Fresh20, emeals, or other meal planning service?

[Halcyon]

I am looking at these two. Has anyone used them? Thoughts? We are clean, sometime vegetarian eaters looking to save money on groceries. I am leaning towards fresh20 as the menu requires fewer ingredients. Also, i dont want to spend more than 30 min making dinner......most nights!

 

Would love opinions.

Edited August 25, 2012 by Halcyon

[Erica in OR]

We do emeals, although I'm not sure how much you can generalize our experience to your situation since we're on the low-carb meal plan. Each week the main dish is a meat (beef, pork, chicken) or fish, with one day a week egg-based. The side dishes are mostly fruit and vegetable, with occasional grains.

 

I can't say that eating on the plan has really saved us on grocery costs. Many of the meals use ingredients that I wouldn't really purchase and seem pricier than what I would normally make a meal with—artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, capers, fancier vinegars, rotisserie chicken (shredded to make a salad), etc. A few things I will sub out, such as certain ingredients that are somewhat out of season or that I refuse to purchase due to expense (flank steak, more expensive fish), However, we've really enjoyed most of the meals. Many are much more aggressive with seasoning than I have ever been and have combinations that I wouldn't necessarily choose myself, but they are for the most part delicious, even for the kids.

 

We are a couple months into a three month plan. We plan to cancel the subscription after that and continue to use the meal plans we already have.

 

No experience with Fresh20, although now I'm curious. I'll have to go take a look.

 

Erica in OR

[Halcyon]

I am pretty sure i am going to give fresh20 a try for 3 months. We like to eat lots of fresh veggies here, and don't mind "repeats" throughout the week, so could be a fit. I wish i could just try for a month, though.

[A.J. at J.A.]

Can you link to fresh20? I'll google too - your diet sounds a lot like ours. I haven't found a meal menu plan that fits us very well. Either their budget conscience and mostly unhealthyish meals, or they are very meat heavy. We eat meat maybe once or twice a week if that.

 

Let me know what you find - I'm intrigued!

 

Blessings,

Angela

[Halcyon]

Can you link to fresh20? I'll google too - your diet sounds a lot like ours. I haven't found a meal menu plan that fits us very well. Either their budget conscience and mostly unhealthyish meals, or they are very meat heavy. We eat meat maybe once or twice a week if that.

 

Let me know what you find - I'm intrigued!

 

Blessings,

Angela

 

http://Http://thefresh20.com

 

They have vegetarian plans, too. You could just throw in meat a couple times a week.i will let you know!

[A.J. at J.A.]

Thanks! I got their sample menus and am going to take a look at the food to see if it is stuff I can make and my family will eat. LOL!

 

I'm bummed that I didn't see the groupon back in March - it made the price only $24 for a whole year membership!

 

Blessings,

Angela

[anmom]

We enjoy Fresh 20!

[A.J. at J.A.]

We enjoy Fresh 20!

 

Which meal plan do you use? I'm interested in the Classic plan - but how many days a week is meat the main course?

 

Thanks,

Angela

[three4me]

Subbing...We've been trying to eat healthier and I was interested in this as well. Would love to hear more reviews!

[A.J. at J.A.]

http://Http://thefresh20.com

 

They have vegetarian plans, too. You could just throw in meat a couple times a week.i will let you know!

 

I know - I'd just prefer to be able to fully use the grocery list and everything as well, w/o having to edit it each week. I'm lazy and looking for something that does all the work for me! LOL!

 

:0)

Angela

[Cindyz]

This one has a couple weeks of free meal plans:

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/04/free-%E2%80%9Creal-food%E2%80%9D-meal-plans/

 

 

The one thing that bothers me about fresh20 is that there are no samples and it doesn't say approximately how much the groceries come out to each week? I'm looking at the tiny bit they show of the sample shopping list and it looks pretty expensive. Maybe I'm just missing that information in my quick scan

 

One thing that bothers me about emeals is that it also seems expensive. They try to keep it around $80-$100/week but that's for dinners only. My guess is that fresh20 is about the same.

