For many years I’ve had good intentions of regularly making healthy, home cooked meal.
Yet I’d often find myself rushing home from evening activities (always later than expected!) to an empty fridge, and then falling back on take-out, fast food or a dinner of crackers and cheese.
Life with kids or a busy career is hard enough, but throw in grocery shopping, meal planning, food prep and cooking, and it’s nearly impossible.
But thanks to the advice of some savvy friends I’ve finally found a system that lets me do more, shop less and still cook dinner. I only wish I had tried it sooner! Here’s what works for our family:
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Fresh Grocery Delivery Services
I had always assumed this would be too expensive, but many stores are now offering delivery at a very reasonable price, or even free (usually over a certain spending amount).
What could be better than coming home to fresh groceries on your doorstep? Plus, it saves me drama of shopping with two kids in the cart, as I’m sure all you moms can relate.
I use SPUD, which delivers in Canada to Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria. They have a great selection of very reasonably priced local and organic foods, and awesome customer service too.
They’ve been delivering our groceries for over two years and have saved me countless hours of shopping. If you want to give Spud a try, you can use my referral code CRCAL-JENKRD to get $20 of free groceries when you spend $50 or more.
Money Saving Tip: Don’t forget to check the sales page. I like to stock up on our favorites when the price drops.
If you’re lucky enough to live in an area in the US where the new AmazonFresh is available then be sure to check it out!
Try a free trial here (you can enter your zip code to check for availability).
Instacart (US and Canada) is another great option for having fresh groceries delivered to your door for a small fee (or sometimes free).
Non-Perishables Delivery Services
When it comes to convenience, there really is no better option than Amazon Prime, which I’ve been happily using for many years now.
When you’re a Prime Member you can get almost all your non-perishable food and household items delivered with free 2 day shipping and no minimum. There’s also added bonuses like access to movies, TV shows and kindle books. Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial in the US or check out Amazon Prime in Canada.
Money Saving Tip: Amazon Subscribe and Save service also allows you to automatically reorder (with a big discount) so you’re never running out of essentials (like toilet paper!).
Healthy Traditions is another of my long time favorites. It’s where I buy organic coconut oil in bulk plus baking supplies and skin care products.
Meal Kit Delivery Services
This has been the biggest game changer for our weekday meals!
If you’re not a big fan of meal planning, this is a fool proof way to have a wide variety of easy, healthy dinners with ZERO grocery shopping or planning.
At first I was reluctant to try, because I thought it would put our monthly food budget through the roof, but instead it has reduced our grocery bills and take out/restaurant expenses.
Plus, it makes cooking a breeze with everything pre-measured and organized and there’s almost zero waste.
I use both Hello Fresh and Chef’s Plate (in Canada) and usually get 3 meals delivered each week. Their menu choices are awesome, and there’s always kid friendly options (or some that are easily modified).
Most recipes take 30 min or less and the instructions walk you through every step (pictures included). The best part is the meals are absolutely delicious, fresh and so much better than anything pre-made and frozen.
Use my referral link here, to get 3 free meals from Chef’s Plate or
use my referral link here, to get $40 off your first order from Hello Fresh.
Money Saving Tip: The meals for 2 (vs. 4) are enough to feed our family of 2 adults and 2 small kids, especially if I make an extra side of rice, bread etc.
To find out of Meal Kits are right for you check out: Are Meal Kits Worth It?
Smoothie Delivery Service
This is new to us, and we LOVE it!
If you enjoy having quick, healthy smoothies on a regular basis then I highly recommend it.
Read my full review here >> Revive Organics Review (Canada)
I hope these tips can help you spend more time checking off your to-do list and less time stressing about meals.
If you can’t find services like these in your area then comment below so others can help.
Be sure to share this post so more can join in the discussion. Questions are always welcome too 🙂
Take care,
