Eating healthy and staying on top of your nutrition can be challenging. That‘s why as a nutritionist, recommending helpful apps to your clients can make a big difference in helping them achieve their health goals.
In this comprehensive guide, we will cover the top 15 meal planning apps available in 2023 that can simplify both your job as well as your clients‘ meal prep.
Why Meal Planning Matters
First, let‘s look at why meal planning is so vital for your clients‘ success:
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Promotes healthier eating – Planning ahead makes it easier to have balanced, nutritious meals ready instead of grabbing unhealthy convenience foods.
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Saves time – No last minute scrambling to figure out what‘s for dinner. Meals ready to go as needed.
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Reduces food waste – More precise grocery shopping means less spoilage and thrown out food.
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Supports special diets – Customizable for vegan, keto, paleo, food allergies and more specific needs.
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Aids weight loss goals – Easier to control portions and calorie counts.
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Lowers grocery bills – Meal planning leads to more efficient grocery trips instead of buying extra stuff you don’t use.
Clearly, having a reliable meal plan in place makes all aspects of eating healthier much more attainable. This is where a meal planning app comes in handy.
Benefits of Meal Planning Apps
Meal planning apps provide convenience, guidance and accountability in one handy tool. Here are some of the biggest advantages apps offer both you and your clients:
Huge databases of recipes – Apps offer way more options than you could ever find by yourself. Recipes also conveniently link right to the grocery list.
Customization for special diets – Input food preferences, allergies, macros goals and let the app provide appropriate recipes.
Meal planning calendars – Visually plan out recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner for the week or month ahead.
Grocery lists – Apps automatically generate needed ingredients from scheduled recipes. Super handy!
Progress tracking – Macro and calorie counting available on most apps to quantify nutrition goals.
Kitchen inventory – Some apps let you scan items in your pantry so you know what you already have. Reduces buying duplicates.
Shareable recipes – Apps allow clients to send recipes to you or other health professionals to discuss diet plans.
Must-Have Features in Meal Planning Apps
With hundreds of meal planning apps out there, it can get overwhelming finding the right one. Here are 10 key features to look for when evaluating apps:
- User-friendly and intuitive interface
- Robust recipe database or ability to upload personal recipes
- Customizable for different diets and restrictions
- Meal planning calendar with scheduling capabilities
- Integrated grocery lists that link recipes to needed ingredients
- Ability to track macros, calories and nutritional data
- Offline access to app when internet is not available
- Browser extension or website in addition to mobile app
- Syncing between multiple platforms like iOS, Android, desktop
- Social sharing features to share recipes with nutritionists or clients
The most practical apps tick all these boxes to streamline the entire meal preparation process for your clients.
Now let’s get into the details on 15 top-rated meal planning apps for nutritionists in 2023!
1. Mealime
Cost: Free plan with in-app purchases
Platforms: iOS, Android
Mealime stands out for its huge database of easy, delicious recipes tailored to your dietary needs. Simply select recipes you want to eat this week, and Mealime automatically generates a shopping list so you have the full week planned in advance.
Key Features
- 12 different diet filters (keto, vegan, vegetarian, etc.)
- Doesn’t require subscription for basic features
- Beginner-friendly recipes and meal plans
- Grocery list syncs recipes to needed ingredients
- Millions of positive reviews by users
Mealime is extremely user-friendly while still offering extensive customization for various diets. The recipes also emphasize short prep times using easily accessible ingredients. It’s a great option for your clients seeking convenient, healthy home cooking.
2. Paprika
Cost: $4.99 one-time purchase
Platforms: iOS, Android, Desktop
Paprika stands out for its simplicity while still offering powerful meal planning features wrapped in a clean interface. It also syncs seamlessly across mobile and desktop.
Key Features
- Built-in browser to search and import recipes
- Drag-and-drop interface to create meal plans
- Cross-platform syncing between devices
- Add recipes right to your calendar
- Grocery list shows ingredients needed for selected recipes
- Recipe scaling based on number of servings
- No ads or subscriptions
For clients focused purely on easy meal planning and execution without a lot of fluff, Paprika hits the mark. Straightforward functionality, affordable one-time payment, with syncing across all devices.
3. PlateJoy
Cost: Starting at $8/month
Platforms: iOS, Android
PlateJoy takes customization to the next level by not only tailoring recipes to your food preferences but also the actual kitchen equipment and appliances you have. It’s genius!
