If you want to spend less time hot stove But it’s still good to eat this summerthere are some modern meal shortcuts available. Delivery and Delivery is one way to lighten your load, but all subscriptions can get expensive. meal kit Meal prep services are another dinner tip, but are they cheap?
To find out, I listed the average costs of a variety of popular takeout and delivery options near my home and compared it to the average cost per serving of some of our top-rated, affordable meal kits, like EveryPlate Compare Blue Apron and prepared meal delivery services, including Daily Harvest and Factor.
That’s it I did the math And a snapshot of how much cheaper a prepared meal or meal kit subscription will be compared to takeout or delivery in 2024.
Takeaways add up. We calculated how much you could save by having food delivered.
Here’s how much delivery costs on average
This isn’t the most straightforward answer, as there are no universal fees for food delivery. Instead, we had to use some ballpark figures and averages to find a number to compare to meal kits and prepared meal services.
The cost of restaurant delivery varies by region, but this report shows the average cost of restaurant delivery is approximately $13. To test this, I calculated the takeout costs for a variety of popular dishes from mid-range restaurants in Brooklyn, New York City.
Delivery fee
| Chicken Tenders with French Fries | cheeseburger and fries | Pepperoni Pizza | Chicken Burrito | Chicken fried rice | Thai chicken pad | macaroni and cheese | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| portion size | 1 order | 1 order | 1 small pizza | 1 burrito | 1 quart | 1 order | 2 cups |
| Delivery fee | $10.99 | $13.69 | $15.09 | $14.25 | $11.75 | $11.50 | $13.29 |
| transportation cost | $18.86 | $23.79 | $24.25 | $24.40 | $16.88 | $19.45 | $24.98 |
From there, I averaged the meals to find the approximate cost per serving for restaurant delivery. On average for any meal out you will get $12.90 For an average take out meal. Fits pretty well with other data I’ve found on average meal costs. If you want to tip the person at the counter a few bucks, it’s about $15.
Delivery costs are significantly higher as it usually includes an app service fee, delivery fee and a higher tip. For takeout, the cost of the average meal is staggering $21.80.
Taking out is tempting, but it can quickly disrupt your budget and eating habits.
While these are technically “one-piece” meals, you could certainly argue that a typical order of pad thai, lamb curry, or chicken fried rice is suitable for more than one serving. That said, most of the meal boxes I make also have more servings than advertised. Meal kits that “serve two” are usually more like meals in my house, and I’m a pretty good eater (just ask my mom). So let’s just call it a wash.
Are set meals cheaper than delivery?
In a previous breakdown we outlined how much cheaper Take away classics that you can make at home. In another example, we price based on meal kits Buy all the groceries to make your own. Here, we work out how much cheaper per portion it is to use meal kits than takeout. Since meal plan plans vary based on the number of meals and portions you order, I used the average price, the mid-range meal plan price, and the cheapest plan for each meal service to compare their performance.
Delivery fees and package fees (average plan)
| Serve | cost per serving |
|---|---|
| per plate | $7 |
| dinner | $7 |
| blue apron | $8.49 |
| hello fresh | 10 USD |
| home cook | 10 USD |
| sun basket | $14 |
| wolf | $14 |
| green chef | $13.49 |
| take out | 15 dollars |
| deliver goods | $21.80 |
As shown below, affordable meal kits like EveryPlate and Diningly cost about half the price of a typical to-go meal. If you order a delivery service and pay all these extra fees, your typical meal will cost about three times as much as the cheapest meal kit service. Even the most expensive meal kits cost less than the average takeout meal.
Delivery fees and package fees (cheapest plan)
| Serve | cost per serving |
|---|---|
| per plate | 5 USD |
| dinner | $6 |
| blue apron | $8 |
| hello fresh | $9 |
| home cook | $9 |
| sun basket | 10 USD |
| purple carrot | $12 |
| wolf | $12 |
| green chef | $12 |
| take out | 15 dollars |
| deliver goods | $21.80 |
You can save even more if you choose the cheapest plan from the various services (which is usually available when you buy more meals each week). The cheapest meal packages average about one-third the price of takeout, which is more than 75% cheaper than delivery.
How much cheaper is pre-meal delivery than takeout?
Family meals at Mosaic Foods are only $6 each.
Prepared meal services, e.g. Fresh N Lean, cook unity and factor Much closer to takeout and delivery as there is no preparation or cooking required, just heat and eat. While the difference between prepared meal delivery and takeout is smaller than meal kits, most services are still cheaper than most to-go orders and cheaper than delivery at nearly $22 per meal.
If you choose the following services mosaic food (one of my favorite restaurants) offers larger family meals so you can save a ton compared to take out, portions are $6 which is much less than the cost of a typical take out meal.
Delivery Costs vs. Prepared Meal Delivery Costs
| Serve | Cost per serving (cheapest plan) |
|---|---|
| mosaic food | $6 |
| Fresh N Lean | $9 |
| daily harvest | $9 |
| cook unified | $11 |
| factor | $11 |
| Pete’s Real Food | $14 |
| take out | 15 dollars |
| deliver goods | $21.80 |
Is food delivery healthier than takeout?
You’re more likely to make poor eating decisions when ordering food delivery than by pre-planning your meals through a food delivery service.
There is no easy way to measure the overall health of meal delivery versus meal kits or prepared meal delivery. I will say this from my own experience: if you choose a large number of meals for this week or the coming weeks on an informative website, you are probably more likely to choose some healthy, protein-rich dishes than if you were to As you peruse all the tempting options on the to-go menu, you feel hungry.
The meal kit service shows you all the ingredients and nutritional information so you can make an informed decision about your upcoming meal.
Meal kits and meal delivery services show you all ingredient and nutritional information, including calories, protein, carbs, sugar and salt, at the time of selection, so you can carefully decide what you want on your table in the days and weeks ahead.
Any questions? With meal kits, you need to cook your own meals, but most of them do all the measurements for you ahead of time, and some even do the prep work, so dinner only takes 20 minutes from start to finish. Services such as blue apron and home cook Ready-to-eat meals are also available and take just five minutes to prepare, plus cooking time. Prepared meal delivery is more akin to the convenience of food delivery.
Bottom line: Meal kit or prepared meal delivery may be the answer to your restaurant delivery budget woes. Choose the right one, like any of this CNET-tested list The best healthy meal delivery service It may also lead to you developing healthy eating habits.
