Takeout vs. Meal Prep: The Real Cost of a Week of Eating
As a fitness coach, I talk to a lot of potential clients, and the most common objection is price. But earlier in those same conversations, when I ask about their nutrition, a lot of them tell me they eat almost entirely from DoorDash, fast food and takeout.
So I priced it out. One week of delivery, drive-thru and takeout against one week of healthy meal prep, using real prices in my hometown of Concord, NC. The difference is bigger than you think.
- Eating out cost $303.50 for 21 meals, or $14.45 a meal.
- Meal prep cost $62.28 in food actually eaten for 28 meals, or $2.22 a meal. At the register, stocking a pantry from scratch, it was $112.99.
- Eating out cost about 4.9 times as much, and gave me 7 fewer meals.
- Switching saves about $241 a week, $1,045 a month, and $12,500 a year.
- Ten delivered meals cost $227.49. Almost $100 of that was fees, tips and tax.
How I priced it
Every price came from a live listing in September 2026 for Concord, NC (28027): Concord restaurant pages on DoorDash and Uber Eats, the chains' own value deals for drive-thru, local takeout menus, and walmart.com for groceries.
- One adult, around 2,000 calories a day.
- Restaurant tax 7% (Cabarrus County). Grocery tax 2%.
- Delivery: $2.99 delivery fee, 15% service fee with a $3 minimum, $2 small-order fee under $12, and an 18% tip.
- No DashPass, no Uber One, no promo codes.
DoorDash changed its fee formula in July 2026 and doesn't publish rates, so the fees above are held constant to score every order the same way.
Week A: delivery, drive-thru and takeout
A week of eating out came to $303.50 for 21 meals. The 10 delivered meals were half the meals but 75% of the money.
| Day | Meal | Order | How | Menu | Fees | Tip | Tax | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Breakfast | McDonald's $4 Breakfast Meal | Drive-thru | $4.00 | $0 | $0 | $0.28 | $4.28 |
| Mon | Lunch | Chick-fil-A Sandwich Meal | DoorDash | $12.29 | $5.99 | $2.21 | $0.86 | $21.35 |
| Mon | Dinner | Asian Garden General Tso's Chicken | Takeout | $13.15 | $0 | $0 | $0.92 | $14.07 |
| Tue | Breakfast | McDonald's $4 Breakfast Meal | Drive-thru | $4.00 | $0 | $0 | $0.28 | $4.28 |
| Tue | Lunch | Wendy's $6 Biggie Bag | Drive-thru | $6.00 | $0 | $0 | $0.42 | $6.42 |
| Tue | Dinner | McDonald's Big Mac Meal | Uber Eats | $12.09 | $5.99 | $2.18 | $0.85 | $21.11 |
| Wed | Breakfast | Bojangles Cajun Filet Biscuit Combo | DoorDash | $9.56 | $7.99 | $1.72 | $0.67 | $19.94 |
| Wed | Lunch | Chipotle Burrito Bowl | Pickup | $11.90 | $0 | $0 | $0.83 | $12.73 |
| Wed | Dinner | Wingstop 8 pc Wing Combo | DoorDash | $18.39 | $5.99 | $3.31 | $1.29 | $28.98 |
| Thu | Breakfast | McDonald's $4 Breakfast Meal | Drive-thru | $4.00 | $0 | $0 | $0.28 | $4.28 |
| Thu | Lunch | McDonald's $5 Meal Deal | Drive-thru | $5.00 | $0 | $0 | $0.35 | $5.35 |
| Thu | Dinner | Domino's large 1-topping pizza | Carryout | $7.99 | $0 | $0 | $0.56 | $8.55 |
| Fri | Breakfast | McDonald's $4 Breakfast Meal | Drive-thru | $4.00 | $0 | $0 | $0.28 | $4.28 |
| Fri | Lunch | Chick-fil-A Nuggets Meal | DoorDash | $12.39 | $5.99 | $2.23 | $0.87 | $21.48 |
| Fri | Dinner | McDonald's 10 pc McNuggets Meal | Uber Eats | $11.69 | $7.99 | $2.10 | $0.82 | $22.60 |
| Sat | Breakfast | Bojangles Cajun Filet Biscuit Combo | DoorDash | $9.56 | $7.99 | $1.72 | $0.67 | $19.94 |
| Sat | Lunch | Wendy's $6 Biggie Bag | Drive-thru | $6.00 | $0 | $0 | $0.42 | $6.42 |
| Sat | Dinner | Chipotle Burrito Bowl + Chips & Queso | DoorDash | $17.95 | $5.99 | $3.23 | $1.26 | $28.43 |
| Sun | Breakfast | Bojangles Cajun Filet Biscuit Combo | DoorDash | $9.56 | $7.99 | $1.72 | $0.67 | $19.94 |
| Sun | Lunch | McDonald's $5 Meal Deal | Drive-thru | $5.00 | $0 | $0 | $0.35 | $5.35 |
| Sun | Dinner | McDonald's Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal | Uber Eats | $14.19 | $5.99 | $2.55 | $0.99 | $23.72 |
| Week | 10 delivered, 8 drive-thru, 3 takeout | $198.71 | $67.90 | $22.97 | $13.92 | $303.50 |
This is a low estimate on purpose. Every drive-thru meal is the chain's own value deal, the cheapest way to eat at that counter. Swipe the table sideways on your phone to see every column.
