The basis of the website is that it will guide the user through the food choice and food eating process. Those who sign up are given advice on what to eat, where to purchase ingredients and how the food should be prepared and cooked. The focus is on simplicity, getting the best deal monetarily, and on health. With health, the focus is on healthy, whole foods that are also gluten free.
The idea is the brainchild of Kate Matheson. As Matheson explains, she was a typical worker, coming home and scrambling through cupboards at the end of the day trying to find enough tins and so on with which to make a passable meal. As she began experimenting with food, Kate found out that a gluten-free diet low in dairy and unprocessed foods worked well for her.
It was due to this erratic way of living and also because it tended to result in less healthy meal options, that Kate developed the E.A.T. Meal Planning Co. and the associated website. The concept, Kate says, was to help singles, couples and families stop wondering what to eat, and instead equip them with all they need to eat well.
“Everyone is strapped for time, and eating healthily often hits the backburner. I know, I’ve been there!” Kate stated, adding “I had always tried to plan my meals, but didn’t ever have enough time to do it thoroughly, buy all I needed in a single trip to the grocery store and then somehow cobble it all together into something that looks and tastes great. I knew I had to change things and, combining it with my experience with a gluten-free diet, E.A.T. was born.”
With the service, members receive an email each Friday. The message covers a week’s dinners. These are all gluten-free, made from fresh ingredients and will often be portioned to leave enough for tomorrow’ lunch. Along with the meal idea comes a complete grocery list and preparation instructions.
On example is Kate’s classic smoothie:
Serves 1
Total time: 5 min
½ cup frozen strawberries
1 banana
½ avocado
Large handful of spinach
1 carrot or handful of baby carrots
Water
In a blender, layer frozen strawberries, banana, ½ avocado (squeeze the skin to push out the flesh), spinach and carrots. Fill with water and blend until smooth.
Note: Add an extra punch of flavour and nutrients with a little fresh beet juice instead of some of the water. It also perks up the colour quite a bit to make it much more appealing.
In terms of cost, Kate provides some detail: “Plans start from as little as $5 a month and literally give readers all they need to whip up life-changing healthy meals in whatever little time they have.” The cost, Kate argues, is less than someone might spend at Starbucks each day. She goes on to say: “Our members are spending less money on groceries, turning takeout from a dire necessity into a month treat, throwing less of their fridge contents away each week and – to bring it all back in line with our core mandate – not seeing their stress levels sky-rocket when deciding what to eat each night.”
In explaining the power of the service further, she enthuses: “It’s all about removing the trial, error and guesswork – guiding members through enjoying the art of cooking and all of the health benefits fresh, whole ingredients bring.”
With healthy eating an every present concern, and working life increasingly busy, this type of website presents a possible solution for busy people.
