The cost of meal plans differs across the many services we know today. However, the common denominator is that they can all be ridiculously expensive.
Having said that, it’s about time we change how we offer meal planning services. After all, as nutritionists and health-conscious individuals, we want to make balanced or personalized diets to be more accessible. As we highlight the importance of a well-planned meal plan, we must also understand how to cost and price them accordingly.
Here, we will show you how to charge for personalized meal plans especially if you work one-on-one with customers. Read on to learn and discover the simple steps to cost and price your meal plans.
Step 1: Make a Time Commitment
Time is a valuable commodity. The first step in determining how much to charge for meal plans is to analyze the time required to generate them.
Meal preparation takes time because you have to find recipes, calculate nutrition information, and put together and format a grocery list. Creating a meal plan by hand can take hours. As a result, many nutritionists and dietitians refuse to provide meal planning services.
To assist you, invest in meal planning tools that could help you save time and deliver meal plans consistently so you can charge your clients accordingly.
Step 2: Assess the Quality of Your Work
To fetch a reasonable price, make sure the meal plans you provide are really valuable. The following items should be on your menus:
- Recipes that have been tried, tested and photographed.
- Consistent branding and formatting.
- A complete grocery list with quantities.
- Creating nutritionally and gastronomically appropriate dishes for your consumer.
- Simple methods for maximizing leftovers and reducing food waste.
Consider what your clients like and put yourself in their shoes. Your service should appear and feel professional. So if you’re still creating meal plans in Word, it’s time to upgrade to something more creative like photo editing apps. This way, you can also utilize social media and reach more clients. After all, you must have a premium resource in order to charge a premium fee.
Step 3: Follow Your Own Pricing Structure
When you have the necessary skills and an understanding of the worth of your time, it is time to make a decision. Here, you must first do your research and see how much you think you can charge for your time and effort. After all, your skills and expertise in this field are definitely not a walk in the park. Additionally, you may want to consider your customer’s dietary sensitivities. Your rates must vary according to the lifestyle and needs of your customer.
Step 4: Create a Charge Structure
Most nutritionists may want to charge more after they calculate the total cost of a meal plan. However, you shouldn’t be compelled to do the same, especially not to your loyal customers. You see, when a customer seeks nutrition guidance from a health expert, they expect to receive a meal plan. Unexpected costs in any business can undermine an otherwise pleasant client experience.
The vast majority of experts who sell meal plans do not charge a premium for them. Rather, they include meal planning in the cost of their consultation packages. As a result, clients feel confident to receive further assistance with no hidden expenses.
Let’s say, if meal planning is not included in your consultations or packages, your clients may purchase a meal planning bundle for four to six weeks. You may also offer weekly bundles as another option. For add-ons, simply indicate them on your pricing page.
Conclusion
It must be said: Offering meal planning services is also a viable business. Although, as a healthcare professional, you must also keep in mind that you want the best for your clients and that, sometimes, you don’t have to overcharge them. So whatever path you choose, make sure you communicate effectively with your clients so they understand the value you offer and the expectations you establish.
Are you looking for meal prep software in Canada? KitchenFuel offers an innovative and simplified all-in-one approach with unique software. Here, we can educate you and help you expand your business in the most simplified ways. What are you waiting for? Book your FREE demo today!