The Real Cost of Convenience: Is Cooking at Home Actually Cheaper?
It’s 6pm. You’re tired. Do you cook, hit the drive-thru, or grab a store made meal? This is a tale as old as time. We live in a very busy time. Whether you work full time outside of the home, are a remote warrior, or manage a household and maybe some children, life is busy. And what and how we feed ourselves can feel like just another item on our never ending to do lists. Decision fatigue is real. So we tend to reach for convenience items that are premade. It’s understandable. Many people assume fast food or grocery meals are cheaper but that’s not always the case. In this blog post I’ll breakdown cost comparisons of common convenience options as well as the hidden long term costs (time, health, and stress).
Option 1: Fast Food — cheap, but at what cost?
Here is a real life cost breakdown of common orders at popular fast food chains:
Average meal: $9-13/person
McDonalds: Quarter pounder with cheese combo (includes fries and a drink) — $10.69
Chipotle: Burrito/Burrito bowl with rice, beans, chicken, salsa, sour cream (no add ons) — $11.35
Starbucks: Bacon egg and cheese breakfast sandwich + a grande vanilla latte (whole milk + vanilla flavor) — $11.50
Panera: Turkey and cheddar sandwich with an apple — $10.29
Scaled up for a family of 4: $36-50
So if you ate at one of these fast food chains for at least one meal five nights a week you’re spending approximately $55 on meals. But that leaves you with 16 other meals unaccounted for (assuming you are eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner — which let’s be honest, you should be). If you ate every single meal at one of these chains you’d be spending ~$231 on food for a single person for a week. Now let’s say you skip breakfast you’d still be spending about $154 a week on meals for one. Now I know that may sound drastic but I just want to throw these numbers out there so we can see how they compare to eating at home.
I’d be remiss to ignore the nutritional aspect of these fast food meals. Here is a quick calorie, macronutrient, fiber, and sugar breakdown of each of these meals:
Starbucks bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich + vanilla latte:
Calories: 550
Sugar: 22g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 19g
Carbs: 35g
Fat: 18g
Panera turkey and cheddar sandwich + apple:
Calories: 790
Sugar: 16g
Fiber: 12g
Protein: 47g
Carbs: 62g
Fat: 32g
McDonalds Quarter pounder with cheese, fries, and a diet soda:
Calories: 840
Sugar: 11g
Fiber: 5-6g
Protein: 30-35g
Carbs: 42-50g
Fat: 40g
Chipotle chicken bowl with rice, black beans, salsa, sour cream:
Calories: 750
Sugar: 5g
Fiber: 20g
Protein: 40g
Carbs: 62g
Fat: 25g
Most of these meals are quite high in calories for a single meal. The chipotle option is very high in protein and fiber and low in sugar making it a relatively balanced meal that I would definitely eat. However, I think you could make the exact thing at home for a fraction of the price — but I’ll save that for later. The McDonalds option is high in protein but very low in fiber. It’s fat content is quite high for a single meal and there’s a good chance those fats are coming from inflammatory oils that the fries are deep fried in. The Panera option is a good source of protein and an okay source of fiber but is high in calories and carbs. I felt generous in saying that the person ordered the apple instead of chips. Lastly, the Starbucks option is the lowest in calories but extremely low in fiber and very high in sugar. You could get the sugar down by opting for a sugar free syrup or doing a plain latte but it’s still not the greatest option from a nutrition standpoint due to preparation techniques — however, in a pinch it’s not a horrible option.
Here’s the thing: fast food meals are designed to taste good and be convenient—not to nourish you. While some options (like Chipotle) might offer more fiber and protein, the majority are still ultra-processed, high in sodium, and low in nutrients that actually keep you full and energized. What they all have in common? A premium price tag for the illusion of a full meal.
And let’s not forget: these meals are made with profit in mind—not your health. Inflammatory oils, hidden sugars, and minimal veggies are standard. Even when you're choosing the “healthier” option, you're still paying for fast food infrastructure, marketing, and convenience—not ingredient quality.
So yes, they can work occasionally, and sometimes they’re your only option. But they aren’t built to support your long-term health—or your wallet. Making meals at home might take a little more time upfront, but it puts you back in control: of your ingredients, your portions, and your outcomes.