Key Features
- Super detailed customization settings
- Personalized weekly meal plans
- Directions optimized for your kitchen setup
- Grocery lists already organized by store
- Simple recipes with common ingredients
- Integrates with fitness trackers
- 30-day money back guarantee
For clients seeking a truly customized, easy meal planning experience, PlateJoy delivers. Their proprietary algorithm generates bespoke recipes catered to everything from your spice tolerance to whether you own a microwave.
4. Whisk
Cost: Free with premium upgrade
Platforms: iOS, Android
Like having your own digital cookbook, Whisk makes it seamless to organize your favorite recipes then plan weekly meals. Also great for stocking your virtual pantry.
Key Features
- Library for adding recipes from anywhere
- Generated weekly meal plans
- Built-in timers and cooking mode
- List personal pantry items
- Grocery list syncs with recipes
- Works offline
- Photo capture of recipes on mobile
- Affordable paid Whisk Premium tier
For clients seeking robust recipe collecting capabilities combined with meal planning, Whisk checks all the boxes. The user experience feels very intuitive while still providing tons of helpful guidance.
5. Yummly
Cost: Free with ads and paid upgrades
Platforms: iOS, Android
The iconic Yummly app offers a more social media-based take on meal planning. From finding recipes to watching cooking tutorials, you’ll get inspired to prepare amazing food creations.
Key Features
- Enormous database of recipes
- Personalized recommendations based on previous recipe likes
- Advanced filtering (allergies, cuisine type, holidays etc.)
- Watch “how-to” cooking videos built-in
- Generate a shareable shopping list
- Aggregates and links recipes from food sites
- Connect with friends to share favorite recipes and ideas
For recipe-obsessed clients always on the hunt for their next culinary adventure, Yummly delivers an engaging, almost game-like experience finding and sharing exciting new dishes.
6. Plan to Eat
Cost: 30-day free trial, then $39 annual fee
Platforms: iOS, Android, Desktop Web
Plan to Eat stands apart in being a dedicated long-time player focused exclusively on meal planning. They offer a straightforward solution to recipe collecting and planning.
Key Features
- Simple no-fuss meal planning
- Manually add any recipes you find online
- Create templates for repeating meals
- Set reminders for meal prep tasks
- Color-code recipes by category
- Printer-friendly grocery lists
- Syncs across devices
- Suitable for specialized diets
For no-frills meal planning that gets the job done, Plan to Eat delivers. Affordable annual pricing makes it easy for clients to subscribe long-term and keep their meal prep on autopilot.
7. Pepperplate
Cost: Free limited version with $5 monthly pro plan
Platforms: iOS, Android, Web
Pepperplate makes it incredibly simple to save recipes then drag-and-drop them into weekly meal plans paired with grocery lists. Their motto says it all: “Eat What You Love!”
Key Features
- Intuitive drag-and-drop interface
- Massive database of recipes
- Create multiple folders to organize recipes
- Meal planning calendar
- Grocery list grouped by ingredient types
- Nutrition data calculated automatically
- Photo capture options improve recipes
- 7-day free trial of paid plans
For uncomplicating meal prep, Pepperplate delivers a user-friendly experience. With a passion for homestyle recipes not gourmet fare, it helps anyone eat healthier.
8. MealBoard
Cost: 14-day free trial then $2.99 monthly subscription
Platforms: iOS
Exclusively designed for Apple users, Mealboard seamlessly integrates meal planning into your normal iPhone routine through clever notifications.
Key Features
- Siri adds Mealboard recipes easily
- Optimized for iPhone/iPad
- Calendar shortcuts add meal plans
- Syncs across Apple devices
- Recipe step notifications
- Templates for repeat meals
- Pantry inventory reminders
- Grocery list grouped by store
For clients deeply ingrained in the Apple smart device ecosystem, Mealboard fits like a glove. The integration with iPhone calendar and reminders makes meal prep feel effortless.
9. Cozi
Cost: Free with $39.99 yearly Gold upgrade
Platforms: iOS, Android
With over 20 million users, Cozi offers a family-centered app tackling everything from meal plans to managing kids’ activities. Its mantra “less stress, more joy” says everything!
Key Features
- Extra focus on needs of families
- Group messaging keeps the household connected
- Coordinating schedules and reminders
- Grocery lists can be shared with others
- Hundreds of kid-friendly recipes
- Affordable paid upgrades
Especially for your clients managing meal planning for a family, Cozi offers a holistic solution keeping the whole household on the same page. The family-centric focus makes it stand apart.
10. BigOven
Cost: Free w/ ads
Platforms: iOS, Android
Boasting “The world’s #1 recipe app” with over 350,000 recipes, BigOven offers a robust crowdsourced database. You’ll find everything from everyday staples to gourmet treats.
