I Used Qdoba Catering for My Weekly Meal Prep: Here is the Cost and Macro Breakdown
Let’s face it: spending hours in the kitchen every Sunday chopping veggies and grilling chicken can get exhausting. If you want the benefits of bulk meal prep without the clean-up and cooking time, ordering a Qdoba catering bar is a brilliant life hack. By purchasing bulk portions of protein, rice, beans, and salsas, you can easily portion out a week's worth of fresh, macro-friendly meals. Here is a full cost and macro breakdown of my experience using Qdoba catering for meal prep.
The Order: What I Got
I ordered the Qdoba Family Meal (Taco Kit), which is designed to feed 4-5 people. However, when portioned out for a single person's meal prep, it easily creates 6 substantial, high-protein meals.
- Protein: Grilled Adobo Chicken (Large container)
- Base: Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans
- Toppings: Shredded Cheese, Pico de Gallo, Salsa Verde, and Roasted Chile Corn Salsa
- Extras: A large bag of chips and a container of Guacamole (Free!)
The Cost Breakdown
The total cost for the Family Meal was $48.00 (including tax). When I divided this into 6 meal prep containers, the cost per meal came out to exactly $8.00. While this is slightly more expensive than cooking at home from scratch, it’s significantly cheaper than ordering a single bowl every day, which usually costs $12-$14 with tax and tip.
The Portioning Strategy
To ensure my macros were consistent, I used a simple kitchen scale and divided the bulk ingredients equally into 6 glass containers. Here is how I layered them:
- Rice & Beans: I put a 1/2 cup scoop of rice and a 1/2 cup scoop of beans in each container.
- Chicken: I weighed the total chicken and divided it by 6, which gave me about 4oz of cooked protein per meal.
- Veggies & Salsas: I added the pico and corn salsa directly on top. I kept the Salsa Verde and Guacamole in small separate containers to prevent the rice from getting soggy.
The Macro Breakdown (Per Meal)
I plugged these portions into the Qdoba Nutrition Calculator to get the exact numbers for my tracking app. Here is the breakdown for one of my prepped meals:
| Nutrient | Amount Per Meal |
|---|---|
| Calories | 580 kcal |
| Protein | 38g |
| Carbs | 62g |
| Fat | 22g |
| Fiber | 12g |
The Taste Test: Day 1 vs. Day 4
One of my biggest concerns was how the food would taste after a few days in the fridge. In my experience, Qdoba’s grilled chicken holds up remarkably well. The rice stays fluffy if you keep the lid sealed tight. The only thing I’d recommend is keeping the cold toppings (salsa, guac) in separate small containers so you can reheat the base without warming up your guacamole!
Final Verdict: Is it Worth It?
If you’re a busy person who wants to eat healthy but hates the cooking process, yes, it is absolutely worth it. For $48 and about 15 minutes of portioning, I had my lunches covered for the entire work week. To calculate exactly how many people you can feed and your cost per serving, try our interactive Qdoba Catering Cost & Portions Calculator. Next time you’re dreading meal prep, give the Qdoba catering hack a try!
