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You’re busy and you care about your food budget. There’s an app for that! Actually, there are dozens upon dozens. You likely don’t have time to explore every meal planning app, so we did the work for you!
Because we know that food is one of the top 3 most expensive line items in your budget, and we know that there’s nothing better than a delicious and nutritious meal with family or friends, we set out to find the best of the best meal planning app–eMeals! eMeals combines meal planning, grocery shopping, and cost savings all into one user-friendly app.
Read on to find out if eMeals will be a mealtime gamechanger for you!
eMeals Review Summary
- eMeals offers weekly meal plans and shopping lists so you can either DIY or enlist help, whatever best fits your lifestyle
- eMeals accommodates a variety of dietary preferences and allergy restrictions, including Paleo, vegan, and gluten free menu options
- eMeals offers flexibility, allowing you to choose the perfect serving size (1-3 people or 4-6 people) for whoever you need to feed
- eMeals works with delivery programs you are already familiar with–including AmazonFresh, Shipt, and Walmart–to save you even more time
- eMeals offers a 14-day free trial for new users
eMeals Pros & Cons
eMeals is a meal planning subscription app that has been delighting diners for years and years. Here are some of the pros and cons of eMeals.
Pros
- Dramatically reduce food waste (that’s green for your wallet and the planet!)
- Take the guesswork out of what to cook each day
- Find crowd pleasing favorites and new recipes tailored to your dietary needs
- Say goodbye to impulse purchases at the grocery store
- Cut back on takeout and dining out costs
Cons
- More costly than some meal planning apps or free ideas online
- Options for meals other than dinner are limited and cost extra
- Auto-renewal feature requires some additional steps and planning to cancel
- Might feature ingredients that you or your family don’t enjoy
- Credit card required to activate the free trial
How Does eMeals Work?
eMeals is easy! The first thing you do is choose your meal plan. These change from week to week, and the meal plan includes everything from the main dish and sides to the preparation directions and grocery list. That’s right! eMeals makes your grocery list for you!
Once you have your list, you can shop yourself or use a grocery service to streamline the process. Currently, eMeals partners with a handful of grocery services, including Shipt, Instacart, AmazonFresh, Walmart, and Kroger. Depending on the grocery service partner you choose, your items will either be pulled for pickup at a nearby store or delivered straight to your door. This is another way that eMeals is committed to helping busy families save time.
Let’s take a look at some of the plan options, sample menus, and grocery partners to see what makes eMeals one of the best meal planning apps around!
eMeals Plan Options
When eMeals says there is something for everyone, they aren’t exaggerating! The plan options are thoughtfully designed to meet a variety of nutritional needs. Plus, the variety means that there is something for individuals and big families.
From cutting carbs to cutting down on cooking time, eMeals has a plan for you!
The sixteen different plan options include:
- 30 Minute – Recipes focusing on both taste and speed
- Budget Friendly – Cost-saving ingredients that don’t skimp on taste
- Kid Friendly – Options to please even the pickiest of eaters
- Slow Cooker – For weeks when you want to set it and forget it
- Clean Eating – Focuses on fresh produce and minimally processed foods
- Quick & Healthy – Meals with eight healthful ingredients or less
- Keto – High fat and low carb meals that are dietician approved
- Paleo – Recipes that are protein rich, plus dairy and gluten free
- Heart Healthy – Carb and sodium controlled recipes that spotlight heart-healthy oil and whole grains
- Diabetic – Meals tailored to ADA requirements to help control blood sugar
- Low Calorie – Recipes with less than 500 calories per serving
- Low Carb – Meals to help you control weight and blood sugar
- Gluten Free – Meals that are minimally processed and gluten free
- Vegan – Egg and dairy free dishes that are plant based and delicious
- Vegetarian – Balanced and meatless meals that everyone will love
- Mediterranean – Emphasizes lean meats and healthy fats
Keep reading for a delicious sneak peak of an eMeals sample menu!
eMeals Sample Menu
If the eMeals menu options above don’t have you convinced that you can find something delicious, check out these mouthwatering sample menus.
The Quick and Healthy meal plan option is a top-requested meal plan on eMeals. These healthy meals are all designed to fit into a busy lifestyle.
Quick and Healthy standout recipe options include:
- Cheesy Baked Pasta with Kale and Mushrooms
- Beef Chorizo Street Tacos with Radish Salsa
- Lemongrass Shrimp Rice Bowls
The Keto meal plan is perfect for seasoned keto eaters and newbies alike thanks to its approachable ingredient list and cooking techniques. The recipes all call for fresh and simple foods that are high in fat and low in carbs.
Keto recipe favorites include:
- Hunter-Style Chicken Drumsticks
- Blue Cheese Sauce Burgers
- Smokey Sausage Vegetable Egg Bake
Placeholder for attached a sample menu image or screenshot.
Creating a Grocery List
After you’ve selected your meal plan for the upcoming week, it’s time to create a grocery list. This can be done with a few easy clicks using the eMeals app. Once the app knows the recipes you are interested in, it will compile a shopping list for you.
Once you have your list, you can either head to the store or allow eMeals and their grocery partners to do the heavy lifting (literally!) for you.
eMeals and Walmart Grocery Delivery
eMeals teamed up with Walmart and the end result is inspired meal plans and fresh ingredients with some time and cost savings sprinkled on top.
