Meal Prep Service

Meal prep services are booming because busy professionals know they should eat healthy but do not have the time or energy to cook. You prepare 5-20 meals per client per week, package them in containers, and deliver or have them picked up. Clients pay $10-15 per meal, which means a client ordering 10 meals per week is worth $100-150/week or $400-600/month in recurring revenue.

The business model has beautiful unit economics once you scale past 10 clients. Buying ingredients in bulk drops your food cost to $3-5 per meal, leaving you with $5-10 profit per meal. At 100 meals per week (10-15 clients), you are netting $500-1,000/week working 10-15 hours. The key is menu standardization — offer 4-6 rotating options per week rather than custom meals for each client. This lets you batch cook efficiently.

The legal requirements vary by state. Many states have cottage food laws that allow home-based food businesses with minimal licensing. Others require a commercial kitchen, food handler's certification, and business license. Check your local regulations before investing. The food handler's certification itself is usually $15-30 and takes a few hours online — get that regardless.