Week B: Walmart groceries and meal prep
A week of 28 home meals cost $112.99 at the register. The food actually eaten that week came to $62.28, or $2.22 a meal. The difference is pantry stock (rice, oats, quinoa, coffee, sauces) that carries into next week.
The menu
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch (prepped) | Snack | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 3 eggs, 2 slices Dave's Killer Bread, orange, coffee | Chicken (5 oz), brown rice, broccoli, sugar-free BBQ | Greek yogurt, blueberries, banana | Salmon (5 oz), sweet potato, quinoa, spinach, teriyaki |
| Tue | Oats with Greek yogurt and banana, coffee | 93% lean beef (4 oz), quinoa, mixed veg, teriyaki | Cottage cheese (1 cup), orange | Chicken (6 oz), sweet potato, brown rice, broccoli, BBQ |
| Wed | Eggs, toast, orange, coffee | Chicken, rice, broccoli | Greek yogurt, blueberries, banana | Lean beef rice bowl with onion, mixed veg, BBQ |
| Thu | Oats, yogurt, banana, coffee | Chicken, rice, broccoli | Cottage cheese, orange | Salmon, sweet potato, quinoa, spinach |
| Fri | Eggs, toast, orange, coffee | Beef, quinoa, mixed veg | Greek yogurt, blueberries, banana | Chicken, sweet potato, rice, broccoli |
| Sat | Oats, yogurt, banana, coffee | Chicken, rice, broccoli | Cottage cheese, orange | Lean beef rice bowl |
| Sun | Eggs, toast, orange, coffee | Chicken, rice, broccoli | Greek yogurt, blueberries, banana | Salmon, sweet potato, quinoa, spinach |
One Sunday prep session covers it: bake the chicken, brown the beef, cook the rice and quinoa, roast the sweet potatoes. This plan lands around 1,800 to 1,850 calories and 120 to 135 g of protein a day. An extra scoop of rice or a slice of toast gets you to 2,000.
