I have seen my mother asking me and other family members what I should cook for today and getting a little worried about it. Later, I found that my mom wasn’t alone in going through this process; there were many more people. Moreover, we can’t stop eating, so meal planning is like a never-ending task, but it doesn’t mean it has to be a chore.
However, having the right meal planning app can help you feel stress-free and help you save money on groceries with some strategies. Most meal-planning apps are built to simplify the cooking experience, manage kitchen inventory, and create grocery lists.
When you have the right meal-planning app, you’ll feel like you’ve got a personal assistant who’s going to help with kitchen-related activities. You won’t have to worry about what I should cook for today because it’ll also give you a weekly meal plan.
However, In this article, I’ve mentioned top meal-planning apps to reduce your daily cooking dilemma. I have mentioned 14, and many of them are paid, but free meal planning apps are available, too, which I’ve listed; you can choose any, depending on your preference.
Why Use a Meal Planning App?
There are many reasons why you should use meal planning apps; firstly, these apps can be game-changers because they’ll help you like a personal assistant in kitchen-related work. They’ll help you making groceries list you want to buy next time when you go shopping and help you make a decision about what you should cook for today; they can even help you track your pantry inventory.
However, there are many other ways to cut your grocery bill by 90 percent or at least in half, and one of them is planning your meal. These apps can help you make a weekly meal plan, which you can make on Sunday holiday or in the morning or evening before or after the job.
Many of these apps we are going to explore also offer features like recipe suggestions depending on what ingredients you already have in the kitchen or fridge, so no more headache thinking about what I should cook for today.
I’ve seen my mother looking at the fridge full of ingredients but still don’t have any clue what to make because she buys groceries in bulk to save money.
What to Look for in a Meal Planning App?
When choosing a meal-planning app, you can simply look for a few important things. Such as customizable meal plans so that you cook something based on what you already have in your fridge or kitchen.
Besides this, when a meal planning app has customizable meal plan features, they’ll also help you cook something based on your dietary preferences. Moreover, they’ll help you stick to your grocery list and buy only what is important, which means no impulse buying.
You can also check if the app provides an integration system with other tools, like calendars or fitness apps, which can be a bonus. Another good thing you can look up is if the app offers recipe databases and allows you to import your own.
The most important thing is the cost; although many apps are free, premium ones offer more features. You can choose any app that is budget-friendly and provides you with what you need because you want to reduce everyday cooking headaches and save some money.
Best Meal Planning Apps for to Simplify Your Cooking Routine
Okay, so here are 14 of the best meal-planning apps that will surely make your cooking and grocery shopping a lot easier than ever before. Many of them offer customizable meal plans that will help you manage your pantry.
1. Paprika Recipe Manager
One of my favorite meal-planning apps is Paprika Recipe Manager, and currently, it has over 500k downloads with four plus ratings. Paprika Recipe Manager is a powerhouse when we talk about meal planning.
PRM will help you store recipes, create grocery lists, and plan your meals. Most importantly, it has a simple and easy user-friendly interface. Besides this, you can import recipes from the web or manually, and you have both choices.
Paprika Recipe Manager’s flexibility is another thing I really like about it because it allows me to adjust meal plans and track what’s in my pantry, which is why I like it. Moreover, you can even generate shopping lists based on your recipes. So, If you want to keep meal planning simple and effective, Paprika is definitely for you.
Pros:
Comprehensive Features: PRM Includes meal planning, grocery lists, and recipe storage.
Flexibility: it also offers robust customization options for meal plans and grocery shopping lists.
Cons:
Paid App: You’re to pay a one-time fee; therefore, it may not be ideal if you’re seeking free meal planning apps.
No Built-in Recipe Database: You have to input recipes manually, or you can import them from other sources.
2. Mealime
Mealtime is another popular meal-planning app, and it comes with features like personalized meal plans that cater to your dietary preferences and restrictions.
If you’re a busy mom who simply just wants some healthier choices, you can go with Mealime. It’s user-friendly and can provide you with recipe options that are a perfect fit for you.
Moreover, It can also help you generate meal plans based on what you already have. Besides this, you can get grocery lists that match your preferences. I recommend this app to all those who want to simplify the meal preparation process and save time and money altogether. It’s also a suitable choice for those who like eating healthier and focus on nutrition.
Pros:
User-Friendly: It’s really easy to navigate and use, even for beginners.
Personalized Plans: It allows you to design customized meal plans based on your dietary preferences.
Cons:
Limited Free Features: Although It’s free to use, many advanced features require a paid subscription.
Recipe Variety: it has fewer recipes compared to other apps.
