We all face the same daily question: what am I going to eat? And it usually comes down to three answers — cook it yourself (meal prep), grab fast food, or have healthy meals delivered. They feel similar in the moment, but the true cost of each is very different once you add up the hours, the pesos, and what it does to your body.
Let's break down all three, honestly.
Option 1: DIY meal prep — the "cheap" option that costs you hours
Cooking your own keto meals sounds economical, and on paper the ingredients can be. But the price tag isn't just money — it's your time, and a lot of it. A single week of proper meal prep usually means:
- Menu research & planning — finding recipes that are actually keto, balanced, and not boring
- Grocery shopping — hunting down low-carb ingredients across different stores
- Prep & cooking — chopping, marinating, cooking three different meals
- Portioning & storage — weighing, packing, labeling
- Cleanup — the part nobody looks forward to
Realistically, that's 5 to 8 hours a week — most of a full working day. And there are hidden money costs too: buying ingredients in bulk you don't finish, food that spoils, and the specialty low-carb items that aren't cheap. Meal prep works beautifully for some people — but only if you genuinely have the time and enjoy it.
Option 2: Daily fast food — fast, but the bill adds up (and so does the damage)
When there's no time to cook, fast food feels like the affordable shortcut. But eating out for most of your meals is rarely as cheap — or as harmless — as it seems.
The money: a combo meal in Metro Manila runs roughly ₱150–₱300 once you add rice, sides, and a drink. Order it through a delivery app and you're paying a menu markup plus a delivery fee on top. Do that for three meals a day and the week's total climbs fast — often to ₱3,500–₱5,000 or more.
The health: most fast food is built on refined carbs, sugar, seed oils, and heavy sodium. It spikes your blood sugar, leaves you sluggish an hour later, and — eaten daily — quietly contributes to weight gain and the kind of diet-related health problems keto is designed to help avoid. Cheap in the moment, expensive over time.
Option 3: Meals by Lily — the research, cooking, and health, handled
This is exactly the gap we built Meals by Lily to fill. You get the health of home-cooked keto and the convenience of fast food — without the hours or the guilt. We do the parts that eat up your time:
- Menu development — a different, balanced keto menu every day, so you never plan or get bored
- Sourcing & cooking — we shop, prep, and cook three meals a day
- Portioning — every meal is measured to ~1,200 calories and under 20g carbs, so you don't count a thing
- Delivery — brought to your door across Metro Manila, Monday to Saturday
You just open, reheat, eat, and get on with your day.
The honest cost comparison
Here's the part that surprises people. Our weekly plans are 3 meals a day — Keto Basic is ₱2,550 for 5 days or ₱3,150 for 6 days (Pollo Pesce is ₱2,950 / ₱3,550). Broken down per meal, that's:
(plus a delivery fee that depends on your address)
That's an average across the day — breakfast is a lighter, smaller serving, with heartier lunch and dinner sets. Compare it to a fast-food value meal (₱150–₱300 before delivery fees) — except ours is keto, calorie-controlled, made with premium ingredients, and requires zero effort from you. When you're buying most of your meals anyway, a meal plan often costs around the same as daily takeout — while doing the opposite to your health. See the full breakdown on our meal plans.
| DIY Meal Prep | Daily Fast Food | Meals by Lily | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your time / week | 5–8 hours | Minimal, but trips/waiting | Zero — it's delivered |
| Effort | High (plan, shop, cook, clean) | Low | None |
| Cost per meal | Varies + hidden waste | ₱150–₱300+ w/ delivery | From ~₱170 + delivery |
| Health | Healthy (if done right) | Refined carbs, sugar, sodium | Keto, portioned, balanced |
| Consistency | Depends on your energy | Easy to overeat | Same quality every day |
| Variety | Up to you to plan | Repetitive | New menu daily |
What you're really buying
When you subscribe to a meal plan, you're not just paying for food. You're buying back:
- Time — a full day of your week, every week, back in your hands
- Effort — no planning, shopping, cooking, or cleanup
- Health — meals designed to help you lose weight and avoid the toll of daily fast food
- Peace of mind — you always know your next meal is handled, and it's good for you
That's the real value. Fast food saves time but costs your health. Meal prep protects your health but costs your time. A meal plan is the only option that protects both — often for a similar price.
Get your time back — and eat better doing it
Let our family cook keto for yours. Three meals a day from about ₱170 each, delivered across Metro Manila — no planning, no cooking, no guilt. Around 1,200 calories, under 20g carbs.
See Our Meal Plans