Cooks can generally be grouped into two categories. The first group comprises those who find joy in cooking and don’t mind spending a significant amount of time preparing scrumptious, gourmet dishes. The second group, to which I proudly belong, don’t necessarily despise cooking. However, we despise the subsequent cleanup, the challenge of cooking with a child clinging to our leg, and the attempt to prepare meals that satisfy the family while still enabling weight loss. Not to mention, we’re also seeking to save money. It’s quite the juggling act!
Fortunately, I stumbled upon a website called 5 Dinners in 1 Hour. I signed up for a three-month subscription (utilizing a coupon code, naturally), and proceeded to download their example menu. I wanted to give an impartial review of the company, considering some existing reviews might have been somewhat slanted or may not have thoroughly evaluated the product. Buckle up, here goes:
Before delving deeply into my opinions on the site, let’s start with a brief overview of what 5 Dinners in 1 Hour offers. The site provides a full month’s worth of downloadable menus with each subscription purchase. A single week’s menu comprises five distinct meals, accompanied by an assembly, cooking, and grocery shopping list. The menu also includes a list of required equipment, suggestions for side dishes and potential meal substitutions. The goal is to complete your shopping trip using the grocery list, assemble five meals, and then refrigerate them. Ideally, the assembly process should take under an hour. Each meal should be removed from the refrigerator and prepared according to instructions on the planned day of consumption. The plan is designed to save you time and money.
MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Initially, I was slightly apprehensive about investing $12 in a three-month subscription to 5 Dinners in 1 Hour, unsure of which meal plan- the Classic, the Clean, or the Gluten-Free- would best suit me. Thankfully, the subscription provides access to all three plans. This equals nine different menus covering four weeks each in three months. However, I did notice some recipe repeats across the different menus.
As someone practicing a low-glycemic, clean-eating diet, I was specifically looking for recipes that would align with my nutritional needs. This naturally disqualified many recipes from the Classic menu. Nevertheless, the Clean Eating section proved fruitful, and the Gluten-Free menu also furnished a few suitable options.
THE TRIAL RUN
I finally decided to try out the plan whole-heartedly. I settled on a menu that appealed to me (though I ended up preparing only four meals instead of the suggested five), and armed with my shopping list, ventured out to the grocery store. The bill amounted to roughly $48, largely due to essential pantry items that I didn’t possess at the time and wouldn’t need to replenish for some duration. So, in reality, I spent around $30 to prepare the four dinners.
Upon returning home, I immediately started assembling the meals rather than storing the groceries. As per the website’s recommendation, I gathered all necessary ingredients and equipment, which accelerated the process substantially. The assembly of my four meals took me about 30 minutes, while cleaning up took an additional 20 (though, in all fairness, my kitchen wasn’t exactly pristine to begin with).
The entire process was unbelievably swift, and it was a relief knowing that the next four nights’ dinners were effectively taken care of. However, the plan’s success ultimately hinges on the meals’ taste. So, make sure to check back next week for an update on how everything turned out.
Although the company provided a sample menu, I decided to purchase the clean-eating meal plan to better assess whether this service would meet the culinary needs of my family and me. My opinions expressed here are absolutely genuine and fully my own.