3. Yummly
Yummly is another dream for anyone who loves to cook but struggles with meal ideas, thinking about what I should make for today.
I like Yummly because it uses artificial intelligence to suggest meals. Because of this, it’s easy to find new recipe ideas that fit your tastes and dietary needs. Yummly has a huge database, and that’s why it offers too many recipes, including weeknight dinners and weekend meals.
Another thing I like about it is that you can filter recipes based on preferences, allergies, and even what you already have available in your kitchen or fridge. I also recommend this app to those who are fond of tastes and want to try out different recipes.
Pros:
AI-Driven Suggestions: it’ll give you meal recommendations based on your preferences and dietary needs.
Large Recipe Database: It has a huge database of recipes from various cuisines.
Cons:
Premium Features: Some features, like advanced meal planning, are behind a paywall so you’ve to pay.
In-App Ads: This app isn’t entirely paid, so if you’re using the free version, you’ll get to see many ads, which might be distracting for many people.
4. Plan to Eat
One of the most simple meal-planning apps is Plan to Eat. I recommend this to those who prefer simplicity when it comes to meal planning.
Plan to Eat can help you organize your meals, create grocery lists, and, most importantly you can, import recipes very easily. I like the drag-and-drop recipe features for meal plans.
Besides this, Plan to Eat will automatically generate a shopping list based on your selections. Therefore, choosing Plan to Eat is a great choice, and it also provides a wealth of shared recipes and tips.
Pros:
Simplicity: It’s an easy-to-use interface and straightforward meal-planning app.
Community Support: It provides you with a strong user community for sharing recipes and tips.
Cons:
Subscription Fee: You have to pay a monthly or annual subscription fee to get complete access.
Limited Free Trial: The free trial period is short. For some people, it might not be enough to explore the app.
5. Prepear
Prepear is more than just a meal-planning app; it’s a vibrant community of food enthusiasts. Although Prepear allows you to plan your meals and create a grocery list, it also connects you with a large network of food bloggers.
You can find too many recipes and also share your recipes. This feature makes it a great tool for those who love to explore new dishes from different cultures. Another feature I like about this app is the integration system with social media apps. It’ll help you find recipes around the web and keep you updated with food trends.
So, if you like the social aspect of cooking and trying new recipes for your family or yourself, Prepear will be right up your alley.
Pros:
Social Sharing: Prepear can be integrated with a large community of food bloggers to share recipes.
Meal Planning & Grocery Lists: It’s a Comprehensive tool for meal organization and shopping.
Cons:
Interface Overload: Some new users may find the interface busy with too many features.
Premium Features: Although the app is free for certain levels, many advanced features are only available with a paid subscription.
6. eMeals
If you want different types of meal plans at your fingertips, eMeals might be the perfect choice for you.
It helps you plan your meals, and even if you’re following a special diet like keto and paleo or even vegan, it can still help you find a wide range of dietary preferences and recipes.
Moreover, eMeals can also be integrated with grocery delivery services, so you can have your ingredients brought right to your door whenever you want. Plus, this app will make it easy to stick to your specific diet plan without the hassle of meal planning and shopping. In my opinion, eMeals is a fantastic choice if you’re a health-conscious or a busy family alike.
Pros:
Variety of Plans: It can help you find a wide range of meal plans including keto, paleo, and vegan.
Grocery Delivery Integration: It’s partnered with grocery delivery services for convenience.
Cons:
Subscription Required: If you want to get full access to meal plans, a subscription fee is required.
Limited Free Features: The app isn’t entirely paid, it also offers a free version that has limited functionality compared to the paid version.
7. Eat This Much
Eat This Much is another good choice for health-conscious and busy people. I like the automatic meal planning and calorie tracking features. Depending on your budget, dietary goals, and ingredients that you already have in the kitchen or fridge, it’ll create the meal plans; it’s amazing, isn’t it?
Besides this, it’s also an excellent choice if you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or just maintain a balanced diet. By the way, you might be surprised to know that you can actually make money by losing weight. However, Eat This Much can also adapt to your needs.
It also allows you to make grocery lists to simplify your shopping experience and make sure you buy everything you need for your planned meals. Eat This Much also provides a detailed approach that’ll help you reach your daily nutritional goals easily.
Pros:
Customizable Plans: You can make meal plans based on your specific dietary goals and budget.
Calorie Tracking: It can be easily integrated with calorie tracking just to help you stay on target with your goals.
Cons:
Paid Features: You’ve to pay some money if you want extra features.
Complex Setup: Initial setup can be complicated for new users.
