From the kitchen ·
Is meal prep delivery worth it? Cost per meal, explained
The short answer: meal prep delivery is worth it when it replaces the meals you’d otherwise skip, grab as takeaway or cook on nights you have no time. With our Barossa bundles, a home-cooked meal works out at about $9.69 to $13.75 depending on bundle size, plus $5 delivery within the Barossa. Start with the number of dinners you actually struggle with each week, not all seven.
“Meal prep” used to mean a Sunday afternoon of cooking and a fridge full of containers. Meal prep delivery is the same idea, except someone else does the cooking. Whether it’s worth it comes down to what it replaces in your week. Here are the real numbers and an honest look at when it pays off.
How much does meal prep cost per meal?
Here’s how our meal bundles break down. These are the prices on our order page as at October 2026; the order page always has the current price.
| Bundle | Price | Per meal | Per meal incl. $5 Barossa delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 meals | $55 | about $13.75 | about $15.00 |
| 6 meals | $80 | about $13.33 | about $14.17 |
| 8 meals | $105 | about $13.13 | about $13.75 |
| 12 meals | $130 | about $10.83 | about $11.25 |
| 16 meals | $155 | about $9.69 | about $10.00 |
Delivery is a flat $5 per order within the Barossa Valley and $15 outside the Barossa (Gawler / Northern Suburbs), so a bigger order spreads the delivery cost further too.
What you’re actually paying for
A meal prep bundle isn’t only food. You’re also buying back:
- Time. No shopping trip, no chopping, no cooking and almost no washing up.
- Planning. Nobody has to answer “what’s for dinner?” at 5:30 pm.
- Less waste. No half bunch of herbs or open jar of paste going off in the fridge after one recipe.
- Variety. Our menu changes each week, so you’re not eating the same pot of something four nights running.
Is meal prep cheaper than takeaway?
Compare like with like. Think about what a typical takeaway night costs your household per person, including delivery fees and the extras that sneak onto the order, and set it against roughly $10 to $15 a meal for a home-cooked dinner. For many households the bigger difference isn’t price but what’s on the plate: a proper home-style meal with protein and vegetables rather than another greasy bag.
Is it cheaper than cooking yourself?
Honestly, usually not, if you enjoy cooking and cook in big batches. Home cooking from scratch is often the cheapest way to eat per serve. Meal prep delivery earns its place on the nights you wouldn’t cook at all: late finishes, sport runs, shift work, vintage, a new baby, or just a week where everything is too much. That’s why we suggest ordering for those nights rather than the whole week.
How many meals should I order for a week?
Count the people, then the nights. A simple way to land on a bundle:
| Household | Nights covered | Meals | Bundle |
|---|---|---|---|
| One person | 4 work nights | 4 | 4 meals |
| One person | Dinners plus a few lunches | 6 to 8 | 6 or 8 meals |
| Couple | 4 nights | 8 | 8 meals |
| Couple | 6 nights | 12 | 12 meals |
| Family of four | 3 nights | 12 | 12 meals |
| Family of four | 4 nights | 16 | 16 meals |
Feeding a family? Our family meals guide goes into more detail.
Can you freeze meal prep, and how long does it keep?
Our meals arrive chilled, not frozen, so treat them like any cooked, perishable food: into a fridge running at 5°C or colder as soon as they arrive, eaten within a few days, and reheated until steaming hot. Freezing is the easiest way to stretch a bundle, as long as you freeze early rather than on the last day. Our guide to how long ready-made meals last covers the details, using FSANZ and SA Health advice.
When meal prep delivery isn’t worth it
- You love cooking and have the time. Keep doing it; maybe order for the one or two nights that always fall apart.
- Your fridge is already full. Order a smaller bundle more often rather than one big one.
- Nothing on the menu appeals. Check this week’s menu first, or choose the chef’s choice mix and let us pick.
How meal prep works with Auggies in the Barossa
We’re a family kitchen in the Barossa Valley. Each week we cook a rotating menu from scratch, chill it and deliver it ready to heat. Pick a bundle of 4, 6, 8, 12 or 16 meals, choose your meals or a chef’s choice mix, then pick a delivery day: we deliver on Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays, and orders close at 3 pm the day before. Pay securely online by card or choose pay on delivery.
Popular days can book out. The order page shows which days are open; if yours is full, pick another day or join the waitlist if it’s showing. You’ll find the full rundown, including the towns we deliver to, on our meal prep in the Barossa page.
Questions we get asked
How much does meal prep cost per meal?
With Auggies Kitchen bundles as at October 2026, about $13.75 a meal for 4 meals ($55), about $13.33 for 6 ($80), about $13.13 for 8 ($105), about $10.83 for 12 ($130) and about $9.69 for 16 ($155). Delivery is $5 within the Barossa Valley. Check the order page for current prices.
How many meals should I order for a week?
Count the people and the nights you will not cook. One person covering four work nights needs 4 meals; a couple covering four nights needs 8; a family of four covering three nights needs 12, or 16 for four nights.
Can you freeze meal prep meals?
Yes. Our meals arrive chilled; freeze any you will not eat within a few days, and freeze them early rather than on the last day. Thaw in the fridge or microwave, never on the bench, and reheat until steaming hot.
Which days do you deliver meal prep in the Barossa?
Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays. Orders close at 3 pm the day before, and the order page shows which days are open.