Menu Planning

Disclosure: I received this product as part of an advertorial.

Like everyone else I know, I struggle to come up with healthy dinner ideas for my family. We usually end up in a rut eating the same few things. I turn to Pinterest but after a while Tim gets tired of trying new things like buffalo ranch lasagna or cauliflower crust pizza. I needed a simple way to come up with normal, wholesome, and healthy meals that wouldn't break the budget. Enter Relish! Meal Planning Services. I've never tried out any of the e-planning services before but know lots of friends who have. Now it's my turn!!

Relish! allows you to choose the dinners you want to make and easily print out the grocery list and recipes. They also offer comprehensive freezer meal recipes for those who like to cook in bulk ahead of time.

Here is how it works. Each week you choose from a new list of recipes. You then edit the side selection and build your grocery list by adding and deleting from the master list of groceries your recipes require. If you already have something in the pantry you just uncheck it form your list.

Having one thorough grocery list can cut down on your grocery bill and the time it takes to do your shopping. They say on average 5 dinners and sides cost less than $90 per week at the grocery store. A Relish! subscription is only $7 per month or as low as $4.90 a month when you sign up for a year.

Some of my menu items for two weeks ago when I started included Bang Bang Chicken with Jasmine Rice, Shrimp Creole Stew with Buttermilk Cornbread, and Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Burrito Bowls.

Being gluten free and menu planning can be difficult. I'm used to substitutions and easily know which type of meals work best for our family. I simply avoid the gluten heavy meals and sub out when necessary. Easy peasey! All of the above were easy to make gluten free. I really enjoyed each of the menu items but found that we usually use a lot more spices than others so I did adjust the recipes accordingly.

The recipes on Relish! tend to focus on healthy eating with whole, fresh foods.  When you're ready to cook the printable version of each given recipe is simple and straightforward. The ingredients are separate and followed by the directions for preparing the meal. Additional info such as weight watchers points and nutritional facts are available for each recipe.

I have a reoccurring problem finding new and still complementing sides. Relish! gives you a huge list of possible sides to choose from for each menu plan.

Side item list for the week for me blurred out to avoid any copying issues.

It's definitely worth the $7 a month (if you choose to buy just one month) and an awesome deal for the $4.90 cost to buy a whole year. Let me know if you menu plan and what tips and types of meals you enjoy?

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.