Meal Planning and Shopping

      Ever since being married I have found I really do enjoy grocery shopping and my love of cooking has grown so much, but I don't really go shopping with set out plans in mind. I buy what I want to buy, and make what I want to make, so understandably, our grocery bill can be high since I don't really regulate it, by any means. So I spent Friday hunting for a great website/app for meal planning and grocery shopping. I was given some suggestions via Facebook and wonderful Pinterest, and found one that was very smooth, very easy, and even had a great app, which I am all about apps. (If I am going to pay $200 a month for my iPhone, it better do more for me than just be a phone).  






Food on the Table is easy to set up and understand. It will first prompt you to create an account and then ask you what stores you shop at for groceries based on your location. Just a side note --- I don't think it lists Walmart, which I realize is where a lot of people do their grocery shopping, but I don't, and... I don't recommend that you do either. I may save money at Walmart (I really haven't calculated it out) and I do buy my cleaning, paper, household, ext products at Walmart, but I am always disappointed in the produce I purchase at Walmart. Always. But with Smiths, I am rarely disappointed. Even the frozen chicken breasts (store brand) at Walmart are much worse quality than the Smiths store brand frozen chicken breasts. Walmart's are extremely fatty and tough no matter what I do. The produce is often moldy, or simply doesn't taste good. Dave and I eat very organically whenever we are given the chance, which for some isn't fiscally possible, but I really notice it when cooking and in how my meals turn out... And even the "organic" Walmart product just simply don't cut it compared to Smiths. Call me picky....  




After choosing the store, it brings you to recipes; you can use their recipes and explore new recipes based on ingredients, time of preparation, or enter in your own, and it also shows you what is on sale at your store and till what date so you can base your meal choices and shopping off of what deals are going on that week or month. 






It then creates your grocery list based off of the recipes you have picked out and you can add or remove whatever you like. I especially love how they have the grocery list organized, as it's by department, which I never would take the time to do when personally writing my list, which would result in my running all over the store.  


Both the app and site are free to use!


This is only my first day using the app, and here's to hoping I stick to it! I am feeling dedicated to using the food we have to make meals and keep things from going to waste. Please let me know if you have any great tips of meal planning and grocery shopping and I will post any new things about Food on the Table that I come across, pros or cons.


On the topic of apps, any other iPhone apps, or organizational websites you simply can't live without? Do share! 


Happy Weekend!

1 comment

  1. I agree 100% about the produce Walmart vs. Smith's thing. It's terrible. I didn't notice it at first (I'm a horrible cook) but then after buying a crown of broccoli one day it was like I could see the old produce everywhere. It was weird.
    Anyhow, thanks for sharing the "food on the table" website/app. I will be looking it up and trying it TONIGHT!

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