Option 2: Grocery Store Premade or Packaged Meals
These types of meals include premade salads, deli pasta bowls, frozen entrees, rotisserie chicken, premade sides, and hot/salad bars.
Single serve meals: $6-12
Family options (rotisserie + sides): $25-35
Pros of these options: some are healthier than the fast food, no prep
Cons: hidden sodium, preservatives, not always satisfying, still generates food waste
The macro breakdown for this salad is as follows:
Calories: 475
Protein: 30g
Carbs: 30g
Fat: 19g
Fiber: 10g
Overall, this is a very nutritious option that will be filling and provide you with important vitamins and minerals.
A salad from Whole Foods costs $11.99/lb. So let’s build a balanced salad that weighs a pound.
2 cups chopped romaine
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
3 oz grilled chicken breast
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup roasted sweet potato
1 oz avocado
1 tsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp olive oil + lemon vinaigrette
So this is a great option if you are looking for a healthier option away from the home. However, the salad bar isn’t the only prepared option available at the store. And because you aren’t the one who prepared the food its hard to know all the ingredients and what the preparation techniques were. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad option it just may not be the best in the long run. And it still cost you about $12 for one meal. Let’s look at what it would cost to make that same salad at home:
Romaine lettuce: $0.57
Red cabbage: $0.23
Carrots: $0.12
Quinoa: $0.30
Sweet potato: $0.11
Chicken breast: $0.80
Avocado: $0.35
Pumpkin seeds: $0.13
Olive oil/lemon vinaigrette: $0.20
Grand Total: $2.81
Let’s say you want to include your time in the cost analysis. Great. We’ll value our time at about $25/hour. We’ll estimate driving time, ingredient selection, check out, and unloading time takes 45 minutes. Prep time will take us another 45 minutes. So that’s an hour and a half. But since we’re buying ingredients whole at the grocery store we’re making 4 salads instead of just 1. I don’t make the rules this just makes sense. So our time costs us $37.50. And our ingredients are going to be $11.24. (I understand there will be some variation in this because you may need to buy a bag of pumpkin seeds that is more than what you’ll be using but I’m making this as close to true cost as possible so bear with me). That’s $48.74 divided by 4 meals is $12.19/salad. Now, in my opinion, I’d rather pocket that $37.50 I paid myself for my time and spend it on something else but that’s just me. However, if you’re looking for a time saving, health conscious, and convenient option the salad bar can be priced competitively to your homemade salad but only when you are accounting for your time for money. Also, this was a generous comparison. This is assuming you’re choosing one of the healthiest options and not opting for some of the deli options that are less than ideal.
While salad bars can be a solid grab-and-go option when you’re short on time, many other premade meals at grocery stores aren’t quite as friendly to your health or wallet. Think deli pasta salads loaded with mayo and added sugars, frozen entrees packed with sodium and preservatives, or packaged meals with oversized portions that encourage overeating. These options often cost as much—or more—than eating out, without the nutritional benefit you might expect.
Plus, many premade meals rely on ingredients that don’t always prioritize freshness or quality, which can affect both taste and health. And because you’re not the one preparing them, you have less control over hidden additives, portion sizes, or allergens. It’s also worth noting that premade meals sometimes generate more food waste, since they often come in single-use packaging or don’t keep as well once opened. Over time, this adds not only to your grocery bill but also to environmental costs.
When you factor in time and money together, the convenience of these meals might justify their cost occasionally—but it’s important to be selective. Choosing the healthiest premade options, like a thoughtfully built salad bar plate, can be worth it when time is tight. But if you’re consistently relying on these, it’s likely costing you more—both financially and nutritionally—than cooking at home.
Option 3: Cooking at Home — The Most Affordable Route
I know the cost of groceries is up there. I also understand that the upfront cost of groceries may make eating at home feel a bit more expensive than other options. With that being said, typically the price per serving is much lower.
