Food cost calculator
for meal prep businesses
Cost per meal
How to calculate food cost percentage
Illustrative example.
Food cost vs. total meal cost
Total meal cost includes ingredients, packaging, kitchen labour and delivery.
The remainder is your contribution toward rent, admin, marketing and profit. Add any waste allowance separately.
Meal prep food cost and pricing guides
What is a good meal prep food cost percentage?
Check your food costHow to price meal prep meals without guessing
Read the pricing guide
How food waste increases your cost per meal
Understand food wasteWhat is a good food cost percentage for meal prep?
Example: a $12 meal must leave $5 for overheads and profit. If packaging, labour and delivery cost $4, ingredients can cost $3: a 25% food cost.
Your menu, portions and operating costs determine your target. Planning a launch? See how to budget for your first weeks.
Check your own meal costsHow do you price meals for a meal prep business?
If ingredients, packaging, labour and delivery cost $7, a $12 selling price leaves $5 for overheads and profit.
A five-meal bundle sold for $55 brings in $11 per meal. Use that discounted price to check what remains.
Try a different selling priceChoosing a price from your costs? Use the meal prep pricing calculator.
How do food waste and unsold meals affect food cost?
This calculator does not add a waste allowance.
If $48 of ingredients makes 20 meals, each costs $2.40. With two unsold, 18 sales must recover $48: $2.67 per sale.
Meal prep food costing questions
How do I calculate recipe cost per portion?
Multiply each ingredient amount used in one portion by its price per matching unit, then add the ingredient costs. For 150 g of chicken priced at $12 per kg, use 0.15 kg and 12. Changing a unit label does not convert the amount; update both numbers to match.
Does food cost include packaging, labour and delivery?
The food cost percentage here covers ingredients only. Packaging, kitchen labour and delivery are shown separately and included in the total cost per meal.
Is the amount left per meal the same as profit?
No. It is what remains after the costs you enter. Rent, admin, marketing, payment fees, waste, tax and any other costs not entered still need to be covered.
Can I download my meal costing for Excel or Google Sheets?
The CSV contains your inputs and results as values, not spreadsheet formulas. Refreshing this page resets the example.
Simplify your meal prep business
We set up the software and workflows behind your ordering, kitchen prep and delivery.