Meal prep vs meal kits vs takeout: the honest comparison

MEAL PREP: WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS

Meal prep means cooking multiple meals at once (usually Sunday) and eating them throughout the week.

You spend 1-3 hours cooking. You portion everything into containers. You eat the same meals Monday through Friday.

THE PROS:

Cheapest option by far

Meal prep costs $60-80 per week for all meals.

You're buying ingredients in bulk and cooking yourself. No markup. No delivery fees.

Total control over ingredients

You know exactly what's in your food. No hidden sugar, seed oils, or excessive sodium.

You control portions, macros, and calories.

No daily decisions

Once it's prepped, there's no "what should I eat?" stress.

You open the fridge. Your meal is there. Heat and eat.

Fastest option during the week

Weekday meals take 3-5 minutes (reheat and eat).

No cooking. No waiting for delivery. No driving to pick up food.

THE CONS:

Requires 1-3 hours on your day off

Sunday afternoon is spent cooking instead of relaxing.

This is the biggest barrier. You're trading weekend time for weekday convenience.

Food gets boring

You're eating the same 2-3 meals all week.

By Thursday, you're sick of seeing that chicken and rice.

Food quality degrades

Day 1: Fresh and delicious Day 4: Still edible but not great Day 5: Soggy vegetables, dried out protein

Some foods don't hold up well (salads get wilted, crispy foods get mushy).

Requires planning skills

You need to know what to cook, what ingredients to buy, and how much to make.

If you mess up the plan, you're stuck eating something you don't like all week.

Storage space needed

You need 10+ containers in your fridge.

If you have a small fridge or live with roommates, this is tough.

THE REAL COST:

Groceries: $60-80 per week Time: 1-3 hours on Sunday, 3-5 minutes per weekday meal Total weekly cost: $60-80

MEAL KITS: WHAT THEY ACTUALLY ARE

Meal kits are services like HelloFresh, Blue Apron, or Factor that deliver pre-portioned ingredients or ready-to-cook meals to your door.

You follow their recipe cards. You cook the meals yourself (or just heat them if pre-made).

THE PROS:

No meal planning or shopping

Ingredients arrive at your door. Recipes included. You don't think about what to make.

This is the biggest selling point. Zero mental energy spent on decisions.

Teaches you to cook

Recipe cards are detailed with pictures. You learn new techniques and flavor combinations.

If you don't know how to cook, meal kits are like cooking school.

Portion-controlled

No food waste. You get exactly what you need for 2-4 servings.

No buying a full bottle of sauce you'll use once and throw away.

Variety

Different meals every week. You're not eating the same thing repeatedly.

Reduces food boredom significantly.

Faster than meal planning yourself

You skip the planning, shopping, and measuring. Just cook the recipe.

Meals take 20-40 minutes to prepare.

THE CONS:

Expensive

Meal kits cost $8-12 per serving.

For one person eating dinner only: $56-84 per week For two people, three dinners: $48-72 per week For a family of four: $100-150+ per week

You're paying for convenience and packaging.

Still requires cooking

You're not saving time compared to cooking yourself. You're saving planning time.

If you hate cooking, meal kits don't solve that problem.

Massive packaging waste

Every ingredient is individually packaged. Tons of plastic and cardboard.

Environmentally, it's terrible.

Doesn't teach meal planning skills

You're dependent on the service. You never learn to plan your own meals.

If you cancel, you're back to square one.

Limited customization

Picky eater? Food allergies? You're limited to their menu options.

You can't fully control ingredients or portions.

Doesn't cover all meals

Most meal kits are dinner only. You still need to figure out breakfast and lunch.

THE REAL COST:

Meal kit: $50-100+ per week (dinner only) Time: 20-40 minutes per meal You still need breakfast and lunch: +$30-50 Total weekly cost: $80-150+

TAKEOUT: WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS

Takeout means ordering food from restaurants or using delivery apps (DoorDash, Uber Eats).

You don't cook. You don't prep. Someone makes the food and brings it to you.

THE PROS:

Zero time spent cooking

You order. You wait 30-45 minutes. You eat.

No cooking. No cleanup. No effort.

Maximum variety

You can eat different cuisine every single day.

Thai Monday, Mexican Tuesday, Indian Wednesday. Never boring.

