I used to love meal planning; each Sunday evening, I would get online and start looking for mouth-watering recipes. Never mind how long it took to plan out my meals and create my grocery list . . . I enjoyed the process.
Then, I became the mother of two and lost any free time for luxuries such as “meal-planning.” I started using variations of the same meal plan each week, and when Dr. Renna created my Mamavation Boot-Camp meal plan for me . . . yeah, I used it over and over and over.
I need “easy.”
Enter Food on the Table.
A few weeks ago, Amanda (from Food on the Table) emailed and asked if I wanted to try out their services. After looking around their site, the answer was clear.
Heck yes, I did!
Here was a company with the GENIUS idea to help busy families save time and money by CREATING MEAL PLANS BASED ON THEIR GROCERY STORE’S WEEKLY SPECIALS.
{Genius, right?}
Amanda set me up with a 30 day free trial – the same trial period that ANYBODY can access. That’s right — everyone can try Food on the Table, free of charge, for a month.
Curious to know how it works?
The Details
When you sign up and choose your location, Food on the Table presents you with a selection of grocery stores within your city. After selecting your grocery store, you have a choice of 3 different meal plan types: Healthy, Money Saving, and Time Savers.
Once you choose your meal plan and indicate your preferred proteins, Food On the Table offers up to seven dinner recipes.
{click for full-size view}
Here’s where it gets REALLY cool.
If you don’t like the recipes selected for you, you can change them! That’s right — not in the mood for Fajitas? Click “See More Recipes” for over 1,000 other options.
Or, if you like the recipe but want to switch a couple of the ingredients, click on “Customize this Recipe.” I customized the recipe shown above, replacing the flour tortillas with whole wheat ones. (all customized recipes are saved for future use)
After you have finished selecting your dinner recipes, Food On The Table compiles your grocery list, conveniently organized by grocery type. You are able to delete any items you already have on hand, as well as add additional items to be purchased.
{Click for full-size view}
Then, it’s just a matter of viewing/printing your recipes and grocery list!
I have used other recipe/grocery planning services before, but this is by far the easiest one, and the only site I’ve seen to match meal plans with your store’s sales and specials.
The one thing I would like to see added is the nutritional content for each recipe; I voiced this concern to Amanda, who assured me that this is a feature in the works. Yay!!! (I guess great minds do think alike)
UPDATES 6/30:
Food on the Table contacted me today, letting me know that you can now compare sales at TWO stores while you meal plan! And, next week, they will be rolling out nutritional information for the recipes AND new search options. I am excited about these changes and the fact that this company is always trying to make things much more convenient for us!
Ready try it out?
Head over to Food On The Table and take advantage of the 30-day, “no-strings attached” trial. (you are NOT required or asked to submit credit card information)
If my excited, “I’m-in-love-with-this-service” review hasn’t convinced you to try it out, here’s an additional incentive: Food On The Table has thrown in a $25 Grocery Store gift card for one lucky reader. That’s right . . . one of you could win a gift card to the grocery store of YOUR choosing!
How to Enter!
Mandatory Entry: Visit Food on the Table and sign up for your free 30-day trial (remember, no credit card is required). Then, swing back over here and comment on THIS post, letting me know you’ve signed up.
Optional: IF your particular grocery store is not yet a part of the Food on the Table program, then you may leave a comment indicating which grocery store (and state) is missing.
Bonus Entries:
(Valid only after the mandatory entry has been completed)
Please leave a comment for each bonus entry – for example, if you subscribe to my RSS feed, leave two separate comments for your two extra entries.
- Like Following In My Shoes on Facebook {2 extra entries}
- Follow me on Google Friend Connect {2 extra entries}
- Subscribe to my RSS feed {2 extra entries}
- Follow me on Twitter {1 extra entry}
- Tweet about this giveaway and include the link to your tweet in your bonus entry comment{1 extra entry per tweet; up to 3 tweets per day}
- Follow Food on the Table on Twitter {1 extra entry}
- “Like” Food on the Table on Facebook {1 extra entry}
- Enter the $250 Gift Card Contest, hosted at the Food on the Table Blog {1 extra entry}
- Leave a comment on ANY other Following In My Shoes post between now and June 30th {1 comment per post — 1 extra entry per comment}
All entries must be accompanies by a valid email address or the entry will be disregarded. This giveaway ends at midnight, June 30th. A random winner will be selected and announced July 1st; Food on the Table will send the gift card to the winner. Giveaway open to all U.S. residents.
Disclosure: Note: This was not a paid post. For this honest review, I used the free 30-day trial available to everyone; Food on the Table is providing the gift card for the giveaway. I was not compensated for this review or giveaway.
