Meal Prep Cost Per Meal

Per-serving cost of batch cooking and savings vs eating out.

Item

Cost ($)

Item

Cost ($)

Item

Cost ($)

Item

Cost ($)

Item

Cost ($)

Servings produced

Restaurant equivalent ($)

Cost per meal

$5

$84 saved vs eating out

Total ingredient cost$36

Servings8

Per meal$5

Don't forget to count consumables (oil, spices, containers if disposable) but reusable containers don't count after the first time. Most office workers spend 2-3x more eating out for lunch. The convenience cost of cooking once and eating five times is the real win, not just the dollars.

About

List ingredients with cost, set how many servings the batch makes, and a restaurant comparison. Get cost per meal and dollars saved versus eating out the same number of times.

How to use

List ingredients and costs.
Set servings.
Read per-meal cost.

FAQ

Should I count my time?+

Up to you. If you'd genuinely be working those 90 minutes instead of cooking, factor it. For most people the meal prep replaces TV time, so the time cost is closer to zero.