If you’ve ever looked at a pre-made meal and thought, “I could make that for less,” you're not wrong. But you're also not totally right. When you factor in time, ingredients, food waste, and your sanity, meal delivery can actually be the smarter—and sometimes even cheaper—option. Here's why.
⏰ Time Is Money (Literally)
Let’s say it takes you an hour to grocery shop, an hour to cook, and 30 minutes to clean up. That’s 2.5 hours per meal. Even if you’re fast, you’re still spending a solid chunk of your week just dealing with dinner.
Now ask yourself: what’s your time worth? Whether you're working, parenting, working out, or just trying to enjoy your life, those hours matter.
With meal delivery, you just heat and eat. That’s it. At Pete’s Real Food, your meals arrive fully cooked, fresh (never frozen), and ready in minutes.
🥦 Real Ingredients = Real Cost
Sure, you could make something similar at home, but to match the quality of our ingredients, you’d need:
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Responsibly raised proteins
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Fresh seasonal produce
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Specialty oils and spices
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Time and effort to prep everything properly
And let’s not forget the one-off ingredients that cost $7.99 and get used once.
When you break down the per-serving cost, the gap between cooking from scratch and ordering high-quality prepared meals isn’t as wide as you think.
🗑️ Food Waste Adds Up
We’ve all been there: you buy fresh herbs or veggies with the best intentions, and they die a slow, forgotten death in the fridge drawer.
Wasted food = wasted money. With meal delivery, there’s zero waste. You get what you need, nothing more, nothing less.
🧮 Quick Comparison: Cooking vs. Meal Delivery
| Factor | Cooking from Scratch | Pete’s Real Food Delivery |
|---|---|---|
| Time (avg per meal) | 2–2.5 hours | 5 minutes |
| Ingredient cost (quality) | ~$12–$16 per meal | Starting at $16 per meal |
| Cleanup | 15–30 minutes | 1 minute (recycle tray) |
| Food waste | Frequent | None |
| Stress level | Medium to high | Very low |
💡 It’s Not Just About Cost
You’re not just buying food. You’re buying peace of mind. You’re buying time back. You’re getting the satisfaction of eating real, nutrient-dense meals without the work.
Whether you’re managing a busy schedule, trying to eat clean, or just not in the mood to play kitchen roulette, meal delivery helps you eat better without burning out.
Ready to Try It?
If you’re new here, first of all—hi 👋
Second, we make ready-to-eat, chef-made meals with real ingredients and no junk. You can build your own box or let us do the picking.
Final Thought
Cooking is great. But so is not cooking.
And when your meals are made with the same ingredients you’d use at home (plus maybe a little extra skill in the seasoning department), it’s worth doing the math.