Passive income: YES

Setting up a meal prep service with the goal of earning passive income is feasible, but it requires careful planning and execution. Initial setup costs range from $500 to $2000 depending on equipment and marketing expenses. To make this hustle passive, systems for recipe development, ingredient sourcing, meal preparation, packaging, and delivery need to be streamlined and automated. Many successful meal prep businesses use software for orders and scheduling, as well as outsourcing tasks like delivery. Time to profit can vary, but most entrepreneurs start seeing returns within 2 to 6 months. While some individuals have achieved passive income from their meal prep services, it tends to be more common for those who scale their operations and implement efficient processes. Misleading expectations often involve underestimating the time and effort required to reach a fully passive income level. Realistically, passive income may be attainable for those who are willing to invest in systems and scale their operations, while remaining actively involved in overseeing the business.