Meal Prep Batch Calculator
Enter meals to cover, portions per batch, what a batch of ingredients costs, and your real takeout price. The calculator gives cost per meal, weekly savings, batches to cook, and the year figure.
The takeout number is the honest one - fee, tip and tax add roughly a third on top of the menu price. The honest counterweight is batch fatigue: freeze half the batch and run two recipes a week, because five identical dinners by Wednesday is how the habit dies.
How to use
- Count the weekday meals you actually buy, not ideal ones.
- Price a batch from your last grocery receipt, not an aspirational one.
- Freeze half of every batch - variety is what makes prep stick.
Frequently asked questions
How much does meal prep save per week?
At 3 dollars per batch meal against 14 dollar takeout, five weekday meals save about 55 dollars a week - over 2,600 a year on 48 working weeks. The calculator prices your real portions and your real takeout habit.
Is meal prep actually cheaper than cooking daily?
Marginally cheaper on ingredients - the real win is time and the takeout it replaces. Bulk ingredients, one cook session and zero delivery fees beat both daily cooking and daily ordering.
How do I avoid getting bored of meal prep?
Two recipes per week with the freezer as the variety engine: cook one batch, freeze half, pull a different cuisine next week. The fatigue is real and the rotation is the standard fix.
What do delivery fees really add?
App fee, service fee, tip and tax typically add 30 percent or more over the menu price - the number on the checkout screen, not the menu, is the honest takeout figure for this comparison.