There are many different ways to lose weight. Some people rely on diet alone, some use a combination of exercise and meal plans, and others rely on tracking apps to help them stay on top of it all.
We’ve put together this list of the best apps for weight loss meal planning because we know how hard it can be when you’re trying to lose weight. We want you to have access to everything you need in one place—your phone!
Here are the best apps for weight loss meal planning.
Best Apps For Weight Loss Meal Planning
Meal planning is one of the best ways to kickstart and stay on top of your weight loss goals.
In a world focused on to-do lists and productivity, finding the time and energy to plan healthy meals tailored to your tastes and nutritional needs can be a daunting task.
Fortunately, a multitude of apps can make meal planning — and maybe weight loss — a lot more attainable. Gone are the days of fishing for recipes from a cookbook while you scribble a grocery list on a post-it note!
Here are 11 of the best meal planning apps available today.
Mealime
Mealime offers user-friendly, customizable meal plans that you can tailor to your diet while excluding specific foods you don’t like.
It’s available on both iOS and Android platforms and the basic version is free.
After you’ve entered your preferences, you’re presented with a variety of recipe choices, complete with full-color photos, simple instructions and an organized grocery list. An additional bonus is that the recipes all take under 45 minutes to prepare.
However, one of the major drawbacks is that you’re limited to the recipes available on the app as there is no way to import your own.
What’s more, you cannot save previously used meal plans, customize calorie preferences or view nutrition information unless you upgrade to the pro version, which will set you back $5.99/month or $49.99/year.
Download for iPhone | Download for AndroidSHOP NOW AT MEALIME
Paprika
Paprika is marketed primarily as a recipe manager, but it also includes menu planning features. It’s available on both Android and iOS platforms for a one-time fee of $5.99.
With Paprika, you’re in charge of saving and entering recipes to build meal plans. It does not have its own preset recipes and menus. Therefore, it’s probably best for people who can structure a meal plan with minimal support.
This app provides customized grocery lists and allows you to save recipes directly from the web. Additionally, Paprika detects when more than one recipe needs the same ingredient and consolidates the relevant grocery lists for you.
The app will keep your screen turned on while you’re working from a recipe. It can also detect timer directions within a recipe so that you can set cooking timers directly from the app.
One drawback to this app is that it won’t detect if you’ve entered a recipe from the same URL more than once. If you accidentally enter the same recipe, you’ll end up with duplicates.
Additionally, Paprika doesn’t always include nutrition information. It will only draw nutrition data from the original recipe webpage or information you enter manually.
If you know what types of food meet your calorie goals, this deficiency may not be problematic. However, if you need the extra support, a different app may be more appropriate.
Download for iPhone | Download for AndroidSHOP NOW AT PAPRIKA
PlateJoy
PlateJoy creates customized meal plans for you and your household according to your dietary preferences and weight loss goals. It’s available on both Android and iOS platforms.
PlateJoy is a user-friendly app with beautiful, full-color photos and a high level of customization. Full nutrition information is available for each recipe, and you can sync it with your Fitbit or Jawbone to better track your health goals.
It creates customized grocery lists and helps prevent food waste by allowing you to log the food already in your fridge or pantry. That way, you don’t repurchase items you already have.
Another feature lets you send your grocery list to Instacart for grocery delivery depending on where you live.
The biggest drawbacks to Platejoy are that you cannot enter your own recipes and that it’s somewhat costly compared to other meal planning apps. It’ll set you back $69 for six months or $99 for a 12-month subscription.
Download for iPhone | Download for AndroidSHOP NOW AT PLATEJOY
Plan to Eat
Plan to Eat lets you organize all of your favorite recipes and create meal plans in one easy-to-use app. It’s available on both iOS and Android platforms.
You can enter recipes manually or input a URL from any recipe online. Full nutrition information is provided for each recipe, and you can edit or add notes as you please.
Adding recipes to the weekly calendar-style planner will automatically create an organized grocery list.
A unique feature of this app is that you can share your recipes or meal plans with friends and family, making it easier to stay on top of your health goals as a team.
Because it doesn’t come with a preset recipe database, this app is definitely a better choice for those who have a good recipe collection already or who enjoy searching the web for new recipes.
Though Plan to Eat requires a $4.95/month or $39/year fee, you can try it out for free for 30 days.
Download for iPhone | Download for AndroidSHOP NOW AT PLAN TO EAT
Yummly
Yummly is both an app and a website, in which you can browse and save recipes tailored to your personal tastes from all over the web.
It’s available on both iOS and Android platforms and free of charge.
Yummly can filter recipes based on dietary preferences, allergies and skill level. You can even filter for recipes that have videos, which is handy for those looking to develop their cooking skills or learn new techniques.
