A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to try out PlateJoy, a new grocery service that not only helps you plan healthy meals but also provides personalized recipes and assist you with food shopping.
Seriously, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Dr. G. was leaving for a 4-5 day business trip in Hawaii (sigh), so getting to the grocery store was going to be a challenge. And I admit that when he travels I sometimes turn to quick weeknight dinners for me and the kiddos — think breakfast for dinner and pizza.
So you can see why the idea of quick, healthy meals that would be delivered to my doorstep was very appealing. Not only did I not have to make a grocery list, I didn’t have to go to the grocery store? Could it really be true?
It was so easy. I went on to their website and within minutes I had picked out three meals/snacks (vegetarian and kid-friendly, although I knew I’d be the one likely eating them) and selected a delivery date a few days later (although they can deliver as fast as 24 hours!).
I ordered all the ingredients necessary to make the following:
- Cashew, mango and coconut bites
- Smashed chickpea and olive salad
- White bean, avocado, and cucumber sandwich
The recipes were both emailed and mailed to me, and just as scheduled, a nice woman delivered all of the food … along with some beautiful flowers.
All the ingredients came to less than $80 – probably as much, or even less, than I would spend on the days when I drag my sorry self and fight the crowds at Market Basket. Some pluses:
- You can choose where you wanted your groceries from (my choices were Whole Foods and Peapod, which was a little cheaper; I went with Peapod)
- A crazy wide range of different, customized meals (vegetatian, vegan, Paleo, kid friendly, gluten free, dairy free, etc.).
- You have dozens and dozens of options for breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks in each of these diet categories and can mix and match, based on your budget.
- Many of the recipes are double recipes, so they are good for multiple meals (like dinner one night and lunch the next day)
It was just what the doctor ordered as I got ready for me week of being the only parent at home.
My favorite dish by far was the chickpea and olive salad … two of my go-to ingredients. I made a batch of this for dinner one night when Dr. G. was away and had plenty leftover for lunch the next day. This is just such a tasty flavor combination for me, and I’ve made this recipe again several times (yet somehow managed to not take any photos).
The coconut bites were really yummy and a delicious sweet treat — and crazy easy to make. However, I found I wanted to eat all of them at once. They were pretty hard to resist.
I also liked the white bean recipe, but it was almost too similar to something we make on our own.
One thing to keep in mind when ordering: While the main ingredients are included with the basic price, certain pantry staples (think olive oil and salt) are not, but can be purchased at an extra fee.
All in all, having someone else essentially plan my meals, come up with a grocery list AND do the shopping was is a no-brainer in my book. I’ll definitely consider using them again when the husband has another lengthy work trip.
Right now Platejoy is available in 12 cities (Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Austin, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Houston and New York), so if you’re in these areas and are interested in giving PlateJoy a try, you can sign up online at www.platejoy.com and save $10 off your order by using the (case sensitive) code KMSANE (affiliate link).
Have you ever tried a grocery delivery service?
Disclaimer: I was provided with a free Plate Joy service to facilitate this review but all thoughts, opinions and photos are, as always, my own.
Tamara says
This sounds great – I just signed up. Can’t wait to try it!