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Families today are busy, rushing from school to ballet or soccer or football, and on and on. It is very common today for both parents to work outside the home, so it can be hard to find the time to prepare delicious, healthy meals. Families resort to prepared meals in the form of fast food, eating out, or frozen meals to save time. Meal assembly stores are a new concept that provide a way to save time and money while eating home-cooked meals. It's also a great way to get meal ideas!

There are a number of meal assembly chains around the country, and at least three different ones in close driving distance from my home: Super Suppers, Dinner My Way, and Dish It Up! Each offers a different menu with differing themes, but all charge somewhere in the neighborhood of $18-$22 per entre (which serves six people, although some can be split or purchased as half-entrees). All offer different discounts or offers depending on how much you order and when. Most offer pre-assembled prepared meals that you can walk in and grab. The menu changes every month, and there are usually at least ten offerings so you can usually find several things you like. There are usually desserts and side dishes available as well. It's recommended that you bring an ice chest, or at least a laundry basket, to transport your items home.

The main idea is to assemble a week's worth or so of prepared meals for your family in the space of a couple of hours. The store provides the entrees at different work stations (so you have to take turns if more than one of you wants the same one), each with instructions on how to assemble the meal. All of the ingredients are prepped and ready for you with the correct measuring spoon or cup, and plastic or foil containers are provided to store the food. A label with ingredients and preparation instructions completes the process. Assembly is quick, easy, and fun!

The different meal assembly chains and menus offer meals that vary in their completeness. We've assembled meals that included everything (such as pasta, home made sauce, and garlic bread sticks) and others that were just the meat (such as a marinated flank steak). When deciding which meals to purchase, consider what you might have to buy to go with it when you decide if it's worth the price. While a pasta dish might look delicious, decide if you really want to spend $20 on a pasta dish for six! This kind of thing is so easy and cheap to fix, you might as well buy what you need at the grocery store.

You may need to order ahead. Check the store's website for menus and specials, develop a meal plan, and you can usually place your order online. This will ensure that they have everything you want when you arrive. Also, make sure that you have room in your freezer! A meal for six can take up a lot of room, although you can put a couple in the fridge if you plan to eat them right away. If you have a small family of two or three people, find out which meals you can divide up at the store-most will provide packaging to do so. Even if you have to cook the whole thing at once, it can make great leftovers for lunch!

Meal assembly is a great answer to the problem of preparing delicious, healthy meals with today's busy lifestyle. I encourage you to check out the meal assembly stores in your area!

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Walker.
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