 

I was looking at services like these, and instead chose to join bigoven.com. I then scoured Big oven and the internet for recipes that my family enjoys (and that take about 30 minutes to prepare). I input them into bigoven and from there, I can then create meal plans (including breakfast and lunch), and it will then create a grocery list for me based on my meal plan.

[A.J. at J.A.]

This one has a couple weeks of free meal plans:

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/04/free-%E2%80%9Creal-food%E2%80%9D-meal-plans/

 

 

The one thing that bothers me about fresh20 is that there are no samples and it doesn't say approximately how much the groceries come out to each week? I'm looking at the tiny bit they show of the sample shopping list and it looks pretty expensive. Maybe I'm just missing that information in my quick scan

 

One thing that bothers me about emeals is that it also seems expensive. They try to keep it around $80-$100/week but that's for dinners only. My guess is that fresh20 is about the same.

 

I was looking at services like these, and instead chose to join bigoven.com. I then scoured Big oven and the internet for recipes that my family enjoys (and that take about 30 minutes to prepare). I input them into bigoven and from there, I can then create meal plans (including breakfast and lunch), and it will then create a grocery list for me based on my meal plan.

 

I was able to get samples from fresh20 - try these links - I got them via an email sign up on their website:

Classic: http://www.thefresh20.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/MiniWeek.pdf

Vegetarian: http://www.thefresh20.com/wp-content/uploads/images/VJan27.pdf

Gluten-Free:http://www.thefresh20.com/wp-content/uploads/images/GFJan27.pdf

 

I've tried emeals before and if I remember correctly a lot of their stuff was processed food based and my family didn't care for it.

 

Blessings,

Angela

[Halcyon]

Looks like fresh20 is about 40 for 3 meals that make enough food for 4 people....so probably 65 or so for 5 meals, plus for us we would have a lotmof leftovers as my little ones eat like birds. So the leftovers could work for lunch the next day.

 

I am going to take theplunge and go shopping today. I will let you know what i think!!

[MSNative]

This one has a couple weeks of free meal plans:

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/04/free-%E2%80%9Creal-food%E2%80%9D-meal-plans/

 

 

I was looking at services like these, and instead chose to join bigoven.com. I then scoured Big oven and the internet for recipes that my family enjoys (and that take about 30 minutes to prepare). I input them into bigoven and from there, I can then create meal plans (including breakfast and lunch), and it will then create a grocery list for me based on my meal plan.

 

Have used a lot of the make ahead and b-fast ideas on the 100 days plans. Her site is great for resources, too. Once a month mom also has free menu plans and grocery lists organized by month. http://onceamonthmom.com/ Love that she has GFCF, whole foods, veg, and healthy choices. Great and free. Two of my fav. things.

 

Thank you for the big oven link! I have been doing this on my own. This is so much easier.

Edited August 25, 2012 by MSNative

[dsmama]

I've done both emealse and Fresh20 and much prefer the Fresh20 plan (we did the gluten free one Jan through June, and now I'm reusing some of the plans).

 

The plans are well organized and easy. Also, food is utilized well. You might make a 2 pound roast one day, serve one pound, and then used the leftover meat for enchiladas the next night.

 

Very helpful overall!

[A.J. at J.A.]

Looks like fresh20 is about 40 for 3 meals that make enough food for 4 people....so probably 65 or so for 5 meals, plus for us we would have a lotmof leftovers as my little ones eat like birds. So the leftovers could work for lunch the next day.

 

I am going to take theplunge and go shopping today. I will let you know what i think!!

