Blog > Best Meal-Planning Apps of 2024 Tested and Reviewed
Followers are encouraged to limit their carb intake—which includes limiting high-starch veggies and high-sugar fruits—and focus on foods that are rich in nutrients and fiber. “You’re encouraged to eat fat, and people can get excited that they can have certain foods that are considered ‘off-limits’ on other diets,” Cording says. We found some of the recipes a bit basic, featuring numerous comfort pasta dishes and simple fare. But if you’re feeding a family of four or five, basic may be just what the doctor ordered. For meal kits that can be made quickly to get dinner on the table with minimal fuss, Home Chef is a winner.
The app does not suggest recipes based on your meal preferences, rather, you create or import recipes from the web yourself. Paprika supports many special diets such as dairy-free, gluten-free, low-calorie, paleo, keto, vegan, and vegetarian. “There are some slight issues though, especially when using the ‘shop’ feature,” Pete wrote. “This is a cool idea, because it basically compiles a grocery list based on the recipes you selected for the day or week. However, if multiple recipes use the same ingredient, instead of collating and adding up the amount of the ingredient, the ingredient will be shown multiple times on the grocery list.
Select the recipes you’d like to cook, and you’ll receive a complete grocery list, and you can easily update serving info to adjust the recipes. The WWL Program is the only meal plan service that’s aligned with intuitive eating. We help you save time, money and energy while enjoying food freedom (not food restriction). Whether you aim to shed some pounds or seek assistance with organizing family meals and weeknight dinners, there’s an ideal app to suit your needs.
The app allows you to build, save, and reuse your own weekly meal plans or simply adopt a pre-made plan from a food blogger you trust. Its smart grocery list automatically populates from your plan and offers integrated grocery delivery and pickup options where available, bridging the gap between planning and shopping. But with a crowded market, how do you find the best meal planning apps for your specific needs?
If you are pregnant, are planning to get pregnant or are breastfeeding, do not eat fish that’s typically high in mercury. Agyeman points out that all meals must be fully heated to safe internal temperatures of 165° Fahrenheit. I’m not a fan of heating food in plastic containers, so I usually transfer the meal to a plate before microwaving, and it works just as well. The trays aren’t safe for convection or toaster ovens, but Factor does recommend heating the food on a sheet pan in a conventional oven if you prefer. Check out our Premium plan, designed to help you log faster and stay on top of your nutrition goals with ease. Prepared in small batches and delivered fresh within days of cooking.
To use this app effectively, you’ll need to spend some time inputting data, but it can save you a tremendous amount of money in the long run. The service has excellent recipes, and the built-in grocery delivery services don’t cost extra (you’ll still pay delivery fees and surcharges, but Cooklist doesn’t tack on a premium). While Paprika’s recipe selection isn’t quite as expansive as some of the other options, it’s still formidable. unimeal reviews While we don’t mind subscriptions, we also appreciate this app’s one-time-purchase model. If you’ve already got recipes you love, you can easily add them, and this meal planning app’s organizational tools should help you run your kitchen more efficiently. If you live with diabetes, it’s important that you partner with your healthcare professional and dietitian to create an eating plan that works for you.
This caught my eye because it was the first meal prep app I saw to feature recipes for Low FODMAP diets. This simple app organizes recipes, helps you plan your meals, and streamlines grocery shopping with a few easy clicks. There are smart design features, too, like the ability to split screen while you cook, so you can see the recipe up to three ingredients and steps side by side.
She holds a master’s degree in clinical nutrition from New York University, as well as advanced certifications as a Women’s Fitness Specialist and a Behavior Change Specialist. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family. Factor is a great option for busy individuals or couples who want nutritious, ready-to-eat meals without the time commitment of prep.
Plant-based meals are also usually high in fiber but low in sugar and fat, which can charge your metabolism and lower your blood pressure, according to a 2016 Frontiers in Nutrition study. Tovala smart oven and its accompanying meals were tested and added as the best scan-to-cook meal delivery service. If your standards are high, MealPro delivered the best-tasting prepared meals of any service we tried.
Of the food I ate, this vegetarian-prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate. Some standouts included the bean and jackfruit chili, tomato olive and feta ragout and a tangy Thai noodle dish. If you want meal kits that are delicious and elevated yet still easy to make to shake up your weekly recipe routine, Marley Spoon deserves a look. The service carries Martha Stewart’s stamp of approval and features recipes that appeal to passionate home cooks and seasoned culinary enthusiasts alike. In our 2025 tests, we found that Hello Fresh was the best meal kit delivery service overall thanks to its intuitive recipes, delicious meals, wide variety of options and value. We found several other winners to suit a variety of needs, including Blue Apron for most variety, Marley Spoon for foodies and more.
Mealime’s entire philosophy is built around speed and simplicity. It’s designed for busy people who want to eat healthy, home-cooked meals without spending hours in the kitchen. Most of its recipes are designed to be cooked in about 30 minutes and are accompanied by step-by-step photos. The workflow in Eat This Much is incredibly fast; you input your goals and immediately receive a complete plan.
Are you a busy professional needing lightning-fast, automated plans? Or are you a home cook who finds joy in meticulously curating a personal recipe collection from across the web? 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 Apple Health to better track your health goals.
We dive deep into the top 12 options available today, moving beyond generic feature lists to provide real-world insights, honest limitations, and practical use-case scenarios. To get the most out of any app, understanding nutritional data is key. Mastering how to read nutrition labels like a pro will empower you to make smarter choices when importing recipes or creating your own. Seven years in and literally hundreds of meal kits made, I know what to look for. With the help of CNET’s wellness editor and another who’s new to cooking, we’ve tested nearly three dozen services in the last 6 months alone. In doing so, we’ve uncovered the best meal kits and prepared meal delivery services for beginners, families with choosy eaters and those seeking elevated recipes to build their skills.
You’ll now have to bring your food with you and resist the temptation of spicing up your meal with the Doritos in the vending machine or your usual can of Coke. The Pro version of Mealime offers more detailed nutrition information and a greater recipe database. The Android app has a free version with most features included, but it limits users to only 50 recipes and cloud sync is unavailable.