The Story
How I Found It Like most of my questionable life choices, this one started with a targeted Instagram ad. “Meals from $3.99 AUD!” flashed across my screen while I doomscrolled during a 2AM breastfeeding session. As a perpetually exhausted parent who’d recently burned yet another frozen pizza, I took the bait.
Why I Bought It Three words: desperation meets curiosity. My family’s diet had devolved into sad avocado toast and questionable Uber Eats orders. I needed something that (a) didn’t require meal planning and (b) wouldn’t make my wallet cry. EveryPlate’s claim of being the “budget-friendly meal kit” spoke directly to my sleep-deprived soul.
First Impressions The box arrived looking like it had survived a WWE match with Australia Post. Inside, I found:
- Pre-portioned ingredients in basic plastic bags
- Recipe cards resembling IKEA instructions (but with fewer hex keys)
- A suspicious amount of garlic (seriously, they’re obsessed)
The ground beef and chicken breasts were still frozen solid—props to the ice packs that doubled as makeshift stress balls.
Real-Life Usage Week 1 felt like a cooking reality show: Sweaty Parent vs. Unidentified Green Herb. But by Week 3,I could actually chop an onion without weeping (from both emotions and poor knife skills).
The Experience
Daily Use Cases We settled into a rhythm:
- Monday: Quick 20-minute pasta dish between daycare pickup and laundry emergencies
- Wednesday: “Fancy” meal to pretend we’re functional adults (lemony salmon FTW)
- Friday: Let the 8-year-old play sous-chef with zero-risk tasks (“Stir this, kiddo. No, the stove isn’t lava.”)
Notable Moments
- The Great Couscous Incident of Week 2 (RIP to my favorite Tupperware)
- Discovering my kid will eat ANYTHING if it’s called “Dinosaur Chicken”
- That magical day I realized I’d gone 7 whole days without ordering takeout
Unexpected Findings
- Portions are designed for hangry teens, not Instagram models
- Recipes work surprisingly well with ingredient substitutions (who knew almond milk could save a cream sauce?)
- The recipe cards make excellent fridge art
Long-Term Thoughts After 6 weeks:
- ✅ Saved $127 compared to our old grocery bills
- ❌ Developed an unhealthy attachment to their soy-glazed pork
- ✅ Learned actual cooking skills beyond “microwave fu”
Let’s Break It Down
Pros
- Actual Affordability: Meals average $5-7 AUD ($3.30-4.60 USD / £2.60-3.70)
- No Weird Ingredients: Everything’s accessible at Coles/Woolies
- 30-Minute Reality: Most meals take <40 mins start to finish
- Flexible Scheduling: Skip weeks when life goes full Chernobyl
- Portion Honesty: Proteins are weighed to the gram (take notes, HelloFresh)
- Surprise Hit: Their spice blends could start a cult
Cons
- Packaging Overload: More plastic than a Barbie convention
- Limited Premium Options: No truffle oil or unicorn steaks here
- Recipe Roulette: 10/10 smash hits vs. 2 “never again” meals
Workarounds: Reuse ice packs for picnics, compost veggie scraps, add hot sauce liberally.
Real Talk
Perfect For
- Broke-ass millennials
- College students who’ve aged out of ramen
- Parents who consider “cooking” adding milk to cereal
When It Shines
- Midweek dinner emergencies
- Breaking the Uber Eats addiction cycle
- Impressing dates with “homemade” meals (they don’t need to know)
Creative Uses
- Turn leftover spices into DIY taco seasoning
- Use recipe cards as packing material (eco-friendly AND educational)
- Repurpose veggie scraps for stock (feel like a kitchen wizard)
Money-Saving Tips
- Always check for first-responder/student discounts
- Skip the premium proteins—their plant-based options slap
- Freeze leftover garlic (you’ll have enough to ward off vampires until 2045)
Hacks
- Double carb-heavy recipes for work lunches
- Add frozen peas to everything (nutrition + passive-aggressive veggie enforcement)
- Use the app to cherry-pick weekly menus
The Bottom Line
After 42 meals, 18 minor burns, and 1 existential crisis over quinoa:
Value: 9/10 – Beats takeout prices with portion sizes that don’t insult your intelligence Convenience: 8/10 – Requires actual cooking but eliminates grocery hell Taste: 7.5/10 – Think “solid home cooking” not “Michelin-starred revelation”
Who Should Try It:
- If your cooking skills peak at scrambled eggs
- If your food budget rivals a college kid’s beer fund
- If you want to adult without Pinterest-level effort
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Final Verdict: It’s the Toyota Corolla of meal kits—not sexy, but damn reliable. I’ve paused (not cancelled!) my subscription… but keep eyeing those soy-glazed pork recipes like an ex on Instagram.
Client Testimonials
- Good weekly priceGood weekly price, plenty of delivery days … ★5
- Great meal selections and smooth…Great meal selections and s… ★5
- The best by farTried other meal kit places and this is the b… ★5
- Flexitarian easeSo far the food has been fresh and the recip… ★5
- The meals are very tastyThe meals are very tasty, and we wer… ★5
References
[1] Expert-Tested: EveryPlate Review (2025) - Garage Gym Reviews
[2] Everyplate review 2024 with latest specials - Beanstalk Mums
[3] EveryPlate review - Tom’s Guide
[4] EveryPlate meal kit review: Mamamia Roadtest.
[5] EveryPlate Review 2025- Is it the Most Affordable Meal Kit?
[6] Dietitian’s EveryPlate Review - Hungry Hobby
[7] I Tried 5 Meal Kits and This is Why I Think EveryPlate is …
[8] How to Make Family Dinnertime Easy with EveryPlate
[9] My Honest Review of EveryPlate’s Meal Kit - Yahoo
[10] VIDEO REVIEW: EveryPlate is the New Meal Box for Families on a …