 

Well the 20 pantry items are really regular staples for us

Pantry Basics

 

olive oil

grapeseed oil

balsamic vinegar

white wine vinegar

organic, reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth (two 32 ounce boxes of 32-ounce)

garlic bulb

onions (use mostly yellow and some red)

dried oregano;

herbes de provence

ground cumin

cayenne pepper or chili powder

paprika

black pepper

kosher salt

tomato paste

Dijon mustard (brown mustard)

100% whole wheat pasta (keep long and short on hand)

long grain brown rice

soy sauce or brags liquid amino acid

whole wheat flour

 

The kitchen 20 are also pretty basic:

 

Tongs

Flat Wooden Spatula

Silicone Spoon Spatula

Measuring Cups

Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons

Medium Mesh Strainer

Vegetable Peeler

Kitchen Scissors

Flexible Cutting Boards

Whisk

Dutch Oven

White Melamine Mixing Bowls

8″ Chefs Knife

Paring Knife

5″ Serrated Knife

Grater

10-12″ skillet

8-12 quart stockpot

5 quart saute pan

food processor

 

Unless you were calculating your 40-65 items from something else. I looked on their sample menus and they stick close to only 20 (non pantry - non kitchen) items from the grocery store.

 

Edited: Were you meaning cost? Sorry - too early in the morning for me, I think! LOL!

 

Let me know!

Angela

[A.J. at J.A.]

Just FYI - here is the response I got to my question regarding the Classic Plan:

 

Cassie, Aug 25 06:10 (PDT):

 

Hi Angela,

The classic and gluten-free plans each have three nights of meat, one fish/seafood, and one vegetarian. The vegetarian plan has no fish.

Thank you, Cassie

 

 

Jones Academy, Aug 24 18:59 (PDT):

 

Hello,

 

I am interested in your meal plans and am trying to decide which meal

plan would best suit my family. We only eat meat once or twice a week

(if that much) - can you tell me how many days a week on your Classic

menu meat is in the main course? On the sample menu there are only

three days listed, so I can't really get a good gauge.

 

Thank you,

Angela Jones

[Halcyon]

Just FYI - here is the response I got to my question regarding the Classic Plan:

 

Cassie, Aug 25 06:10 (PDT):

 

Hi Angela,

The classic and gluten-free plans each have three nights of meat, one fish/seafood, and one vegetarian. The vegetarian plan has no fish.

Thank you, Cassie

 

 

Jones Academy, Aug 24 18:59 (PDT):

 

Hello,

 

I am interested in your meal plans and am trying to decide which meal

plan would best suit my family. We only eat meat once or twice a week

(if that much) - can you tell me how many days a week on your Classic

menu meat is in the main course? On the sample menu there are only

three days listed, so I can't really get a good gauge.

 

Thank you,

Angela Jones

 

Thanks for doing that! I just got this week's menu, and went shopping. Spent about 70 on the needed ingredients, 25 on some staples we didnt have (herbes de provence, paprika and grapeseed oil) and then more fresh fruit for my fruit eaters. Spent 120 so thas not bad.

 

The menu this week is Cumin Lime Grilled Chicken (organic) with nectarine salsa and brown rice, Halibut with arugula nectarine salad (i subbed tilapia), chicken cashew stir fry wi red peppers and brown rice, steak and salsa verde with potatoes, and lemon goat cheese pasta with wilted arugula. Definitely some different stuff for me in there. I am not a big meat eater so i will have small portions myself, which means more for DH! I will post or blog about how my first week goes, and i will try to include pictures!

[VeganCupcake]

I looked at the sample veg plan from Fresh 20 and it looks really appealing. I am going to try it and see how it goes.

[SuperDad]

I have heard nothing but positive feedback about The Six O'Clock Scramble (I think that's what it's called) - can't link on this device, but it should pop up on Google. Might be worth a look?

[Cindyz]

Have used a lot of the make ahead and b-fast ideas on the 100 days plans. Her site is great for resources, too. Once a month mom also has free menu plans and grocery lists organized by month. http://onceamonthmom.com/ Love that she has GFCF, whole foods, veg, and healthy choices. Great and free. Two of my fav. things.

 

Thank you for the big oven link! I have been doing this on my own. This is so much easier.

 

 

Thank you for the free links. I'm glad you're enjoying Big Oven. I tried out several menu making programs before I finally settled on that one. :)

[Pamela H in Texas]

Okay, so what y'all are saying are these plans are those that tell you what to eat each week and you do what they say?