Key Features
- Enormous quantity of recipes
- Advanced search filters
- Big focus on nutritional data
- Built-in timer great for cooking
- Add and share your own family recipes
- Create a weekly meal plan calendar
- Check off items as you cook recipes
- Scan recipes from food sites online
For picky eaters or clients wanting an endless array of recipes, BigOven satisfies with extensive variety and ways to customize exactly what you’re looking for.
11. Paprika
Cost: One-time $4.99 charge
Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows, MacOS
We touched on Paprika earlier for its simplicity, but being one of the only apps that syncs across ALL platforms is gamechanging for real meal planning implementation!
Key Features
- Cross-platform functionality
- Cloud syncing between devices
- Built-in browser adds recipes easily
- Straightforward weekly meal planning
- Potent smart search tools
- Grocery list optimization
- Batch cook features perfect for meal prep
- No subscription needed
Paprika stands out by offering almost everything clients need for recipe collecting and planning while ditching subscriptions. All wrapped up with seamless cross-device syncing for the same low one-time payment.
12. Eat This Much
Cost: Many tier options – free, $8/month, $24/year
Platforms: iOS, Android
The cheekily named Eat This Much flips traditional meal planning upside down. Instead of YOU choosing recipes, their AI picks optimal meals tailored exactly to your diet specifications. Kind of crazy but super interesting!
Key Features
- AI generates recipes suited for you
- Input your own detailed preferences
- Macro, calorie and nutrition tracking
- Personalized daily meal plan
- Advanced rest day/training day differentiation fitness settings
- Barcode scanning for existing pantry items
- Syncs across all your devices
For quantified self-tracking clients or those just wanting an effortless optimized meal plan sans decision fatigue, Eat This Much delivers. The AI approach makes it about as custom-fit as you can get.
13. PlateJoy
Cost: Starts at $8/month depends on plan
Platforms: iOS, Android
Platejoy first grabbed our attention for factoring in actual kitchen equipment into its precision recipe algorithm. Delivering custom meal plans tailored to your EXACT cooking context is brilliant!
Key Features
- Proprietary machine learning formula
- Input all kitchen tools, appliances, cookware etc.
- Personalized recipes created based on kitchen context
- Pre-planned weekly recipes and groceries
- Grocery lists already organized by store aisles !
- Meal plan Calendar view
- Customizable nutrition targets
- 30-day money back guarantee
For convenience-driven clients seeking a fully customized meal plan matching their lifestyle, PlateJoy delivers. Their clever algorithm churning out recipes unique to your precise kitchen setup makes meal planning almost turnkey.
14. Allrecipes Dinner Spinner
Cost: Free w/ads
Platforms: Android
With over 50 million home cooks in the Allrecipes community sharing recipes, this app taps into serious crowd wisdom!
Key Features
- Huge volume of member submitted recipes
- New personalized recipe feed
- Advanced filters for preferences
- Grocery lists from chosen recipes
- Step-by-step cooking instructions
- Reviews and feedback from community
- Add and upload your own recipes too!
- Completely free to use
Especially for pickier eaters wary of mass-market recipes, Allrecipes offers tried-and-true options from millions of other home cooks. The community accountability helps clients feel assured they‘re choosing proven dishes.
15. Prepear
Cost: Limited free version with paid Pro plan
Platforms: iOS, Android
Prepear empowers clients to eat better through smart grocery shopping and meal prep rather than just fancier recipes. A brilliant approach!
Key Features
- Start with suggested weekly dinner recipes
- Custom categorized folder system
- Add ingredients needed for recipes
- Syncs across platforms
- Sends notifications for meal prep
- Scans existing pantry items
- Generates neatly organized shopping lists
- Affordable Pro subscription
By focusing more holistically on better ingredients, efficient shopping and simpler recipes, Prepear delivers a practical path for eating well. For goal-focused clients seeking straight talk on nutrition, it delivers.
Final Takeaways
So there you have it – the 15 best meal planning apps available for nutritionists in 2023!
The key is finding an app aligned both with your professional recommendations as well as each client‘s unique food preferences and health objectives.
Apps allow clients to take charge of their nutrition in an easy, customizable and more accountable way. They reduce the friction stopping most people from eating better.
Meal planning is one piece of the health puzzle, but combined with other positive lifestyle habits, it can make a dramatic difference helping clients achieve diet and weight loss goals.
Just imagine how motivating it will be for them opening the refrigerator already stocked for success this week!
