eMeals is what's for dinner.

One of the areas I wanted to focus on for 2016 was better meal planning for our family. Our schedules are getting busier and some nights we are not even eating as a family. It is difficult to get a nutritious, healthy meal when you have very few options and most of  them are fast food places. With meetings and activities, there is also little time to sit down at a restaurant just to get better options than a number 1 combo at whatever place has a drive through.

I chose eMeals.com for the menu plan options and the price.

Meal plans arrive via email or smart device app on Wednesday. Each menu plan contains 7 meals, a main dish and a side dish. A shopping list is included listing items needed for each meal.  If you choose a particular store where you shop, the shopping list includes pricing. There is also a smart device app you can download. If a particular week does not appeal to you, you can use the app or log in to your account to change the menu plan. The bonus is that you also get the previous week's menu plan for the new plan you choose. Tip: viewing the plans in the app is so easy, I prefer looking at them on the app, if I decide to change my plan, I do it there, then I log in from my desktop and print/save the plan. Keep in mind that you won't get an email if you change the plan.

I already had a weekly dry erase board with days of the week. To start, I chose a menu plan based on the days of the week we were going to cook at home. 

 First time ever eating Brussels sprouts and cooking with artichoke.

PROS:

• Inexpensive program to buy into. $69 for a year. With the potential for 365 meal ideas, that comes to $.19 per recipe.
• You save the pdf file and you can print the shopping list as many times as you need.
• Ability to create freezer meals or do a meal dump.
• A chance to try foods you may not normally include in your family meals.
• If you don't like a particular list for that week, you can switch it to another plan. No limit to switching.
• There are options for breakfast, lunch, dessert, and special occasions.
• Smart device app gives you the ability to take your shopping list with you.

CONS:

• There is some duplication in menus. If you choose more than one plan, keep that in mind. I don't know what kind of duplication will take place year after year. 
• It would be nice to have pricing on all the weekly plans so that I have an idea on food budget for that week or month.

We have been using the meal plans for the last 2 months and I have to say I am glad for this service. My hubs gets to be involved in the meal choices, the list is practically made, I just have to add the household grocery list. The kids like seeing what is on the menu so they can complain about eating it before the plate is placed in front of them.

If you want to try eMeals, you can choose from a variety of menu plans. If you get a plan one week and you don't care for the majority of the recipes, you can select another plan.

Groupon currently has a deal for eMeals. 

Choose from Three Options

• 6 months of weekly online dinner plans (a $59 value)
• 6 months of weekly online lunch and dinner plans (a $83 value)
• 6 months of weekly online breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans (a $101 value)

I was not compensated for this review. I bought the bottle, liked it, wrote about it.