8. PlateJoy
Another way you can create a personalized meal plan is by using PlateJoy. It’ll help you make a plan according to your diet and other preferences. Besides this, PlateJoy allows you to buy groceries and other ingredients online at your doorstep.
This convenience is perfect if you want to stick to specific diets like keto or paleo and don’t like the hassle of grocery shopping. PlateJoy’s focus on health and nutrition makes it a great choice if you want to improve your eating habits. So I recommend this app to make a nice meal planning,
Pros:
Personalized Meal Plans: It can tailor meal plans depending on your dietary needs and health goals.
Grocery Delivery: It partners with grocery delivery services for your convenience.
Cons:
Subscription Cost: You’re required to pay for a subscription, which might not be affordable for everyone.
Limited Free Options: The free features are limited compared to the full version.
9. Cozi Family Organizer
One of the best family management apps is Cozi Family Organizer. It’ll help you plan a meal, and besides this, you can also integrate it with a family calendar. Eventually, it’ll help you coordinate meals and schedules.
So, If you want to make meal plans, create grocery lists, or track family activities all in one place, then you can consider using Cozi Family Organizer. I like its multi-functional approach and recommend this to those with busy families.
Moreover, Cozi’s ability to sync meal planning with family logistics makes it a great choice for managing both meals and family.
Pros:
Multi-Functional: Includes meal planning, grocery lists, and family calendar integration.
Family-Friendly: Good for organizing meals and making schedules for busy families.
Cons:
Complexity: This app has multiple features and can be overwhelming for users focused solely on meal planning.
Limited Recipe Database: It doesn’t have a large collection of recipes compared to other apps.
10. BigOven
Another great choice for you might be BigOven, especially when you’re trying to make the most of their ingredients. The BigOven app provides many features like meal planning apps and recipe suggestions, and it even helps you manage leftovers.
It’s an excellent way of minimizing food waste and saving money; it suggests recipes based on things you already have in your pantry. I’d recommend this if you really want to get creative with meals and reduce waste.
Pros:
Leftovers Management: It will help you use up leftovers creatively and minimize food waste.
Extensive Recipe Database: It offers different types of recipes and meal ideas.
Cons:
Premium Features: Some features, like advanced meal planning, are behind a paywall, so you gotta pay for that.
User Interface: If you’re new, you may find the interface less intuitive.
11. MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is one of my favorite apps. I’ve still installed it on my phone, and I downloaded it for the first time in 2019. Since that time, I’ve been using its free version. It’s an excellent choice for those who are fitness freaks or simply just want to cook.
MyFitnessPal offer many tools including meal planning tools, calorie counting, and nutritional analysis; either you write ingredients, scan the QR code, or type the name, you’ll get food nutrition value. Plus, it’ll help you stay on track with your fitness goals.
I downloaded it and tracked my meals and daily intake. Another thing I like about it is that it can sync with other fitness apps to monitor your progress. Amazing, isn’t it?
MyFitnessPal also provides many food and recipe options. Now, if you want to lose weight and track your food or calorie intake, I’d highly recommend using MyFitnessPal; even for me, its free version is enough, but you can also get its paid subscription if needed.
Pros:
Fitness Integration: it combines meal planning with fitness tracking and provides a comprehensive health approach.
Large Food Database: It allows you to get the nutritional value of hundreds of foods and recipes.
Cons:
Ads in Free Version: The free version includes ads, which might be distracting for many people.
Premium Costs: Full access requires a paid subscription.
12. SideChef
SideChef is another fantastic app for if you need an assistant who can help you step by step while cooking something. Besides this, It allows you easy access to recipes with photos and video tutorials.
It’s only useful while planning a meal, but SideChef lets you order groceries directly through the app and get them delivered to your doorstep.
So, if you’re new to cooking or want an assistant who can guide you visually, you can use SideChef.
Pros:
Visual Guides: It offers step-by-step photos and videos that can make your cooking experience a lot easier than ever before.
Grocery Ordering: Allows you to order groceries through the app.
Cons:
Limited Free Recipes: Many recipes and features are only available when you pay for the subscription.
Overwhelming for Beginners: Detailed instructions might be too complex if you prefer simplicity.
13. Tasty
If you’re looking for visual inspiration in the kitchen, you’d like to try Tasty; it’ll help you get video-based recipes so you can learn how to prepare each dish. Besides this, Tasty has some other features, including meal planning and grocery listing. You can even plan a week’s meals in advance.
It’s a bit like YouTube, where you watch recipe videos instead of reading, but it’s a dedicated platform; you can use YouTube to watch videos and Tasty for meal planning.