Where BigOven is like PlanToEat where you pick your own meals and it will give you a grocery list ?

And so $70 would be for a family of 4, right?

And that is only suppers?

 

I have GOT to get better at planning (and I want to do some pre-cooking like OAMC also).

We eat out *way* too much which is ridiculous in a family our size. Well and it is affecting the size of some of us!

[Halcyon]

Okay, so what y'all are saying are these plans are those that tell you what to eat each week and you do what they say?

Where BigOven is like PlanToEat where you pick your own meals and it will give you a grocery list ?

And so $70 would be for a family of 4, right?

And that is only suppers?

 

I have GOT to get better at planning (and I want to do some pre-cooking like OAMC also).

We eat out *way* too much which is ridiculous in a family our size. Well and it is affecting the size of some of us!

 

 

Well, fresh20 sends you a plan for a week, well 5 days actually, and the shopping list, approximate cost and any prep you should do in advance (it seems to be minimal, like "cook rice"). And yes, I spent 70 for a family of 4 this week. Just suppers, but I expect a lot of leftovers for lunch.

[Halcyon]

I like the looks of this one too. I'm just in a total food planning rut lately. Maybe this would help.

 

 

The first week looks quite nice. I was pleasantly surprised at my grocery bill too, considering I had to get a few pricier "pantry" items. I hope they are easy to prepare. I hate lots of prep.

[Kelly1730]

Thanks for doing that! I just got this week's menu, and went shopping. Spent about 70 on the needed ingredients, 25 on some staples we didnt have (herbes de provence, paprika and grapeseed oil) and then more fresh fruit for my fruit eaters. Spent 120 so thas not bad.

 

The menu this week is Cumin Lime Grilled Chicken (organic) with nectarine salsa and brown rice, Halibut with arugula nectarine salad (i subbed tilapia), chicken cashew stir fry wi red peppers and brown rice, steak and salsa verde with potatoes, and lemon goat cheese pasta with wilted arugula. Definitely some different stuff for me in there. I am not a big meat eater so i will have small portions myself, which means more for DH! I will post or blog about how my first week goes, and i will try to include pictures!

 

Oh, good! Eager to see how it works out for you.

[A.J. at J.A.]

I have been making dinners from the sample Vegetarian menu this week and they have been a big hit. On the nights where the protein seems on the weak side we just partner it with some cheese (which we always seem to have on hand.) I really liked the simplicity of the the grocery shopping and LOVE the idea that we are actually using all the items I purchase from the store. Especially the fresh ones.

 

I'm not a great cook (and I don't even enjoy cooking) but these recipes have been pretty straight-forward and tasty. I like that the Vegetarian meals on just loaded with tomatoes and/or beans as so many "vegetarian" menu plans are. DH and DSs don't eat tomatoes and we wanted actual vegetables in our meals (not just beans) so this has been such a blessing.

 

Thank you for posting it and bringing it to my attention. It looks to be a God-send in this house!

 

Blessings,

Angela

[Halcyon]

I have been making dinners from the sample Vegetarian menu this week and they have been a big hit. On the nights where the protein seems on the weak side we just partner it with some cheese (which we always seem to have on hand.) I really liked the simplicity of the the grocery shopping and LOVE the idea that we are actually using all the items I purchase from the store. Especially the fresh ones.

 

I'm not a great cook (and I don't even enjoy cooking) but these recipes have been pretty straight-forward and tasty. I like that the Vegetarian meals on just loaded with tomatoes and/or beans as so many "vegetarian" menu plans are. DH and DSs don't eat tomatoes and we wanted actual vegetables in our meals (not just beans) so this has been such a blessing.

 

Thank you for posting it and bringing it to my attention. It looks to be a God-send in this house!

 

Blessings,

Angela

 

 

You're welcome. Last night we had the Chicken Cashew Stir Fry and it was really great. Tonight is the Rib Eye steak with Salsa Verde! I don't really eat this much meat, normally, so I will probably have a mini portion. But I am sure it will be good.