Here’s how the eMeals and Walmart Grocery partnership works:
Since eMeals offers integrated pickup and delivery options, you use eMeals to choose your meal plan and recipes for the week. Then, eMeals makes your shopping list and sends it over to Walmart.
From there, a worker will gather up all of the ingredients you need. You decide if you want to head to your nearest Walmart to pick up your groceries or have them delivered to your door.
Thanks to eMeals and their partnership with Walmart, you’re ready to get a delicious and nutritious meal on the table in less time than ever. Which means you have time to do more of what you love–whatever that is!
How Much Does eMeals Cost?
The cost of eMeals varies. You can get started with a free trial for 14 days using this link. After the trial ends, you will choose your subscription option.
Yearly Subscription eMeals Cost
To subscribe for a year, you pay $4.99 per month.
3 Month Subscription eMeals Cost
If you want to test out eMeals or use it for a busy season of life (we see you, soccer moms and dads!), you can get a 3-month subscription for $9.99.
eMeals Add Ons
There are additional menu options that you can include for an additional cost.
These are the options add-ons:
- Breakfasts
- Lunches
- Desserts
- Special occasion meals
Who is eMeals Best For?
You might be wondering who is best served by this app? Hopefully after reading this far in our eMeals review, you’ve realized it’s great for nearly everyone!
Busy parents love eMeals because it allows you to spend less time planning and shopping and allows you to spend more time with your family.
But eMeals isn’t just for busy families. eMeals is also great for anyone who is looking to spice up their menu options without the headache of meal planning from scratch. While there are some people who love to plan, for most of us, the work can get tedious.
If your dishes are leaving you feeling less than inspired, eMeals is the perfect solution to step up your dinner choices. With the planning done for you, you can tackle other things on your to-do list. Plus, you can rest easy knowing you won’t have to make those constant mid-week trips to the grocery store to find the ingredient or two you forgot about!
Of course, eMeals is also an incredible tool to save money. I know what you’re thinking! We already told you what eMeals cost, so how can it save you money? Thanks to the grocery list feature, you will be less tempted by impulse purchases. You also minimize food waste, which is basically throwing money straight into the garbage can or compost bin. And with so many tasty options to choose from each week, you’ll be spending a lot less time and money at the drive thru.
eMeals FAQ
We know, we know! eMeals is another subscription service. If you’re like most people, you might get a little skeptical. But we promise the eMeals subscription saves you tons of time and money.
Still, you probably have questions, so we’ve gathered answers for the most commonly asked questions about eMeals.
Read on for the full eMeals FAQ!
How Many Meals Do You Get With eMeals?
The standard eMeals dinner options include meals for seven days of the week. Remember that this includes your main dish and some sides for dinners only.
If you choose the breakfast or lunch add on, each of those come with five meals. Suddenly, your busy breakfasts and weekday lunches are all planned!
The dessert option comes with three desserts to serve up throughout the week, and the special occasions option includes one meal every other week.
Remember that you can also choose how many servings you get. Meals either come portioned for 1-3 people or 4-6 people.
How Do You Cancel eMeals?
Are you worried that eMeals might not be for you? That’s OK. They give you a 14-day free trial after all.
If you do decide to part ways with eMeals, here is how to cancel eMeals in three easy steps:
- Make sure you cancel two days before your subscription renews.
- To cancel, call the customer success department at 855-328-2674.
- Let them know that you would like to cancel your subscription.
You also want to note that you are unable to cancel eMeals via voicemail, email, or chat. That means that in order for the cancellation to take effect, you have to talk to a live person.
You also want to note that if you decide to cancel during the free trial, you can continue to use the subscription until the free trial period expires.
Bottom Line: Is eMeals Worth It?
eMeals is worth it! For many individuals and families, eMeals can save you precious time and reward you with delicious dinners. Whether you feel bogged down with meal planning or uninspired over recipe ideas, eMeals is sure to get you excited about dinner again. Thanks to the eMeals app, the planning process is a piece of cake.
As an added benefit, you will be spending less money. No more impulse purchases standing in the checkout line. No more just winging it without a list. And no more food waste.
If you are looking to save time and money, eMeals might definitely be worth it!
eMeals Alternatives
If you aren’t sure if eMeals is right for you, there are other meal delivery services available. They vary in terms of menus and preparation. Take a look to see if any of these meal planning apps might be right for you.
Blue Apron
Do you want fresh ingredients delivered straight to your door? Blue Apron can help. This meal delivery service portions out fresh ingredients and sends them straight to you. All you have to do is open the packing, toss on an apron, and get cooking!
Hello Fresh
The largest meal-kit provided in the United States, Hello Fresh sends pre-portioned ingredients to your doorstep and provides step-by-step recipe instructions. People rave about the simplicity of the instructions and the taste of the plated meals.
Home Chef
Standing out from other meal services, Home Chef focuses on prepared meals that simply require heating. There are four different menu options that contain many different meals that you simply pop into your oven–no preparation needed. Home cooking doesn’t get much easier!
Of course, you also have the option of working with a dietician as another alternative to eMeals. If you have special dietary needs or restrictions, consulting a professional can help you make the best choices and determine if eMeals or any other meal plan service will be the right fit for your needs.
