Back in June of last year, I was a guest on the eMeals podcast and had a lovely time chatting with the founder, Scott Jones, about everything from cricket flour to catering, to how to get a healthy dinner on the table fast. Being a part of this real food community has been quite the journey; I never thought I’d be connected with so many people from all over the world- and all because we’re passionate about helping people get more real food on their tables. It’s really pretty incredible.
Since my podcast episode seemed to resonate with a lot of people, they asked me to try eMeals out for myself, and tell you what I thought about it. And since trying it out meant that I wouldn’t have to use any brain cells to decide what to cook for dinner for many, many nights, my answer was a resounding YES.
More about eMeals:
eMeals is a website with an accompanying app that meal plans (and shops!) for you. This is great news, because when I’ve asked people what the largest hurdle is in terms of eating better, the #1 response is always meal planning; the time it takes specifically. And of course when you make an effort to eat healthier, it can get expensive. eMeals is designed to address all of that.
How eMeals works:
- Sign up with eMeals and choose your subscription plan.
- Browse the recipes available for the week, and select the ones you want. You can choose one, all, or any number in between.
- The ingredients you need to make the recipes will get automatically added to your shopping list. You can remove any items that you already have, and add any odds and ends.
- Select the grocery delivery service that’s available in your area and you’re done! Of course you can also opt to shop yourself if you prefer- and your list is already done and organized!
Based on my experience, when I shop with a meal plan, I waste WAY less money than when I just go to the store and wing it. The annual cost of eMeals (As low as $5/month) is nowhere near the amount I waste a year when I shop without a meal plan. Add at least one zero and you’re probably closer to the number. (Yikes)
The eMeals interface has 16 categories of meal plans to choose from, including Quick and Healthy, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Low Carb, Slow Cooker, Kid-Friendly, Mediterranean, and more. (See below for the full list) Each week, you get 7 new recipes- select them all, or choose any number that works best for your plans for the week. If you want more variety, you can switch meal plans and see what’s available in the others.
just a small sampling of the meal plans available
The part I especially love:
When you select each recipe, it creates a shopping list for you. You can edit as needed; remove any staples you already have in the pantry, or add any extra odds and ends. Then, you choose the grocery delivery service that is available in your area. I use Instacart, but they also offer Kroger Clicklist, Amazon Fresh, and Walmart Grocery. Of course if you prefer to go shopping yourself, you already have your list all ready to go!
I have had the eMeals app for a few weeks now and have found it very easy to navigate. I haven’t done full weeks of recipes, instead I preferred to choose one or two per week to add some variety to my cooking; I get really sick of my own food, so it’s been nice to mix it up! The recipes that I’ve tried have been super easy to make and really tasty.
Meal Plans Available:
- Quick and Healthy
- Paleo
- Gluten-Free
- Low Carb
- Slow Cooker
- Kid-Friendly
- Mediterranean
- Clean Eating
- Low Calorie
- Budget Friendly
- 30 Minute Meals
- Vegan Meals
- Classic
- Vegetarian
- Heart Healthy
- Diabetic
Ready to give eMeals a try? Go here for your 2-week FREE trial!
Disclosure: I was financially compensated for this post. The words and opinions are completely my own, based on my personal experience.
All of the links on zenbelly.com are for information purposes, however some are affiliate links to books, products or services. Any sponsored posts are clearly labelled as being sponsored content. Some ads on this site are served by ad networks and the advertised products are not necessarily recommended by Zenbelly.
Leave a Reply