There are certainly restaurants where you can spend less than $10/person but not for the quality of food in a Blue Apron box.

Well, I'm in Canada and every restaurant near the university is less than $10/person. While a number of them are the normal fast food, both the Indian, Chinese, and Thai/Vietnamese places have excellent food. Last I checked, the Korean and Arabic places were good too, but since my dietary restrictions changed, I haven't been there.

I'd likely never buy a Blue Apron box for the simple fact that I have pretty tight dietary restrictions that I loosen a bit when I eat out (but not a lot). If I cook at home, I'm going to follow those restrictions pretty closely so most regular recipes won't work.

As I said in my other comment, my total cost per meal per person with hello fresh is £5. You literally can't eat that cheaply at a restaurant. Even if you have the cheapest item on the menu and only ask for tap water to drink, it will be more than £5/person, and then you have to include the cost of getting to the restaurant and back. I was going to say that maybe you could eat for less if you were happy with a frozen burger or hot dog, but even cheap pub food will cost you more than £5 per person.

You're ignoring that the GP comment is working on multiple axes. For a given level of healthfulness, these services may well be cheaper and easier. Sometimes cost is not the primary constraint.

even for a given level of healthfullness preparing your own food is faster and cheaper. what's your point? the only thing meal kits have on making your own food is variety. that's ultimately what you're paying for.

Meal kits are making your own food. What you are paying for is, well, the "kit" part: not having to shop with potentially inconvenient sizes, and getting everything pre-measured for the meal.

sure. however meal kits are inferior to just going to the grocery store in most ways.

I use the time I used to spend grocery shopping posting on HN. So I like the meal kits. Obviously ymmv.

I just do my grocery shopping online. The company I use charges $9.99 for delivery and you have to order more than $45, but otherwise it's basically just a regular grocery store (they're owned by one). You have to do some planning since you won't get it until at least the following day, though. I order once a month.

I disagree entirely. I cannot get the ingredients for most of Plated meals for what they charge. I end up with lots of spoiled food, unless I make huge batches and eat the same thing all week.

do you not have a fridge with a freezer?