Meal kits for one person: can they actually work?
Key takeaways:
- Meal kits can work for one person. Most solo diners use the second portion as next-day lunch, covering four meal occasions from a single delivery.
- Solo diners in Canada spend an estimated $310 to $385 per month on groceries, often buying more than one person can use before food spoils.
- Fresh Prep’s reusable Zero Waste Kit replaces the single-use plastic and cardboard packaging typically used for small-portion deliveries, keeping that waste entirely out of your home.
Cooking for one in Canada is more expensive than it needs to be. Grocery portions are sized for families, takeout fees add up quickly, and the average solo diner spends $310 to $385 a month on food, often with produce to spare.
Meal kits are worth a closer look for solo diners. This article breaks down the real trade-offs: cost, food waste, flexibility, and what to actually expect from a solo-friendly plan.
Can a meal kit actually work if you’re only cooking for one?
Yes, and the two-serving minimum that most meal kits require is actually one of the better features for solo diners.
Most services structure their smallest plan around two servings per recipe. That might sound like you’re locked into eating the same thing twice, but having a second ready-made portion on hand means you get two meals out of one cooking session.
It also solves a frustration that grocery shopping doesn’t: the math never works out when you’re buying for one. Everything is sized for households, and you pay for it all whether you use it or not. With a pre-portioned meal kit, everything that arrives is meant to be eaten.
If you’re weighing whether meal kits are worth it for your situation, the solo use case is one of the stronger arguments for them.
What does a Fresh Prep meal kit for one actually cost?
Fresh Prep’s 2×2 plan runs $10.50 to $15.00 per serving with free delivery, which works out to roughly $42 to $60 per week for four meal occasions.
Compare that to takeout: costs add up fast once platform fees, delivery charges, and a tip are included. Two takeout orders a week can easily exceed the cost of the entire Fresh Prep plan.
| Buying groceries for one | Fresh Prep 2×2 plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per portion | $4–$7 (in theory, if nothing goes to waste) | $10.50–$15.00 |
| Food waste | High: most ingredients come in quantities larger than one serving | Low: ingredients are pre-portioned for the recipe |
| Prep time | 45–60 min including shopping, planning, and cooking | Under 30 min; no shopping required |
| Flexibility | Total creative freedom, but must plan everything out on your own | 35+ weekly options; ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat |
The grocery cost looks lower on paper, but that assumes near-perfect planning and zero spoilage, which most solo diners know rarely happens.
The real benefits of meal kits for solo diners
Meal kits remove the steps that take the most time before you even start cooking, like deciding what to make, writing a list, and going shopping. For solo diners, that overhead rarely feels worth it for one person’s dinner.
The bigger gain is portion control. Pre-portioned ingredients change the economics of eating alone.
You’re not buying a 500g bag of spinach for a recipe that calls for a handful, or throwing out half a lemon and three-quarters of a can of coconut milk. Everything arrives measured for the recipe.
Fresh Prep adds one more layer that most meal kit services can’t match: the ability to mix ready-to-cook and ready-to-eat meals in the same order. Ready-to-eat meals are fresh and heat in two to three minutes.
Why Fresh Prep works when cooking for just one person
Not all meal kit services are built the same way. Here’s what specifically separates Fresh Prep for solo diners.
Zero waste by design
Fresh Prep’s Zero Waste Kit is one of the clearest differences from national alternatives. Meals arrive in a reusable insulated bag with stackable containers. After use, rinse and return them with your next delivery. No cardboard boxes, no soft plastic, no recycling pile.
That adds up fast when you’re ordering for one. Fresh Prep diverted over 22,851 kg of single-use plastic from landfills in 2025 through its reusable Zero Waste Kit.
Local sourcing, not just labelling
Fresh Prep sources from local suppliers across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. Shorter supply chains mean fresher ingredients and direct support for Canadian farmers.
Flexible dietary options
The weekly menu can be filtered by dietary preference ( including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or pescatarian and more), and proteins can be swapped on individual meals.
Tips to get the most out of your meal kit as a solo diner
A two-serving plan works best when you treat it as a system rather than a single dinner. A few habits make a real difference.
Treat the second serving as the next day’s lunch
Pack it as soon as you’ve plated your meal so it’s ready to grab in the morning. It changes the math on the whole week, and it’s what most solo diners say makes the plan actually click.
“This is a case of paying a little more to get a lot more. All of the meals I’ve ordered are ample for dinner for two people (one was large enough I almost split it in half for lunch the next day). The ingredients are fresh, the recipes are delicious and easy to follow. This service has simplified my life enormously.” – Emily
“The meals we’ve had have been delicious and cost far less than eating out on a night we fall behind on having a meal planned. The zero waste kits are amazing — it’s important to us not to have everything come in a plastic bag.” – Sarah
Skip weeks when you need to
If you’re travelling or have a busy stretch, pause your subscription rather than letting kits pile up. Fresh Prep makes it easy to skip or adjust from your account at any time.
Ready to try it for yourself?
If you’ve been putting off meal kits because you assumed they weren’t built for solo diners, the 2×2 plan is worth a closer look. It’s pre-portioned, delivered in a reusable Zero Waste Kit, with free delivery and no hidden fees.
Browse Fresh Prep’s meal plans and see what fits your week.
Frequently asked questions
Are meal kits worth it for just one person?
They can be, particularly if you’re regularly spending on takeout or throwing out grocery produce. A two-serving plan gives you dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow: four meal occasions per week from a single delivery.
Does Fresh Prep have a single-serving plan?
No, but the 2×2 plan works well for one person. Each recipe makes two servings, which most solo customers use as one dinner and one lunch the following day.
Can you freeze meal kit portions?
Most proteins can be frozen before cooking if your week changes. Check the recipe card on arrival, as some ingredients like fresh fish are best cooked promptly.
How do I reduce food waste when cooking for one?
Pre-portioned kits help because every ingredient is measured for the recipe. With grocery shopping, quantities rarely match what a single recipe actually needs.