For example:
Simple bowls (e.g. chicken, rice, broccoli): ~$2-3/serving
Soups, stews, casseroles: ~$1.50-2.50/serving
Salads and wraps: ~$2.50-4/serving
A bag of rice, a bottle of olive oil, or a pack of spices may seem expensive at first but these stretch across dozens of meals, significantly lowering per meal cost over time. Buying ingredients that work across multiple recipes help manage waste and budget. For example, if you buy a head of cabbage and only need half of it for a coleslaw recipe you want to try plan for another meal during the week that uses green cabbage. Maybe a quinoa bowl with shredded cabbage or if you can’t think of a way you’d like to use it make some sauerkraut.
I know that your time is valuable and that it is incredibly important. That’s why I started Happy & Holistic — both my private chef services as well as my meal delivery. However, let’s look at this graph straight from my course project for my Economics for Food and Nutrition Policy course. This outlines time spent in various daily activities based on BMI.
As you can see in this graph all BMI groups spend a relatively low amount of time on grocery shopping and meal prep daily. Less than an hour per day. The overweight and obese groups spend the least time on meal prep as well as the least amount of time eating and drinking. Time spent preparing food at home appears to correlate better weight outcomes. And while this isn’t a causal relationship, this trend aligns with evidence showing that home cooked meals are:
lower in calories and sodium
higher in fiber, nutrients, and portion control
more likely to align with health goals than convenience or restaurant foods
Final Thoughts: The True Cost of Convenience
When we break it all down, even the so-called "cheap" fast food meals add up quickly—especially when you're feeding more than one person. A $10 meal here and there might not seem like much, but over the course of a week or a month, it can cost significantly more than cooking at home.
Grocery store options, like salad bars or hot meals, can be a great in-a-pinch alternative. If you're short on time and willing to pay a bit more for the convenience, choosing smart, nutrient-dense options (like protein + produce + healthy fats) makes a big difference. And when you factor in the value of your time—especially if you’re juggling a packed schedule—sometimes these premade meals make sense.
But if we're strictly talking about cost per serving, nutritional quality, and long-term health outcomes, cooking at home still wins.
That said, not everyone has the same access to a full kitchen, storage space, or even the confidence to prepare meals from scratch. Food literacy, housing, and time constraints are real barriers—and they deserve to be part of the conversation.
We also have to consider the long-term costs of relying too heavily on convenience foods. Research shows that people who spend more time preparing meals at home tend to have healthier diets and lower BMIs. In fact, adults with overweight or obesity spend less time on grocery shopping, meal prep, and even eating and drinking compared to those in a healthy weight range. Home cooking isn’t just about saving money—it’s an investment in your future well-being.
If you're in the Bozeman area and want support getting nourishing meals on your table without the daily stress, I offer local meal prep and delivery services that bridge the gap between home-cooked nutrition and convenience—whether you want fully prepped meals or just help getting organized. No pressure, just help when you need it.
Because at the end of the day, food should fuel you—not stress you out.
Bonus Point: The Cost of Being Sick
And here's the bottom line: the cost of convenience doesn’t stop at your wallet—it shows up in your long-term health and, ultimately, your quality of life. Chronic diseases tied to poor diet quality—like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity—are not only preventable in many cases, but incredibly expensive to manage once they develop. According to the CDC, diagnosed diabetes costs the U.S. healthcare system $327 billion each year, with the average person spending over $16,000 annually on medical expenses—most of which are directly linked to the disease. Heart disease carries an even heavier burden, costing more than $239 billion annually in medical bills, medications, and lost productivity. And obesity-related conditions cost an estimated $170 billion per year, with individuals who have obesity paying an extra $1,429 annually on average for medical care.
These aren't just statistics—they reflect real consequences for real people: missed workdays, reduced energy, limited mobility, and compounding expenses that impact not just your finances but your freedom.
And beyond personal costs, we all pay for chronic disease through rising insurance premiums, taxes, and healthcare spending. Whether or not you’re the one diagnosed, the ripple effects touch all of us. The more we invest in prevention—through food, movement, sleep, and stress management—the more we protect our shared resources and reduce the load on a system that’s already stretched thin.
Cooking at home isn’t just about saving a few bucks on dinner—it’s one of the most powerful forms of self-care and community care we have access to. It’s how we reclaim our health, one meal at a time.
