buying the same groceries needed to make dinner.
You may have considered EveryPlate, Blue Apron or HelloFresh as a way to save time, but you likely didn’t think a meal kit subscription could save you money. To find out, I crunched the numbers the math to see how much meal kits really cost versus buying groceries at an average supermarket.
After tallying several ingredient lists for various recipes, found that some meal kits are the same price or, in some cases, even cheaper than grocery shopping depending on the service you enlist and the meals you choose.
Meal kits vs. buying the groceries
| Cost per serving (average plan) | Cost of same ingredients at grocery store | |
|---|---|---|
| EveryPlate | $6 | $5.40 |
| Blue Apron | $10 | $9.75 |
| HelloFresh | $9 | $6.55 |
| Trout with feta, couscous and vegetables | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients: | Cost: |
| Steelhead trout filets, 10 oz | $11.50 |
| Pearl couscous, 1/2 cup | $2 |
| 4 oz. grape tomatoes | $1.25 |
| 1 red onion | $1.29 |
| Crushed pepper flakes | $0.10 |
| Feta cheese, 1/2 oz | $2 |
| Spice blend, 1 tbs | $0.25 |
| Green beans, 6 oz | $3 |
| Roasted sunflower seeds, 2 tbs | $0.50 |
| Pitted niçoise olives, 1 oz | $0.64 |
| Total: | $22.53 |
| Per serving: | $11.26 |
| Mexican steak with green beans and sweet potatoes | |
| Ingredients: | Cost: |
| 2 sirloin steaks, 11 oz | $7 |
| Guajillo chile pepper sauce, 1/3 cup | $1 |
| Lime, 1 | $0.50 |
| Raw pepitas, 2 tbs | $0.59 |
| Cotija cheese, 2 tbs | $0.60 |
| Sweet potatoes, 1 lb | $3 |
| Green beans, 6 oz | $3 |
| Smoky spice, 1 tbs | $0.25 |
| Garlic, 2 clove | $0.20 |
| Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbs | $0.46 |
| Total cost: | $16.55 |
| Per serving: | $8.23 |
HelloFresh meal kits cost $10 per serving but only around $6.50 per serving if you were to buy the groceries yourself.
HelloFresh might be the most popular meal kit service, but it was also the worst value of the three. I chose a barramundi recipe and chuck steak meal kit to compare with local grocery prices.
By my calculations, HelloFresh meal kits would cost just $6.55 per serving to buy the groceries and make the meals yourself. That’s about $2.50 cheaper than HelloFresh’s average meal plan of $9 per serving, and that’s all before factoring in your weekly delivery cost of $11. If you were to spread that shipping fee out across two or three meal kits, the actual per-serving cost is more like $11 to $12.
HelloFresh may have one of the largest weekly menu of meal kits and user-friendly ordering interface, but as it turns out, the popular service doesn’t offer as much value as other meal kit companies.
HelloFresh vs buying the groceries
EveryPlate is a good deal, about the same as buying groceries
| Cherry meatballs with zucchini and garlic mashed potatoes | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients: | Cost: |
| Potatoes, 12 oz | $1.50 |
| White bread, 2 slices | $0.50 |
| Zucchini, 1 | $2 |
| Ground beef, 8 oz | $3.50 |
| Cherry jam, 1 oz | $0.85 |
| Garlic powder | $0.10 |
| Sour cream, 4 oz | $1 |
| Soy sauce, 1 oz | $0.50 |
| Total | $9.95 |
| Per serving | $4.98 |
| Smothered pork chops with potatoes and carrots | |
| Ingredients: | Cost: |
| Carrots, 12 oz | $1.50 |
| Potatoes, 12 oz | $1.50 |
| Yellow onion, 1 | $1 |
| Scallions, 2 | $0.50 |
| Boneless pork chops, 10 oz | $4.93 |
| Chicken stock concentrate | $1 |
| Cayenne pepper | $0.25 |
| Sour cream, 4 oz | $1 |
| Total | $11.63 |
| Per serving | $5.82 |
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