TOP 7 iPhone Meal Planners to Simplify Your Week

Meal planning sounds boring… until you try it and realize how much easier your life gets.

I used to be that guy staring into the fridge at 7 p.m. with no idea what to cook. 

Random groceries, no plan, and way too many takeout orders. 

Once I got into meal planning apps, it changed the whole game for me.

So in this guide, I’m sharing the best iPhone meal planner apps that I’ve personally tested, loved, or heard raving reviews about from folks who’ve made these part of their weekly routine.

Alright, let’s dig in.

1. Mealime – My Go-To Meal Planning App

Pros:

• Easy to use (like really, really easy)
• Lets you pick your diet style (vegan, keto, whatever)
• Makes a grocery list for you automatically
• Recipes are quick and not complicated
• You can avoid stuff you don’t like (I said no to mushrooms)

Cons:

• Some good recipes are locked behind the paid version
• Grocery list can’t be connected to all stores

I’m not gonna lie, Mealime is the app that actually got me into meal planning.

Before this, my meal plan was just me walking into the kitchen and hoping food would magically appear. 

But with Mealime, it’s kinda like the app does all the thinking for you. 

You open it, pick 3 or 4 meals that look good (the photos help a lot), and it just gets things done. 

The best part? Grocery list.

Like—bro—you don’t even have to write anything down. 

It takes all the ingredients from the recipes you picked and puts them in a list, organized by category. 

I literally walk into the store, open Mealime, and done in 15 minutes. 

I’ve even done lazy Sunday shopping without missing a single item. 

That’s wild for me.

Also, the recipes aren’t boring. 

I made this Sweet Potato & Black Bean Taco thing last week from the app, and I’m not even vegetarian, but it slapped. 

And it only took like 25 minutes.

If you’re just getting into this whole meal prep life, start here. 

It’s simple, clean, and doesn’t overwhelm you.

I still use it all the time.

Also read: Best calorie tracker apps

2. Plan to Eat – Best for Family Meal Prep

Pros:

• You can save your own recipes
• Drag-and-drop meal planner
• Auto-generates grocery lists
• Syncs across devices
• Super organized

Cons:

• No built-in recipes, you have to add your own
• Slight learning curve at first

So here’s the deal—Plan to Eat might not look fancy, but once you figure it out, it’s a meal planning machine.

This one’s especially awesome if you’ve got a family or you like collecting recipes from all over the internet (Pinterest, blogs, your mom’s WhatsApp screenshots, etc.). 

You just paste the recipe link or add it manually, and it’s saved in your digital cookbook forever.

The weekly planner is probably my favorite part. 

You can literally drag meals into a calendar, and it feels kinda satisfying.

I’ve used it a lot when I’m hosting or trying to get through a busy week without eating toast five times.

Now, I won’t lie—Plan to Eat doesn’t give you recipe ideas on its own. 

You gotta bring your own stuff. 

But that’s also the beauty of it. 

You’re in full control. 

It’s like your personal meal HQ.

Oh, and once your meals are on the calendar, it builds your grocery list automatically. 

And you can even check stuff off while shopping. 

I used it once when grocery shopping with my cousin.

He was on his phone, crossing things off while I pushed the cart. 

Felt like a real adult moment.

If you’re planning meals for more than just yourself or you want total control over your recipes, this one’s solid.

3. Paprika – Best for Saving & Organizing Recipes

Pros:

• Save recipes from any website
• Organizes everything like a pro
• Built-in meal planner & grocery list
• Works offline

Cons:

• Doesn’t suggest new recipes
• No free version

Okay, real talk—I call Paprika my recipe brain.

It’s not flashy or trendy. 

But if you’ve ever found a killer recipe online and then lost it forever (because you forgot where you saw it), this app will be your best friend.

You just copy the recipe link from any site, BuzzFeed, NYT Cooking, someone’s food blog from 2012, and Paprika snatches all the important stuff: ingredients, steps, cooking time. 

And it saves it perfectly. 

No ads, no popups, no 20-paragraph life story from the blogger. 

Just a clean recipe layout.

What I love is how organized it keeps everything. 

I’ve got mine sorted by categories like “Quick Lunch,” “Winter Meals,” and “When You’re Broke but Still Hungry”. 

You can even rate them, add photos, and write your own little notes. 

Like: “Don’t skip the garlic here, trust me.”

And yes, there’s a meal planner too—plus a grocery list. 

But I’ll be honest, I mostly use Paprika just to collect and manage all my fav recipes. 

I think of it more like a recipe vault. 

And once you buy it, it’s yours forever. 

No subscription stuff.