[A.J. at J.A.]

You're welcome. Last night we had the Chicken Cashew Stir Fry and it was really great. Tonight is the Rib Eye steak with Salsa Verde! I don't really eat this much meat, normally, so I will probably have a mini portion. But I am sure it will be good.

 

Yummy! That Rib Eye Steak w/Salsa sounds great! I do wish they had a "mixed" menu that had Vegetarian 3 or 4 days with 1 or 2 meat dishes, but I have meat dish recipes I can just add into our week.

 

You've got my mouth watering!

 

Angela

[aliall]

We use the Fresh20 veg menus and they have worked out great here. We are a family of 5 and the menu serves 4. I have been using it as is and setting out leftovers and side dishes with our garden produce to make sure there is enough for everyone.

 

I have been saving money on weekly grocery bills and wasting less food overall. Totally worth it!

[Halcyon]

Yummy! That Rib Eye Steak w/Salsa sounds great! I do wish they had a "mixed" menu that had Vegetarian 3 or 4 days with 1 or 2 meat dishes, but I have meat dish recipes I can just add into our week.

 

You've got my mouth watering!

 

Angela

 

I totally agree. I wish there were two days of vegetarian! There's one, usually a pasta, but I took a look at some of the veg recipes and they look really good.

[Mama_Rana]

I subbed to the gluten-free version, and while it's nice, and I do use some of their menu ideas, I find there is still way too many grains for my comfort. I don't like using those "fake" foods: gluten-free pasta, etc. So I wish they had a grain-free version, myself.

 

We're having [hopefully] the cumin lime chicken tonight and the stir-fry tomorrow. I look forward to them because they are new to us. :-)

[nmoira]

Thanks! I got their sample menus and am going to take a look at the food to see if it is stuff I can make and my family will eat. LOL!

 

I'm bummed that I didn't see the groupon back in March - it made the price only $24 for a whole year membership!

I picked one up (inspired by Halcyon) on a Groupon just now. Here's a link (I think):

 

http://www.groupon.com/deals/the-fresh-20-raleigh-2

[A.J. at J.A.]

I picked one up (inspired by Halcyon) on a Groupon just now. Here's a link (I think):

 

http://www.groupon.com/deals/the-fresh-20-raleigh-2

 

Thank you so much! I just purchased the Groupon deal!

 

Blessings,

Angela

[nmoira]

I am looking at these two. Has anyone used them? Thoughts? We are clean, sometime vegetarian eaters looking to save money on groceries. I am leaning towards fresh20 as the menu requires fewer ingredients. Also, i dont want to spend more than 30 min making dinner......most nights!

 

Would love opinions.

 

Thanks so much for starting this thread. We've been stuck in a food rut, and this should help shake it up.

[Halcyon]

I picked one up (inspired by Halcyon) on a Groupon just now. Here's a link (I think):

 

http://www.groupon.com/deals/the-fresh-20-raleigh-2

 

Cool! I wonder if I can purchase this even though I have joined for 3 months? I would love to, if I could!! I am going to post on their facebook page.

[Halcyon]

Thanks so much for starting this thread. We've been stuck in a food rut, and this should help shake it up.

 

I really am quite happy so far. Just 3 days and 3 meals, but I am finding myself wishing they had a 7 night plan :tongue_smilie:

[VeganCupcake]

Yummy! That Rib Eye Steak w/Salsa sounds great! I do wish they had a "mixed" menu that had Vegetarian 3 or 4 days with 1 or 2 meat dishes, but I have meat dish recipes I can just add into our week.

 

You've got my mouth watering!

 

Angela

 

I ordered the veg plans and we're having the beans with salsa verde tonight. It all looks so good that I can't wait!

 

We're a mixed household (I'm vegan, DH is omni, the kids are mostly veg), so I kind of wish there were a way to combine plans, too. I've found it pretty easy to add some meat for DH to the last couple of meals, though.

[SweetandSimple]

I desperately need something like this. My new motto this week has been "I can homeschool OR cook dinner, but not both!"

