It's no secret that grocery prices are high. With tariffsRecent Lack of eggs Related to bird flu and global instability, grocery prices are expected to be Jump as much as 3.3% this yearAccording to the US Department of Agriculture.
Inflated costs of everything, from meat to maple syrup, have people looking for haki to save money and Meal kitsOnce considered an expensive alternative to buying groceries, it can be a surprising option. To keep the subscribers, Blue Iron recently announced a six -month freezing of prices. It made me wonder if meal sets are now cheaper than buying the same foods needed for dinner.
Services for meal sets such as Each plate, Blue apron or Hellofresh are known for helping busy people save time and Eat betterBut I crashed the numbers to figure out if any of the top meal delivery services could save you money when compared to your weekly supermarket tightening.
Meal kits versus groceries purchase
| Costs per serving (average plan) | Price of the same ingredients in a grocery store | |
|---|---|---|
| Each plate | $ 6 | $ 5.40 |
| Blue apron | $ 10 | $ 9.75 |
| Hellofresh | $ 9 | $ 6.55 |
After looking at a few ingredients for various recipes, I found that some meal sets are the same price as groceries shoppingOr in some cases even cheaper. It depends on the service and meals you choose.
Here's a breakdown and how I got these numbers.
How did I make math
I dressed my math cap to see if the meal sets are actually a good deal in 2025.
To see how much a blue apron cost, hellofresh and each meal of plate, I appreciated the ingredients for two real recipes involved in a standard subscription.
When choosing groceries, I used the cheapest version of the same or similar ingredient that I could find in the store-cord, grocery store in my area. Since the recipes for meal sets include only the amount of ingredients needed, I used the costs by how they would really use them for a recipe, not for the full price of the bottle, a jar, a box or a bag.
I have chosen basic, inorganic items unless otherwise listed on the recipes card or a meal web site.
How did I chose the recipes
I have chosen recipes for steak and seafood to compare them because they are the best value of most meal sets.
If you are looking for meal kits like Proposal for valueYou will have to be smart for which recipes you choose. Steak, chicken and fish tend to be more expensive to cook at home than meals based on plants, so I specifically chose recipes with those proteins. (I also recommend taking advantage if you apply for a service).
Not all services include steak recipes at no extra charge, but Hellofresh and Blue apron do. Blue apron usually offers at least one fairly high-grade beef like Steak of surloin no added charging.
Hellofresh offers one or two recipes of beef per week, but is usually a cheaper cutting Like a chuck steak. Seafood options are limited by the basic Holofresh, but I found a Recipe for demand On the menu this week, besides Ranch steak with Caesar salad.
Budget services, including each plate, usually do not offer steak or seafood, which is how they maintain low levels. For my analysis of all plates, I chose a meatballs from beef from cherry And Pork chop Recipe.
The blue apron represents the best value
Seafood recipes on blue apron, including steak, salmon and trout, proved to be excellent in 2025.
Blue apron There are the highest recipes from the three I chose to analyze. I have chosen a recipe showing a steak of Sirline and another with fresh steel trout fillets.
When I appreciated the groceries to make these meals, they recorded at $ 11.26 and $ 8.23, respectively, with an average price of $ 9.75 per serving. Both meals have proved more expensive to buy in the supermarket than $ 8 costs per service for the largest (cheapest) blue apron plan.
As good as it may sound, the biggest plan of the blue apron is an incredible five sets of meals per week with four servings, and is probably practical for most people. If you choose a plan of reasonable size – say three recipes for four servings – the price after serving jumps to $ 9.50. It is still cheaper than the cost of buying groceries, but only for a little bit.
Add shipping costs to $ 11 and the blue apron is creeping over the cost of buying groceries, but only a little. When you consider the convenience that provides the meal kit, it is difficult to claim that the blue apron is not a good value in 2024.
Blue apron versus purchasing groceries
| Trout with feta, couscous and vegetables | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients: | Price: |
| Steel trout fillets, 10 ml | $ 11.50 |
| Pearl cuscus, 1/2 cup | $ 2 |
| 4 ml. Grape tomatoes | $ 1.25 |
| 1 red onion | $ 1.29 |
| Crushed pepper flakes | $ 0.10 |
| Feta cheese, 1/2 ml | $ 2 |
| A mixture of spice, 1 tsp | $ 0.25 |
| Green beans, 6 ml | $ 3 |
| Roast sunflower seed, 2 tbsp | $ 0.50 |
| Drinked olives from Niyas, 1 ml | $ 0.64 |
| Total: | $ 22.53 |
| Per serving: | $ 11.26 |
| Mexican steak with green beans and sweet potatoes | |
| Ingredients: | Price: |
| 2 steaks of surloin, 11 ml | $ 7 |
| Pepper sauce from pepper in guail, 1/3 cup | 1 $ |
| Lime, 1 | $ 0.50 |
| Raw materials of shrimp, 2 tbsp | $ 0.59 |
| Cheese from the coti, 2 tbsp | $ 0.60 |
| Sweet potatoes, 1 lb | $ 3 |
| Green beans, 6 ml | $ 3 |
| Smoky spice, 1 tsp | $ 0.25 |
| Garlic, 2 cloves | $ 0.20 |
| Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbsp | $ 0.46 |
| Total price: | $ 16.55 |
| Per serving: | $ 8.23 |
Hellofresh was the worst value but not much of
Hellofresh meals cost $ 10 per serving, but only about $ 6.50 per serving if you bought your groceries yourself.