Full nutrition information is available for each recipe.
When you save recipes, you can organize them into separate meal categories, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You can also enter and save your own recipes manually.
One of the major drawbacks of Yummly is its overall usability. While it’s visually appealing, it’s complicated and more difficult to use compared to similar apps. If you’re not technologically savvy, it may not be the best choice.
Additionally, Yummly doesn’t have a calendar-style meal plan, which may or may not be an issue depending on the features you desire in a meal planning app.
Download for iPhone | Download for AndroidSHOP NOW AT YUMMLY
Make My Plate
Make My Plate offers both free and paid customizable meal plans. It’s available on iOS and Android.
The free version offers 1,200-, 1,500- or 1,800-calorie meal plans and comes with templates for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. You can also filter based on allergies and food preferences.
After you select your meals for the week, an organized grocery list is automatically created.
One of the most unique features of this app is that each meal is represented in photographic form on a virtual plate. This plate is particularly useful if you’re working on portion control or learning what portions of certain foods look like.
The major drawbacks to this app are the food selections and recipes, which are extremely basic and don’t supply as many choices as competitor apps.
If you’re new to cooking and meal planning, Make My Plate’s simplicity may actually help you get started. But if you easily tire of eating similar entrees week after week, this app may not work for you.SHOP NOW AT MAKE MY PLATE
Pepperplate
Pepperplate organizes recipes you know and love while simultaneously adding new recipes you want to try.
It’s available on both Android and iOS platforms and free of charge.
You start by importing recipes manually or copying recipe URLs from supported websites. You are then able to organize your recipes into customizable categories.
After you’ve added your recipes, you can incorporate personalized menus and meal plans into a calendar-style planner complete with grocery lists.
Pepperplate is ideal for the experienced cook who has a solid recipe collection and knows their nutritional needs — especially if that person is trying to lose weight.
Keep in mind that this app doesn’t have a calorie tracking component and doesn’t draw from its own database of foods. Another drawback is that you have to enter recipes and menus via the web, not directly through the app.
Download for iPhone | Download for AndroidSHOP NOW AT PEPPERPLATE
Prepear
Prepear offers the convenience of a pre-set recipe database alongside manual or online input options.
It’s free of charge for the basic version, but you can upgrade to the pro version to unlock additional features for $9.99/month. It’s available on both iOS and Android platforms.
This app is user-friendly and allows you to filter recipes based on taste preferences, allergies and global cuisine options. Each recipe has a full nutrition breakdown. Customizable shopping lists are available upon completion of your meal plan.
The social media component of this app allows you to post photos of your culinary successes (and failures) to friends and family.
Many of the available recipes in the app’s database are kid-friendly, which is ideal if you’re planning meals for your family.
The main drawback of Prepear is the monotony of meal choices within its recipe database — if you add more than one or two filters, you end up with very few menu options. However, this downside is offset if you add your own recipes.
Download for iPhone | Download for AndroidSHOP NOW AT PREPEAR
Eat This Much
Eat This Much is the perfect marriage between a calorie counter and a meal planner.
It’s free to download and easy to begin using, but many of the features are locked until you upgrade to a paid version, which costs $5/month with an annual subscription. The app is available on iOS and Android.
After you sign up, you enter personal data including your height, weight and health goals. The app then calculates a macronutrient range that you are free to adjust as you desire.
It includes a database of recipes, basic foods and popular restaurant menu items, complete with full nutrition information. You have the added option of entering your own recipes and foods manually if you can’t find them in the preset index.
What’s more, you can create a full meal plan yourself or let the app generate one for you based on your previously entered meal preferences.
A unique feature of this app is its barcode scanner, which scans food items directly into your account.
The main drawbacks are related to the limitations of the free version. Unless you upgrade to the premium version, you can only create a meal plan one day at a time and can’t access automatic grocery lists.
Download for iPhone | Download for Android
Lose It! App
Lose It! is really more of a calorie and macronutrient tracker than a meal planner, though the premium version includes meal planning features.
It’s available for both iOS and Android devices and free to start using. For maximum features, the premium version will set you back $3.33/month. Compared to the cost of similar apps, this is a reasonable price.
You begin by entering your personal anthropometric data and activity level to calculate a target calorie range, after which the app estimates the time it’ll take to reach your weight goal based on the calorie level you choose.
This feature may be helpful for those who are motivated by timelines.
The free version allows you to input your own recipes to create meal plans. You can also scan barcodes of foods to have them added to the database. However, if you want automatic meal planning, you have to upgrade to premium.
