Debate: Are meal kits actually cheaper than grocery shopping? I visited a Hello Fresh facility and saw how they pack stuff.

I went to a Hello Fresh distribution center in Columbus a few weeks ago on a tour. It got me thinking about the cost debate: meal kits are like $60 for 3 dinners for two, but I can make the same meals from scratch for maybe $35 if I buy in bulk. The waste is way less with kits though they charge for convenience, but my local Aldi has been pushing budget meal bundles for $25 a week. Which side you on: paying for the planning or still think grocery shopping wins every time?

2 comments

2 Comments

ross.river1mo agoTop Commenter

You can make the same meals from scratch for maybe $35" but that's assuming you already have a fully stocked pantry with spices oils and staples. My kitchen has a jar of smoked paprika from 2020 and a bottle of soy sauce I bought for a single recipe. The hidden cost is the 15 different ingredients you need to buy at once that you'll never use again. With meal kits you're only paying for exactly what you need and nothing sits in your cabinet until it expires. I waste less food and less mental energy figuring out what to do with half a bag of cilantro.

the_derek1mo ago

Oh man, I feel you on that. Reminds me of my buddy Tim who bought a whole bag of shallots for one recipe and then had to figure out what to do with the other five for a week straight. He ended up making onion soup that nobody asked for. And then the cilantro thing is real too - I swear every meal kit knows exactly how much to give you so you're not stuck with a sad wilting herb bundle staring at you from the fridge. @ross.river has a good point about the upfront pantry cost being a hidden tax on cooking from scratch, but I think the mental load part is the bigger deal for me. It's just easier to open a box and have a plan handed to you instead of inventing a use for that smoked paprika you bought three years ago.