Hellofresh It may be the most popular dining service, but it was also the worst value of the three. I have chosen a recipe for the demand for a steak Chuck meal to compare with local grocery prices.
According to my calculations, hellofresh meal sets would only cost $ 6.55 After serving to buy the groceries and make your meals yourself. It is about $ 2.50 cheaper than the average Hellofresh's $ 9 per serving plan, and that's all before being a factor in your weekly $ 11 delivery price. If you want to expand that delivery fee to two or three meal sets, the actual service costs are more than $ 11 to $ 12.
Hellofresh may have one of the largest weekly menu of meal sets and user orders interface, but as it turns out, the popular service does not offer as much value as other meal sets.
Hellofresh vs. purchase of groceries
| Looking for lemon carrots and couscous | |
|---|---|
| Ingredient: | Price: |
| Looking foramunds, 10 ml | $ 7.56 |
| Carrots, 12 ml | $ 1.50 |
| Lemon, 1 | $ 0.57 |
| Kim, 1 tsp | $ 0.23 |
| Israeli couscous, 2.5 ml | $ 0.75 |
| Cilantro, ¼ ml | 1 $ |
| Garlic, 2 cloves | $ 0.20 |
| Chili flakes, 1 tbsp | $ 0.23 |
| Vegetable stock concentrate, 1 package | 1 $ |
| Total: | $ 13.04 |
| Per serving: | $ 6.52 |
| Cutting a steak from balsamic | |
| Ingredient: | Price: |
| Potatoes, 12 ml | $ 1.50 |
| Lemon, 1 | $ 0.57 |
| Italian spices, 1 tsp | $ 0.50 |
| Garlic powder, 1 tps | $ 0.23 |
| Ranch steak, 10 ml | $ 6 |
| Mixed greenery, 2 ml | $ 0.70 |
| Dressing Caesar, 1.5 ml | $ 0.45 |
| Croutons, 2 ml | 1.00 USD |
| Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons | $ 1.50 |
| Balsamic glaze, 5 tsp | $ 0.80 |
| Total: | $ 13.17 |
| Per serving: | $ 6.59 |
Each plate is the same as buying groceries
Meals with each meal ranged in $ 5.40 per serving when the ingredients were purchased at the store. It's just a hair cheaper than the service, making it great if you're trying to save time and energy.
Each plate Two meal sets cost $ 4.98 and $ 5.82 when La Carte in grocery store is purchased, which is an average $ 5.40. It is only 60 cents less than the cost of servicing the meal sets on each plate, which cost $ 6 per serving no matter what plan you choose.
Add the cost of delivery of $ 10 per box and the meal kit cost a little creep, but it is still about the same price as the purchase of all groceries themselves.
The meal kit menus on each plate are not much in the way of steak or seafood, to expect more budget -friendly proteins, such as chicken, minced beef and pork. Each plate meal is also easy to make and satisfactory, making our highest choice for the inexpensive meal kit in 2024.
Each plate versus purchasing groceries
| Meatballs from cherry with zucchini and garlic mashed potatoes | |
|---|---|
| Ingredients: | Price: |
| Potatoes, 12 ml | $ 1.50 |
| White bread, 2 pieces | $ 0.50 |
| Zucchini, 1 | $ 2 |
| Minced beef, 8 ml | $ 3.50 |
| Cherry jam, 1 ml | $ 0.85 |
| Garlic powder | $ 0.10 |
| Sour cream, 4 ml | 1 $ |
| I'm sauce, 1 ml | $ 0.50 |
| Total | $ 9.95 |
| Per serving | $ 4.98 |
| Blurred pork chops with potatoes and carrots | |
| Ingredients: | Price: |
| Carrots, 12 ml | $ 1.50 |
| Potatoes, 12 ml | $ 1.50 |
| Yellow onions, 1 | 1 $ |
| Shells, 2 | $ 0.50 |
| Colorless pork chops, 10 ml | $ 4.93 |
| A concentrate of chicken reserves | 1 $ |
| Cain pepper | $ 0.25 |
| Sour cream, 4 ml | 1 $ |
| Total | $ 11.63 |
| Per serving | $ 5.82 |
To get the most out of the delivery of your meal, see my guide Hacking subscription for meal delivery in 2025.