There's an app for that!!

Don’t tell me you don’t know how to cook!  It’s not rocket science!!  Yes, I know how to cook.  I don’t find it that difficult.  And most of the time I make meals without following a recipe.  I just have a feel for what something will taste like if I add this or that ingredient.

But I know that for some cooking is a real issue.  They can’t even figure out the proper way to hard boil an egg (btw, there is definitely a proper way!)

People will go to cooking classes, watch YouTube videos (hmm, maybe a vlog post idea?!?!) and buy really expensive books.  And they still won’t be able to master the skill.

In the last several years, companies like Blue Apron and HelloFresh have popped up and are becoming very popular!  They send you all the ingredients you will need to cook a week’s worth of dinners, along with the instructions on how to prepare these meals.  You still have to do the actual cooking though.

A co-worker of mine had used one of these services.  She said it was good, but that she didn’t always like the choices that they sent.  And today, another co-worker was thinking of signing up, and he and I spoke about whether it is worth it or not.

For me, personally, they don’t seem like they’d be worth it.  Yes, the food is delivered right to your door.  Yes, the process of trying to figure out what to make has been taken care of by someone else.  But is that worth the cost, because these are very pricey services.

Also, for me it wouldn’t work, because I’m very particular about the produce I buy.  So for someone else to pick out my tomatoes or lettuce or apples … well, that wouldn’t work so well for me! Especially the apples!  I’m rather picky when it comes to that fruit in particular!  Don’t ask me why, because I haven’t a clue!  But if it doesn’t have the taste and texture I am looking for, I just can’t eat it!

I will say that trying to figure out what to cook can get a bit stressful.  Even for me!  And I usually end up going back to my old standards.  But that can get boring.

So I thought about whether I would recommend using this service to my co-worker.  And then it hit me … there has to be an app for that!!  So off to the Google Play Store I went and low and behold … tons of them!

The one I downloaded was for “healthy” meals.  I like to eat healthy, and since I have 7 weeks to get into bikini shape for my upcoming vacation, I wanted to make sure that I would be sticking to my diet/exercise goals.

After it downloaded, and I clicked in, I was given the choice of various types of menus, from low carb, to paleo to vegetarian, to what they call “classic – no holds barred”.  I chose low carb. 

I then could insert if I had any food allergies.  This is VERY important, because food allergies are usually deadly!  Thankfully I don’t have any food allergies (anymore), so that was easy for skip past. 

Then they provided me with a very extensive list of ingredients, and I could choose the ones I dislike.  They would then not include these ingredients in the menus that they pick for you.  I only put down tofu as a dislike.  I just don’t eat that stuff.

Once I had entered all my settings and hit “go”, I was presented with 4 different recipes to begin with. 

                Strip Steak & Bell Pepper Fajitas with Guacamole & Butter Lettuce

                Orange-Glazed Chicken Thighs with Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower

                Shrimp, Avocado & Grapefruit Salad

                Chicken Satay with Creamy Peanut Sauce & Thai Cucumber Salad

The app comes with a grocery list of all the ingredients you will need to complete the recipes.  And as you put these into your cart at the market, you can check them off the list!  If you have any items at home already, just check those off as well.

So, after work, I stopped at the market and did my shopping according to my list supplied by my new app. 

I decided to try the steak fajitas tonight!  The meal plan recipe provides a tab that lists the ingredients you will need, and a tab that lists the cookware you will need as well.  So I laid out all my ingredients and cookware and got to work. 

A half an hour later, I was eating the most yummy and healthy fajitas (instead of the carb heavy tortilla wraps, I was instructed to use a leaf of the butter lettuce (a.k.a. Boston lettuce) with homemade healthy guacamole!  It was delish!!!  Seriously, it was so tasty! And the recipe was for 2 servings, so I have lunch already ready for tomorrow! 

Tomorrow night I’m going to try the Chicken Satay!!

And guess what the best part of this is … the app was FREE!  Yes, there is a “pro” version that you can pay for, which will allow you to get nutritional information, exclusive recipes, view previous meal plans, etc.  But that costs $5.99 a month!!  Um, that’s ok.  I can figure out the nutritional value online!  And if I don’t see these “exclusive” recipes, I won’t know what I’m missing anyway!

So I did have to spend money at the supermarket, and I did have to carry it home (although my supermarket actually offers free delivery). But overall, I am thrilled to find this app!  I won’t need to search for meal ideas anymore.  And my cooking repertoire will grow by leaps and bounds!!

So, instead of jumping on the latest expensive trend, why not see if there’s an app for that?!

Happy eating!