The shopping list
| Item | Price | Qty | Checkout | Used this week | Cost used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Value boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3 lb frozen | $9.47 | 1 | $9.47 | 37 oz | $7.30 |
| 93% lean ground beef, 1 lb | $8.47 | 1 | $8.47 | 16 oz | $8.47 |
| Great Value wild pink salmon fillets, 2 lb frozen | $11.46 | 1 | $11.46 | 15 oz | $5.37 |
| Great Value large eggs, 18 ct | $2.47 | 1 | $2.47 | 12 eggs | $1.65 |
| Great Value plain nonfat Greek yogurt, 32 oz | $3.28 | 2 | $6.56 | 7 of 10 servings | $4.59 |
| Great Value 2% cottage cheese, 24 oz | $2.87 | 1 | $2.87 | Whole tub | $2.87 |
| Dave's Killer Bread 21 Whole Grains and Seeds, 27 oz | $6.42 | 1 | $6.42 | 8 of about 16 slices | $3.21 |
| Great Value brown rice, 32 oz | $1.67 | 1 | $1.67 | 16 of 21 servings | $1.27 |
| Great Value organic quinoa, 32 oz | $6.22 | 1 | $6.22 | 7 of 21 servings | $2.07 |
| Great Value old fashioned oats, 42 oz | $4.38 | 1 | $4.38 | 4.5 of 30 servings | $0.66 |
| Great Value frozen broccoli florets, 12 oz | $1.16 | 2 | $2.32 | 7 of 8 servings | $2.03 |
| Great Value frozen mixed vegetables, 12 oz | $1.16 | 1 | $1.16 | Whole bag | $1.16 |
| Marketside fresh spinach, 10 oz | $1.97 | 1 | $1.97 | Whole bag | $1.97 |
| Sweet potatoes, 3 lb bag | $3.24 | 1 | $3.24 | 5 potatoes | $2.70 |
| Yellow onions, 3 lb bag | $2.84 | 1 | $2.84 | About 1/2 lb | $0.47 |
| Fresh blueberries, 1 pint | $4.97 | 1 | $4.97 | Whole pint | $4.97 |
| Navel oranges, 4 lb bag | $5.97 | 1 | $5.97 | 7 of about 10 | $4.18 |
| Marketside organic bananas, bunch | $1.71 | 1 | $1.71 | Whole bunch | $1.71 |
| G Hughes sugar-free BBQ sauce, 18 oz | $4.24 | 1 | $4.24 | 9 of 15 servings | $2.54 |
| G Hughes sugar-free sesame teriyaki, 12 oz | $3.98 | 1 | $3.98 | 5 of 24 tbsp | $0.83 |
| Great Value olive oil cooking spray, 7 oz | $4.74 | 1 | $4.74 | About 5% of the can | $0.24 |
| Folgers Classic Roast ground coffee, 25.9 oz | $13.64 | 1 | $13.64 | One 12 oz mug a day | $0.80 |
| Subtotal | $110.77 | $61.06 | |||
| NC grocery tax (2%) | $2.22 | $1.22 | |||
| Total | $112.99 | $62.28 |
Prices are walmart.com online prices; in-store prices can differ slightly. Salt, pepper and spices aren't counted. Home coffee works out to about $0.11 a mug.
Head-to-head
Meal prep costs $241 less per week than eating out, about $12,500 a year, while covering 7 more meals. Even counting the full checkout for a freshly stocked pantry, the grocery week is $190 cheaper.
What one week of food cost
| Measure | Eat out | Prep: checkout | Prep: food used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meals | 21 | 28 | 28 |
| Per week | $303.50 | $112.99 | $62.28 |
| Per meal | $14.45 | $4.04 | $2.22 |
| Per day | $43.36 | $16.14 | $8.90 |
| Per month | $1,315 | $490 | $270 |
| Per year | $15,782 | $5,875 | $3,239 |
Where the delivery money went
On the 10 delivered orders, fees, tips and tax added $99.82 on top of $127.67 of food. That's a 78% premium for having someone else drive it to you.
10 delivered orders, $227.49 total
Three comparisons that stick
- Same bowl, two prices. A Chipotle Burrito Bowl was $12.73 at pickup and $22.86 delivered on its own. That's 80% more for the same bowl.
- One meal vs a week of meat. All the chicken, beef and salmon eaten in the prep week cost $21.14. One delivered Chick-fil-A Sandwich Meal cost $21.35.
- Protein at cost. Chicken breast is $0.79 per 4 oz, salmon $1.43 per 4 oz, an egg $0.14, and a serving of Greek yogurt $0.66.
The bottom line
That's over $12,000 a year. A lot of people who feel like they don't have the money to invest in themselves don't have a money problem. They have a priority problem.
You don't need a perfect diet or a bigger budget. You need one Sunday afternoon, a grocery list, and a plan you'll actually follow.
Want help building the plan?
I coach busy professionals on nutrition and training that fits a real schedule. If eating out is eating your budget and your progress, let's talk.
Book a free discovery callSources
All prices were read in September 2026. Listings change, so your numbers may differ.
- Restaurant menus: Concord, NC store pages on DoorDash (Chick-fil-A, Bojangles, Chipotle, Wingstop), McDonald's on Uber Eats, and Asian Garden
- Drive-thru and carryout deals: Tasting Table, ABC News, GetFoodMenus, BrandEating
- Groceries: walmart.com item pages, and Tasting Table for egg prices
- Fees: DoorDash fee update, July 2026, splitty, Real News Today
- Tax: Avalara (7% restaurant), TaxJar (2% grocery)
