How much does meal prep cost in Montreal? Prices and the real math

From one service to another, and one order to the next, several things move the price per meal:

• Pack size: the more meals you order, the lower the price per meal tends to be.
• Portion: a bulking portion contains more food, so it costs more.
• Protein: meat and fish are the most expensive ingredients in a meal.
• Preparation: a cooked, portioned meal takes more work than a box of ingredients.
• Delivery: covered areas, days and any fees, depending on the service.

At Protéine Express, prices are set by pack and by plan. A meal costs from $11.99 on the weight loss plan (about 550 kcal and 40 g of protein) and from $13.49 on the bulking plan (about 930 kcal and 60 g). The more meals in the pack, the lower the price per meal.

Every pack's price is shown on the plan pages and at the order step, before you pay. There's no required subscription: you can order a single week to try. If you subscribe, the total stays the same and you also get several free juices every week on 10- and 14-meal packs.

On ingredients alone, cooking yourself costs less per serving. That's a fact. But the comparison is often skewed, because meal prep gets compared with a perfect grocery run where nothing goes to waste and you cook every night.

In real life, you have to add the food that goes bad at the back of the fridge, ingredients bought for a single recipe, and above all time: planning, shopping, cooking and washing up. For someone who trains, studies or works long hours, that time has real value.

So the most useful comparison isn't "meal prep vs groceries", but "meal prep vs what I actually do". If you already cook all your meals and enjoy it, keep your routine. If you often end up at a restaurant, the math changes.

A restaurant meal or an app order often costs more than a meal prep meal once you add delivery fees, tip and taxes. And nutrition-wise, many fast-food meals have more calories and less protein than you need for a weight loss or bulking goal.

That's where meal prep makes financial sense: when it replaces last-minute purchased meals rather than meals cooked at home.

To find out whether meal prep costs you more or less, try this quick exercise:

• For two weeks, write down everything you spend on food outside the grocery store: restaurants, delivery, cafeteria, convenience stores.
• Count the meals you skipped or improvised because you ran out of time.
• Compare that total with the price of a pack that covers those meals, for example your weekday dinners.

Many people find their "small" weekday spending is higher than they thought. Others realize home cooking suits them just fine. Either way, you decide with real numbers.

A few simple ways to lower your cost per meal without switching services:

• Pick a bigger pack if you really eat every meal: the price per meal drops.
• Pick the 14-meal pack: it's the best price per meal, and delivery ($5.99 ($4.99 from 5 meals)) is cheaper on bigger orders.
• Round out with simple breakfasts and snacks made at home.
• Subscribe on 10 or 14 meals: same total as week by week, plus several free juices every week.

Our article on how many meals to order per week helps you find the right pack.

Protéine Express meal prices are the same in Montreal, Laval, Longueuil, Brossard, the South Shore, the North Shore and as far as Lavaltrie. Order by Friday noon and get your meals on Sunday from 9 a.m. Check this week's menu for the dishes and their nutrition values.