No planning needed

Decide what you want in the moment. No thinking ahead required.

No grocery shopping

You never set foot in a grocery store.

Scales to any occasion

Eating alone? Order for one. Feeding a family? Order for everyone. Having friends over? Order a bunch of different dishes.

THE CONS:

Extremely expensive

Restaurant meal: $12-18 Delivery fee: $3-6 Service fee: $2-4 Tip: $3-5 Total per meal: $20-35

For one person, three meals a day: $420-735 per week Even just dinner: $140-245 per week

Completely unpredictable nutrition

You have no idea how much oil, butter, sugar, or sodium is in restaurant food.

Portions are huge. A single restaurant meal can be 1200-2000 calories.

"Healthy" salads often have 800+ calories from dressing and toppings.

Hidden calories sabotage your goals

You think you're eating well. You're not losing weight. Because that "grilled chicken" is cooked in butter and oil you don't see.

Takes longer than you think

Browsing menus: 10 minutes Placing order: 5 minutes Delivery wait: 30-45 minutes Total: 45-60 minutes

Meal prep is faster (3 minutes to reheat).

Food quality is inconsistent

Sometimes great. Sometimes terrible. You never know.

Cold fries. Soggy burgers. Wrong order. Missing items.

Creates dependency

You never learn to cook. You're completely reliant on restaurants.

When money gets tight, you don't have the skills to cook for yourself.

THE REAL COST:

Takeout for dinner only: $140-245 per week Takeout for all meals: $420-735 per week Time: 45-60 minutes per meal (browsing + waiting)

THE HONEST SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON

Let's compare all three for a single person eating dinner only, 5 nights per week.

COST:

Meal Prep: $60-80/week Meal Kits: $50-100/week Takeout: $140-245/week

TIME INVESTMENT:

Meal Prep: 1-3 hours Sunday + 15-25 min weekdays (3-5 min/meal × 5) = ~2-3.5 hours total Meal Kits: 100-200 min weekdays (20-40 min/meal × 5) = ~1.5-3.5 hours total Takeout: 225-300 min weekdays (45-60 min/meal × 5) = ~4-5 hours total

HEALTH/NUTRITION:

Meal Prep: Full control, consistent macros, you know exactly what you're eating Meal Kits: Mostly healthy, portion-controlled, but some recipes are high in sodium/fat Takeout: Unpredictable, usually high in calories/sodium/fat, huge portions

VARIETY:

Meal Prep: Low (same 2-3 meals all week) Meal Kits: High (different meals every night) Takeout: Maximum (unlimited options)

SKILL REQUIRED:

Meal Prep: High (need to plan, shop, cook multiple dishes) Meal Kits: Low-Medium (follow recipe cards) Takeout: None (just order)

MENTAL LOAD:

Meal Prep: High upfront (planning/shopping), zero during week Meal Kits: Low (no planning/shopping), medium during cooking Takeout: Medium every single day (decision fatigue from choosing)

WHO EACH OPTION ACTUALLY WORKS FOR

MEAL PREP WORKS FOR YOU IF:

You're on a tight budget and need to save money

You have specific fitness/health goals and need to control macros

You don't mind eating the same foods repeatedly

You can dedicate 1-3 hours on a weekend day

You have decent cooking skills

You have enough fridge space for containers

Example person: Someone trying to lose weight, build muscle, or save money. Someone with a predictable schedule who values efficiency over variety.

MEAL KITS WORK FOR YOU IF:

You want to learn how to cook

You hate meal planning and grocery shopping

You value variety and trying new recipes

You have the budget ($200-400/month for 2 people, dinners only)

You don't mind cooking 20-40 minutes each night

You're not feeding a large family (gets very expensive)

Example person: A couple with decent income who wants home-cooked meals without the planning hassle. Someone who enjoys cooking but doesn't want to think about what to make.

TAKEOUT WORKS FOR YOU IF:

Money isn't a concern (you can afford $600-1000+/month on food)

You genuinely hate cooking and have zero interest in learning

Your schedule is extremely unpredictable

You travel constantly for work

You value maximum variety and convenience above all else

You don't have specific health/fitness goals

Example person: High-income professional working 60+ hours per week. Someone who travels constantly. Someone who prioritizes time over money.

