TOS Review: E-Mealz

OK, aside from the car, the telephone, and the computer- no invention has  revolutionized my life more than E-mealz!  I'll get to the particulars of it in just a second but know this.....I print a list and recipes, I shop for a week's worth of groceries (that always stretches farther than that), I spend about $90, and I no longer have the 4 o'clock blank stare into the pantry!

Cured!

Cured of the dreaded daily "What are we going to have for dinner tonight?"  Cured of the multiple trips to the grocery store each week!  Cured of the wasted food in my refrigerator!  Cured of the enormous grocery bills I was suffering under!  Cured of the "food rut" that I am occasionally accused of!

Cured!

Now, let me give you a little background- because I have some history with E-Mealz....I heard of E-Mealz a few years ago at my church.  Seems it was all the rage and I found out that the founder, Jane DeLaney, is my associate pastor's wife!  So I thought it sounded great and in an effort to support my pastor's wife, I gave it a shot.  It lasted for a month.

Why, you ask?  The menu.  I had a hard time getting the menu to go over with my family.  I had a couple of factors working against me...1)Small children  2) The hubs- he likes NO condiment, certain seasonings, anything from the banana family of fruit, fresh tomatoes......you see how this could impede my culinary creativeness?

I am so glad for this opportunity to re-try E-mealz.  Below is directly from their website:

What is E-Mealz?

E-Mealz is a simple system to solve your dinner dilemma with easy meals based on delicious recipes and a consistent grocery budget.

e-mealz meal plans...

•are written and created by REAL moms with REAL families

•are balanced and family friendly

•are as easy as possible, but delicious and kid tested!

•consist of favorite recipes collected from hundred of moms

•come with an organized, aisle by aisle grocery list

•are for 4 to 6 people

•are based on the current week sales at your grocery

•are priced at approximately $75 per week

•Two person plans average $35 total per week

OK, so now you have a little bit of an idea of how E-mealz works so I'm going to break it down for you...it's as easy as

There are multiple plans to choose from so that you may find a fit with your lifestyle.

 

I chose the low-fat/4 person/Publix/tall/decaf/carmel/macchiato version...o wait...well, you get the idea!  It worked fabulously!  Not too many leftovers, store close by, a little healthier eating than we had been having.... and the humdinger?? 

$5 a month!

That's right- they post a customized menu based on sale items for the store you choose, give you a grocery list, and recipes for only $5 a month!!  SOLD!!!

Time for my thoughts and opinions......

I really think I can't live without E-mealz in my life.  Even though I was given a free 3 month subscription for my review, I will be renewing it when it ends.  I will say that some of the recipes did not suit my family (meatloaf is not a favorite at Cainberly), but that was ok because it allowed for me to substitute in some of my meals that we love (jambalaya, stroganoff, chili, etc).  Also, regarding the recipes- on a couple of them I think some important details may have been left off- chili sauce...is that hot dog chili sauce or Texas Pete chili sauce?  I just don't know!  Oh, and a couple of times, through absolutely no fault of E-mealz- Publix would not stock items that they advertised as on sale (pet peeve of mine!) so if my meal was based on that item I had to rethink it.  One last thing you should know is that I would buy other things we needed for the house such as breakfast items, toilet paper, etc. and have the check-out person give me a total of the E-mealz items separately.  The totals ALWAYS fell under or at what they were supposed to based on your E-mealz grocery total for the week.

Great job by the folks at E-mealz!  What a great service for those of us who were drowning under the weight of the responsibility of feeding a house.  If you're struggling, or just tired of being in a food rut, give E-mealz a shot and let me know what you think!  Their website has a week's menu for you to try and some great info and recipes!

Disclaimer:  I was given a 3 month free trial membership to E-mealz in exchange for a fair and honest review.