E-mealz Review

Does your dinner menu for the week look like this:  Spaghetti . tacos . burgers . pizza . take-out?  Do you find yourself putting dishes together as you roam up and down the grocery isles?  Are you wasting food? 

I have a confession.  You ready?  I hate cooking!!  I also hate grocery shopping and meal planning.  So the above scenario was me.  If you know me, this is not a big surprise and if you live with me...well...I can only apologize. 

I thought once I got married and had children things would change.  Unfortunately, they didn't.  But, do you know that there are people out there who like to cook and meal plan?  And because of that E-mealz was created!

From their website:

E-Mealz has been created to provide a kid-friendly and family-uniting meal planning resource for busy Moms and frugal family cooks. Each meal plan is based on the current sales at the grocery stores, with plan options categorized according to store and/or weight management strategy. The recipes are delicious, simple and easy to follow. Each plan is new every week and has a corresponding aisle-by-aisle grocery list. Almost every week includes a crock-pot recipe and easy dinner ideas. There are meal plans for two people, for a low fat diet, a low carb diet, and for those who are following a portion control system, as well!

We have been using E-mealz for four weeks now and I have to say that I LOVE IT!!

Here is how it works

You choose the store and they provide the plan! Each week you will receive a brand new plan with a complete grocery list organized by sections.

There are several options to pick from and you can select your grocery store.  You can pick plans for 1-2 people or 4-6, five or seven meals a week, gluten free, low-fat, vegetarian and more.  I chose the Publix Regular Meal Plans For Two.  Here you can see all the plans and sample menus. 

Now each week I log in and print off the new plan.  The meal names, ingredients, and instructions are listed on the first page.  The second page is my grocery list, organized by the sections in the grocery store. 

So not only do you have all your meals planned out for you and your whole grocery list made, but all the meals are planned according to your store's sales!!!  I'm not sure if I could ask for anything more!

We have enjoyed almost all of the meals and would cook most of them again.  Here are a few.

Simple Ziti, Italian Salad, and French Bread

Easy Beans & Rice, Sauteed Zucchini, Salad, and a Muffin

Italian Dijon Tilapia, Steamed Rice, Green Beans, and Bread

My Thoughts:  I have been pleasantly surprised by E-mealz.  I love that all the work is done for me and I have been able to get out of the boring dinner rut and make my family some delicious meals.  The recipes are easy to follow and most have taken me under 30 minutes to prepare.  I was also worried that I would receive a bunch of crock pot or casserole dishes, but that hasn't been the case.

I'm also finding it easy to substitute ingredients when I want.  Since we have three in our family and we are on the 1-2 person plan, I sometimes need to buy a little more meat and I sometimes substitute lowfat or cheaper items than what they call for.  In most cases though, we have had leftovers with what the recipe requires.

I do think E-mealz is worth trying at least once.  In saying that, I think it may not be a good fit for every family.  Families with multiple allergies, for instance, may find that it does not work for them.

Find Out More:  You can find out more about E-mealz on their website and see samples of every type of menu here.  E-mealz charges $15 every three months to your debit or credit card and is automatically renewed every three months unless you cancel before the renewal date.  If you are not happy with your menu plan and want to change to another, you can change once every three month subscription period. 

My Crewmates are also reviewing E-mealz, so you can check out what they think HERE.

Disclosure:  This product was given to Our Homeschool Reviews for free for review purposes, and I do not have to return the products to the vendor.  I have received no compensation from it and all opinions and experiences within this review are my own.