 

That being said, I like the idea of Fresh20, but we have a houseful of picky eaters, and I'm worried that it wouldn't work out.

 

I think that I may try Relish. I like that you can choose from 15 meals each week. The reviews seem favorable. Has anyone tried this one?

[nmoira]

I really am quite happy so far. Just 3 days and 3 meals, but I am finding myself wishing they had a 7 night plan :tongue_smilie:

 

We eat out twice a week, so it's perfect for us. Any time I'd looked at similar services in the past, the recipes were chock-full of brand names and things I just wouldn't feed my family. The samples I saw for Fresh20 seemed more like what I'd want to cook, and without extensive food prep.

[momofkhm]

Thanks for the coupon!

 

I just bought the groupon. When I got in there, I had 6 groupon bucks so I got the whole year for $18! Awesome!

[Cassy]

You talked me into it too :tongue_smilie:. I'm now in the process of translating the recipes into British English - it's amazing how many ingredients have different names here: cilantro is coriander, arugula is rocket, snow peas are mange tout; it's quite an education!

[Just Kate]

I desperately need something like this. My new motto this week has been "I can homeschool OR cook dinner, but not both!"

 

That being said, I like the idea of Fresh20, but we have a houseful of picky eaters, and I'm worried that it wouldn't work out.

 

I think that I may try Relish. I like that you can choose from 15 meals each week. The reviews seem favorable. Has anyone tried this one?

 

I am intrigued by Relish too! I see that they offer freezer meals and vegetarian alternatives. I would love to hear if someone has tried this.

[cjzimmer1]

You talked me into it too :tongue_smilie:. I'm now in the process of translating the recipes into British English - it's amazing how many ingredients have different names here: cilantro is coriander, arugula is rocket, snow peas are mange tout; it's quite an education!

 

Just to confuse you more, we have both cilantro AND coriander. Cilantro is when you use the fresh leaves of the plant and coriander is the dried seed pods of the cilantro plant. It is typically used ground but it doesn't really taste anything like cilantro in my opinion so the two are not interchangeable the way fresh basil and dried basil are in some recipes.

[Miss Peregrine]

Thanks for this thread. I just used the Groupon for The Fresh 20.

[nmoira]

Having the archive is handy. I don't like the Thursday and Friday dishes for next week (SW sloppy Joes and smoky chili lime pasta salad), so substituted the Mon. and Wed. dishes from September 2nd last year (turkey burgers and Peanut Butter & Pepper Chicken Stew). The ingredients are laid out such that substituting is a breeze.

 

My youngest has gone ga-ga over brown rice. I prefer it, but the family had always balked. I think it helps that I've been putting it on in the morning on the GABA cycle, so it smells just amazing throughout the afternoon. And DD the Elder not only ate last night's halibut (she's usually exclusively a salmon gal), but asked for more. :blink: And she ate a small salad without prompting. :svengo:

Edited September 1, 2012 by nmoira

[Halcyon]

Having the archive is handy. I don't like the Thursday and Friday dishes for next week (SW sloppy Joes and smoky chili lime pasta salad), so substituted the Mon. and Wed. dishes from September 2nd last year (turkey burgers and Peanut Butter & Pepper Chicken Stew). The ingredients are laid out such that substituting is a breeze.

 

My youngest has gone ga-ga over brown rice. I prefer it, but the family had always balked. It think it helps that I've been putting it on in the morning on the GABA cycle, so it smells just amazing throughout the afternoon. And DD the Elder not only ate last night's halibut (she's usually exclusively a salmon gal), but asked for more. :blink: And she ate a small salad without prompting. :svengo:

 

Awesome! My kids have tried every single dish this week,(they are picky!) and oldest ate almost all of every dish. Youngest is pickier, but enjoyed the fish, steak and cumin lime chicken. I cant wat to see what next week brings!

 

I am nervous about buying the annual groupon ONLY because i actually LIKE having less choice LOL. If i am given the archive i might try to get creative, or substitute, and that wont do! :D