Pros:
Video-Based Recipes: It Provides engaging and easy-to-follow recipe videos, a little better than YouTube.
Meal Planning Tools: These Include some important features like planning meals and creating grocery lists.
Cons:
Ads and In-App Purchases: If you’re using a free version, you may have to watch many ads, although you can make money by watching ads. But If you don’t like ads, you’ve to pay for the subscription.
Recipe Quality Variation: The quality and nutritional value of recipes can vary.
14. ChefTap
Another app that I recommend to all recipe enthusiasts is ChefTap because it’ll help you find many new dishes that you can try at home. Moreover, you can clip and save recipes from any website. You can also organize them in one convenient place.
Just like other mentioned apps, ChefTap is also a good app for planning meals and managing your cooking routine.
Pros:
Recipe Clipping: It allows you to clip and save recipes from any website.
Flexible Meal Planning: It allows you to do meal planning and grocery list management, which are the most exciting features.
Cons:
Limited Free Version: Most advanced features are only available when you buy the subscription.
Interface Issues: The interface isn’t really user-friendly, especially if you’re new to it compared to other apps.
Conclusion
Choosing the best meal-planning app will surely improve your cooking routine. Because there are so many great options available, I’ve mentioned the 14 best meal-planning apps.
You can choose an app that fits your lifestyle and dietary needs. For example, Paprika has flexibility, and Yummly has AI-driven suggestions features; just like that, there’s something different in every meal planning app. Some of them are free with ads, and some of them will ask you to pay some amount to get access to advanced features.
If you love sharing recipes, I’d recommend Prepear’s. If you’re looking for a meal-planning app for weight loss, then MyFitnessPal and PlateJoy are my favorite choices. Btw, I’ve been using my MyFitnessPal since 2019, and I really like this app because it helps to get nutrition value.
I can either just type recipes and get values or simply scan a QR code to get values. Moreover, it’ll help you track your daily calories and protein intake and help you achieve your fitness goal, whether it’s gaining muscle or losing weight.
Moreover, I’m still using the free version because it’s enough for me cause I only want to track my daily food and nutrition intake just to remain in shape where I am right now. Besides this, I forget to eat or drink water.
Meal planning apps save you time and money, and more importantly, they reduce stress levels. Having a meal planning app for families will help you reduce food waste and save a lot.
Planning a meal has always been a daunting task, not just for my mom but also for many other people. But with the best meal planning app, the process even looks easy. So, if you’re a family member or an individual, I’ll always recommend that you use meal planning apps; they’ll not only reduce your everyday cooking headaches but also be your assistant.
How can a meal-planning app help me save money?
A meal planning app can help you save money by reducing food waste and optimizing your grocery shopping habits.
When you have meal planning apps, it will also help you generate shopping lists depending on what you need or already have; because of this, you won’t buy unnecessary items. Many apps also offer features that let you track what’s already in your pantry,
Moreover, a few apps provide budget-friendly meal plans, which can help you stick to a grocery budget. Overall, meal-planning apps will make it easier for you to manage your grocery expenses.
Are there any meal-planning apps that offer free versions?
Yes, there are many meal-planning apps that offer free versions with important features, such as Paprika, Plan to Eat, and Mealime. These best free meal planning apps will provide you with all important tools for free, such as meal planning, grocery list creation, and recipe management.
However, free versions have limitations and less functionality compared to premium versions. But still, they offer valuable features for organizing meals and shopping lists.
If you need advanced features like personalized meal plans or grocery delivery integration, you can get a premium subscription. Otherwise, free versions are great, too, if you just want to test out meal planning without committing to a paid plan.
Which meal-planning app is best for someone with dietary restrictions?
If you have dietary restrictions, then you can download Yummly or PlateJoy; they’re excellent choices for you. Yummly has an AI-driven meal suggestions feature that can help you filter recipes based on dietary needs and other preferences.
PlateJoy also offers personalized meal plans based on your dietary restrictions and health goals. It provides customization options if you’re following a diet like keto, paleo, or vegan. These apps are helpful to stick to your dietary needs.
Can meal planning apps help with weight loss or fitness goals?
Absolutely! Meal planning apps like MyFitnessPal and Eat This Much are helpful when you’re trying to lose weight. I’ve even mentioned a couple of times that I personally use MyFitnessPal since 2019. MyFitnessPal has calorie counting features and nutritional analysis.
Besides this, it can help you track your daily food and water intake and also help you set and track your weight loss goal. Eat This Much also can create customized meal plans based on your dietary goals.
I believe every health-conscious, money saver should use meal planning apps, which are also available for free.