THE HYBRID APPROACH (WHAT MOST PEOPLE ACTUALLY DO)

Here's what actually works for most people: A combination.

Nobody meal preps every single meal for their entire life. Nobody does takeout for every meal unless they're very wealthy.

The realistic hybrid:

Sunday: Meal prep 3-4 dinners Monday-Wednesday: Eat prepped meals Thursday: Meal kit or cook something fresh (break the monotony) Friday: Takeout (treat yourself, you earned it) Saturday-Sunday: Cook fresh or eat out

Or:

Weekday breakfasts: Meal prep (overnight oats, egg muffins) Weekday lunches: Meal prep (chicken and rice, salads) Weekday dinners: Mix of meal kits (3x) + takeout (2x) Weekends: Whatever you want

Or:

Busy weeks: Lean on meal kits and takeout Normal weeks: Meal prep Broke weeks: Full meal prep to save money

The key is flexibility. Use the tool that fits your current situation.

THE BIGGEST MISTAKES PEOPLE MAKE

MISTAKE 1: TRYING TO MEAL PREP EVERYTHING

You meal prep 15 meals on Sunday. By Thursday, you're so sick of the food you order takeout anyway.

The food goes to waste. You wasted 3 hours and $80.

Better approach: Meal prep 5-8 meals. Leave room for variety.

MISTAKE 2: THINKING MEAL KITS ARE HEALTHY BY DEFAULT

Meal kits are portion-controlled, but many recipes are loaded with butter, cream, cheese, and sodium.

That "healthy" chicken dish? 800 calories with 60g of fat.

Read nutrition info before assuming it's healthy.

MISTAKE 3: RELYING ON TAKEOUT AND WONDERING WHY YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT

"I'm eating grilled chicken salads and poke bowls. Why am I gaining weight?"

Because that salad has 600 calories of dressing, cheese, and croutons.

Restaurant food is designed to taste good, not be healthy. Hidden calories are everywhere.

MISTAKE 4: COMPARING YOURSELF TO INSTAGRAM

Fitness influencers meal prep 21 perfect meals every Sunday.

They also get paid to do that. It's their job.

You have a full-time job, family, and life. Stop comparing.

MISTAKE 5: GIVING UP AFTER ONE BAD WEEK

You meal prep once. The food is bland. You throw it out.

"Meal prep doesn't work for me."

No. You need better recipes and seasoning. Try again.

THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT FOOD PREPARATION

There's no "best" option. There's only what works for your life right now.

Meal prep is cheapest and healthiest but requires time and discipline.

Meal kits are convenient and teach you to cook but are expensive.

Takeout is easiest but destroys your budget and health goals.

Most people need a mix of all three depending on the week.

The goal isn't to be perfect. The goal is to be intentional.

If you're ordering takeout every night, ask yourself: Is this because I genuinely don't have time, or because I haven't built the habit of cooking?

If you're meal prepping and miserable, ask yourself: Do I need to add more variety? Can I meal prep less and cook fresh more?

If you're spending $150/week on meal kits, ask yourself: Could I learn these recipes and cook them myself for half the price?

There's no shame in any approach. But there is value in understanding what you're trading off.

ONE MORE THING YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK

Don't overhaul your entire food system overnight.

Just do ONE thing this week:

Track what you're actually spending and doing right now.

Write down:

• How much you spent on food this week (all sources)

• How much time you spent on food (cooking, ordering, waiting)

• How many meals were takeout vs. homemade vs. meal kits

You can't improve what you don't measure.

Most people think they spend $100/week on food. They actually spend $250.

Most people think takeout is faster. It's actually slower than reheating prepped food.

Track for one week. See the real numbers. Then decide what to change.

Maybe you realize you're spending $800/month on takeout and you're fine with that.

Or maybe you realize you could cut that in half by meal prepping lunches only.

The right answer is different for everyone.

But you need to know your baseline first.

Here's to finding what actually works for your life!
Sarah

P.S. - The single most important thing? Be honest about what you'll actually stick to. The "best" option is the one you'll do consistently. If you hate meal prep, don't force it. If takeout is destroying your budget, make one small change. Progress beats perfection every single time.