While this app excels at monitoring your eating behaviors and weight loss, its main focus is on tracking. One of its major downsides is the lack of automatic, customizable grocery lists to pair with your meal plan.
Download for iPhone | Download for Android
DietWiz
DietWiz is a meal-planning tool combined with a calorie tracker. It’s available on iOS and Android and free of charge if you want to use the calorie tracker alone. However, the meal planning features require a $79.99 annual fee.
The app claims to work like a personal dietitian by creating meal plans with simple recipes while also tracking calories and macronutrients to help you lose weight. In addition, it has an automatic grocery list feature to couple with your weekly meal plan.
After entering your height, weight and activity level, you’re able to personalize your meal plan according to food preferences, allergies and specific dietary patterns. You can also upload your own recipes if you don’t want to use the ones provided.
One thing to note is that this app addresses scale-based weight loss in particular, and doesn’t seem to be tailored to those who have other health goals such as weight gain or a change in body composition.
One of its major drawbacks is that it gives calorie recommendations according to your ideal weight and doesn’t allow much room for adjusting that goal. Ideal body weight may not always be the most appropriate goal for every individual.
Download for iPhone | Download for Android
free meal planning app for weight loss
This is for all of you wannabe meal planners who lurk in the shadows of the #mealprep tag on Instagram. Meal prepping doesn’t have to be complicated and overwhelming for it to work. Even if you’re a college student like me, meal prepping is 100 percent doable. And these meal planning apps (all compatible with iOS and Android), make it 200 percent easier.
- Mealime
When you first sign up with Mealime, you have a chance to input your type of diet, allergies, food restrictions, and dislikes. It even asks you how many meals you’d like to get out of each recipe (because leftovers are life).
Mealime suggests meals and plans for you, or you can choose to go the more advanced route and build your own plan. Grocery lists are automatically categorized, and any meal can be tagged as a favorite to save for later.
The best part? Cooking mode. The app displays recipe instructions without letting your phone lock. When you want to go to the next step, just hover your hand over the screen and release. This worked for me, so it must be foolproof.
- Yummly
This app is my personal favorite of the five. It’s a perfect combination of independence and suggestions. Plus, the user interface and design is top notch. Your profile includes likes/dislikes, allergies, diet, cuisines, and even your skill level. You can search for recipes based on course, prep time or what’s trending, or you can use the sliders to narrow down the results by calorie, carb, fat, or cholesterol levels.
While there’s no calendar for meal planning, you can make collections of recipes. I tested it out, making a collection for one week, and saved all of my meals right there. It actually gave me a bit of freedom to mix it up if I needed to. All the snaps for Yummly.
- FoodPrint
With Nutrino’s meal planning app, FoodPrint, eating healthy is a lot less daunting. Nutrition is integrated into every part of the app from scanning bar codes to inputting your meals to tracking the health content of your own recipes.
Not only are there recipe suggestions, but you can also find recommendations for what to eat at restaurants to stick to your FoodPrint plan. You can even connect the app to another health app or even your Fitbit to make sure all aspects of your health are being accounted for.
If that’s not enough, there’s also a mode for those with diabetes who can connect their glucose monitoring device for seamless meal planning.
- Pepperplate
If you choose to use this app, you will be using the website quite a bit, too. That being said, the two sync automatically for a smooth and easy user experience. Search for recipes within the app or add your own to the site. From there, you can put together as many dishes as you’d like (we’re talking feasts) to develop cohesive menus. Import them into the app, and you’re all set.
Add the ingredients in your menus to your shopping list, and then add the entire menu to a certain day in your meal planner. The “cook now” mode features a hands-free interface as well as a built-in timer. Now that’s what I’m talking about!
- Spoonacular
Not that I’m biased by the name, but this app is definitely used by yours truly. The “recipe of the day” feature is just too thrilling to pass up. My fellow planners will appreciate the app’s ability to sync your menus with a Google Calendar. This way, you can send out the dinner party menu to all your friends ahead of time so they can get pumped.
The layout is straightforward and lets you drag dishes to change the order around within each day. You can search for recipes within your already saved favorites or look for new ones in their database.
Meal Planning Tips
pepper, vegetable
Tiare Brown
In meal prepping, roasting is your best friend, and so is foil. Preheat the oven to 400ºF, cover a pan in tin foil, drop some veggies, and your dinners are one step closer to being ready. Cut up fresh vegetables over the weekend and put them in a container in the fridge. This way, they’ll be ready for snacking or salad-topping whenever your tummy rumbles.
If you’re not tech savvy, however, don’t sweat it. A simple piece of paper will also work just fine to plan out your meals for the week. Don’t make it more overwhelming than it needs to be for yourself — it’s just food
Conclusion
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