Are Meal Prep Delivery Services Worth It?
Short answer: Yes, if your time and steady eating habits matter more to you than having the lowest possible grocery bill. Meal prep delivery costs more than cooking at home and usually less than eating takeout often. It also gives you back the hours you'd spend planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning up.
Key Facts About 5 squares
- What it is: fresh, chef-prepared meal prep delivery, in business since 2001
- Kitchen: 1 North Avenue, New Rochelle, NY (Westchester County)
- Meals per day: 5 (breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks)
- Price: from $57 per day for all 5 meals, about $11.40 per meal
- Delivery: overnight, Sunday night through Thursday night, at your door by 6 a.m.
- Delivery area: Westchester County; Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx; parts of Long Island; and Fairfield County, CT, including Stamford and Greenwich
- Plans: Signature, Paleo, Pescatarian, Gluten-Free and Vegan
- Commitment: 2 to 7 days a week, no long-term contract. Canceling takes 3 delivery days' notice.
How Much Time Does Cooking at Home Take?
The average American spends about 40 minutes a day on food preparation and kitchen cleanup, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.[1] That adds up to more than 4.5 hours a week, and it doesn't count meal planning or grocery shopping.
For people who cook most of their meals, the real number is higher. It also has to fit into the same evenings as work, the gym and everything else.
Is Cooking at Home Really Cheaper?
On paper, yes. In practice, some of what you buy never gets eaten. A study of about 4,000 U.S. households, using USDA survey data, estimated that the average household wastes almost a third (31.9%) of the food it buys.[2]
Takeout fills the gap on busy nights. Its costs vary, and delivery fees, service fees and tips go on top of the menu price. Nutrition is hard to predict, because portions and ingredients change from one restaurant to the next.
What Do You Get From Meal Prep Delivery?
- Time back. No shopping, cooking or cleanup for your meals that day.
- Steady nutrition. Meals are portioned and built around protein, so you don't need to track every bite.
- Fewer daily decisions. The day's food is already in your fridge.
- Variety. 5 squares cooks from a 28-day menu rotation.
- Less waste. You order meals only for the days you want them.
How Does 5 squares Work?
5 squares cooks your meals in its New Rochelle kitchen the day before you eat them. Nothing is frozen. Meals are cooled, packed with ice packs in an insulated bag, and delivered overnight, so the whole day's food is there when you wake up.
On each delivery night, the driver picks up your empty bag and ice packs and leaves the next day's meals. Doorman buildings are fine. If your building has no doorman, you give 5 squares a key to the front door.
You pick the days you want and note your likes and dislikes, or choose your own meals. Family-sized portions can be added for the rest of your household. The Signature Plan has no refined sugar.
Who Is Meal Prep Delivery Best For?
- Busy professionals who would rather spend their evenings on something besides cooking
- People trying to lose weight who want set portions and regular meal times
- People taking GLP-1 medications, who need smaller meals that are high in protein
- Households that want real cooked meals without everyone cooking separately
- Anyone tired of grocery runs and throwing out spoiled food
It isn't the right choice if your only goal is spending as little as possible on ingredients. It also isn't recommended for anyone with a life-threatening food allergy.
Meal Prep Delivery vs. Cooking vs. Takeout
| Home cooking | Frequent takeout | 5 squares | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your time per week | 4.5+ hours, plus shopping | Low | Almost none |
| Cost | Lowest grocery bill, but about a third of food may be wasted | Menu price plus fees and tip | From $57/day for 5 meals (about $11.40 each) |
| Nutrition | Depends on you | Hard to predict | Portioned, built around protein |
| Daily decisions | Many | Some | Very few |
Frequently Asked Questions
Are meal prep delivery services worth the money?
For most busy people, yes. 5 squares costs about $11.40 per meal for five chef-prepared meals a day. That price replaces both grocery costs and the hours spent cooking.
Is 5 squares food frozen?
No. Meals are cooked the day before you eat them, then cooled and delivered overnight with ice packs.
Where does 5 squares deliver?
Westchester County; Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx; parts of Long Island; and Fairfield County, CT, including Stamford and Greenwich.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. There is no long-term contract. Canceling takes 3 delivery days' notice.
Does 5 squares work for people on GLP-1 medications?
Yes. The meals are portioned and built around protein, which suits smaller appetites.
The Bottom Line
Meal prep delivery is worth it when it takes cooking, shopping and cleanup off your week. 5 squares has cooked fresh meals in Westchester since 2001 and delivers a full day of food overnight. All you have to do is eat.
Live in the city? See What Is the Best Meal Delivery Service in NYC?
Start Your OrderSources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. American Time Use Survey, 2024 annual averages, Table A-1 (food preparation and cleanup, 0.67 hours per day). bls.gov ↩
- Yu and Jaenicke. Estimating food waste as household production inefficiency. American Journal of Agricultural Economics. 2020. Summary: Penn State News ↩