The Joy of Food Series - Day 5: Mobile apps for food lovers

Last time in this series on the joy of food, we talked about websites and social sites that can inspire you and awaken (or re-awaken) your taste buds. In the digital age, websites, blogs, Facebook groups and Pinterest boards are not the only places to get great ideas and inspiration. If you have a smartphone, chances are there’s an app for that too.

There are of course many more apps for the iPhone than Android, but the best apps are available for both. In addition, Android is catching up, with some powerful foodie-apps designed to make your life easier.

Some of the most popular apps for both iOS and Android for foodies include:

SideChef

This is ideal for new cooks, giving step-by-step photos and instructions. The instructions can also be made verbal so you don’t have to get distracted looking back and forth at the screen, and it helps you time your recipes as well.

Yummly

You get to "Yumm" (like) recipes and enter any dietary restrictions first. Then this app will keep delivering more and more suggestions based on what you’ve put in. Great for the solo cook, but a bit tricky for families.

Kitchen Stories

This gorgeous app has excellent presentations of tasty recipes and a good search feature. They also make it easy to create a shopping list for each recipe.

ChefSteps

The free app has excellent how-to instructions, so it is ideal for beginners and intermediate cooks wanting to add to their skills. The paid version is packed with recipes. This app is pretty plain in appearance but that does make it easier to use.

Food Network in the Kitchen

This great app gives you all your favorites from the network right in the palm of your hand.

Epicurious

30,000 recipes at your fingertips. No more need to worry about what to make for dinner!

There are many more apps than this, but these are good for beginners. Also, try not to overdo it on apps. Remember, as cool as an app might be, they will take up room and eat up resources on your phone, so read the reviews and give each app a test drive to see if it suits you and is worth making room for.

Now that you have your recipes organized and are bursting with enthusiasm due to all the inspiration you’ve found online and in your apps, it’s time to consider how to introduce new meals to your family.

Until next time!