If you’ve ever wanted to shake up Montel Williams’ favorite smoothie, share your famous chicken Parmesan concoction or store your best friend’s low-cal cocktail recipe all in one place online, you’re in luck. Foodily is an innovative new way to find and share recipes through its website (foodily.com) and award-winning free app. And not only does it provide recipe inspirations from users’ friends and fellow foodies, users can also get advice from food experts and celebs like Wolfgang Puck, Cat Cora and Buddy Valastro (that’s the Cake Boss to you).

How does it work?
The recipe-sharing network features countless dishes from around the web that users can search, gather and share on their smartphones and laptops. What makes it different than its competitors (like Pinterest and Yummily) is that it’s built on the premise that eating should be a social experience—even when friends and family are miles apart.

Even better, recipe search options through Foodily can be tailored to meet just about any dietary need. Trying to be mindful of your diet? Users have the ability to hone in on specific diet specifications and food restrictions like low-fat, gluten-free, vegan, Paleo and dairy-free. The site is also one of the first places for health-conscious foodies to get accurate nutritional details for their favorite recipes. Once a user has done an initial search, results are presented side-by-side, making ingredient and nutritional comparisons—like calories, sugar and saturated fat—a cinch. The social aspect of Foodily also helps users stay on track with their health goals.  Studies show that support from friends and family can help people successfully change their diet, and Foodily makes lending support simple.

Other awesome features include the ability to search for recipes sans specific ingredients; the option to create a Facebook event invitations with an interactive menu (so friends can see what dishes are being served and add their own contributions); and the option to take a photo of a restaurant dish, list a few of its ingredients and get a similar recipe to cook at home.

The world of recipe search engines is a crowded place, but Foodily make it well worth exploring for both foodies and health-minded people alike.

By: Dana Leigh Smith