If you’re someone who screenshots recipes, saves random links, or just wants a better way to keep your go-to meals in one place, Paprika is that solid, reliable tool that’ll never let you down.

P.S. If you’re the kind of person who loves collecting recipes like I do, you’ll probably enjoy this too — I’ve also shared a full list of the best recipe apps for iPhone here.

4. eMeals – Best for Meal Planning + Grocery Delivery

Pros:

• Gives you new meal plans every week
• You can pick from different categories
• Sends grocery lists straight to stores like Walmart, Amazon, or Instacart
• Great if you don’t wanna think about anything

Cons:

• Requires a subscription after the free trial
• You can’t customize every little detail in the plans

Alright, this one’s for the people who want zero decision fatigue. 

You just wanna open an app and have your whole week’s meals handed to you, groceries included. 

That’s where eMeals shines.

I used this during a super-packed month when I had zero time to sit and plan. 

I picked the Quick & Healthy plan, and seven dinners just appeared. 

And not random boring stuff either. 

Think Sheet Pan Shrimp Tacos, Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps… like actual tasty meals.

Here’s the cool part: once your plan is set, eMeals creates your grocery list and lets you send it straight to a delivery service. 

I tried it with Amazon Fresh, and it was weirdly satisfying to know my groceries were on their way without me lifting a finger (except to tap “checkout”).

Now yeah, it’s a paid app, but the time it saves? Kinda worth it. 

Especially if you’ve got kids, work long hours, or just hate the whole meal-planning process.

It doesn’t give you full control like some other apps, but honestly? That’s the point. 

eMeals is for folks who want to set it and forget it.

5. Prepear – Best All-in-One Meal Planner

Pros:

• Combines meal planning, grocery lists, AND cooking in one app
• Tons of ready-made meal plans from food creators
• You can save, organize, and tweak recipes
• Has a super smooth, modern interface
• Free version is solid

Cons:

• Full features need the paid version
• Not as minimalist as some others

Alright, so Prepear is like if Instagram and a meal planner had a baby, and that baby could cook.

I discovered this one kinda randomly while looking for meal plan templates, and it turned out to be way more than I expected. 

The app lets you plan your week, generate grocery lists, AND cook recipes right inside the app. 

Like… step-by-step mode, hands-free timer, everything.

What I love most is the vibe. 

It doesn’t feel like a boring productivity app. 

You can follow food bloggers, save their meal plans, and even share your own. 

I followed this one creator who posts 5-day meal plans for lazy foodies—and honestly, I’ve repeated their week twice already. 

Zero regrets.

You can also create your own meal plan from scratch, mix in your own recipes, and customize everything. 

And if you’re the kind of person who likes to cook along with the app open, Prepear has that nailed.

I’d say the only downside is the Gold subscription if you want to access more premium meal plans.

But the free version is still great if you don’t mind doing a bit of mixing and matching.

Prepear feels like the future of meal planning.

It’s social, smart, and actually fun to use.

6. Forks Over Knives – Best for Plant-Based Meal Planning

Pros:

• 100% whole-food, plant-based recipes
• Beautiful, clean design
• Weekly meal planner with a pre-made plan
• Grocery list built automatically
• Great for beginners to plant-based eating

Cons:

• Only plant-based meals (obviously)
• Smaller recipe variety compared to mainstream apps

I’ll be honest—when I first heard about this meal planner app, I thought it was only for hardcore vegans. 

But after trying it for a week, I gotta say… this one’s seriously good even if you’re just plant-curious.

Forks Over Knives is based on the popular documentary and cookbook series, and the app follows that same clean, wholesome, no-junk vibe. 

You get access to hundreds of whole-food, plant-based recipes, and these aren’t bland salads. 

I’m talking stuff like Chickpea Tikka Masala, BBQ Cauliflower Sliders, and Mushroom Stroganoff. 

Stuff that actually fills you up and makes you go “wait, this doesn’t have meat?”

The app gives you a weekly meal plan (which I love because it removes decision fatigue), and it generates a grocery list automatically. 

You can edit, swap meals, or just freestyle using the full recipe library.

I gave it a go for five days, and what surprised me was how full and energized I felt. 

Like, I didn’t miss meat once. 

And once you start eating like this, you kinda get curious about what’s actually in the stuff you buy.

That’s when I started scanning labels with this food scanner app I found.

Which makes it so much easier to avoid the junk.

The only thing is, Forks Over Knives isn’t for everyone. 

If you want chicken, this ain’t it. 

But if you’re looking to eat cleaner, maybe cut down on takeout, or just experiment with healthy meals, it’s a solid app to try.

Even if you’re not going fully plant-based, using Forks Over Knives once a week can seriously shake up your food routine in a good way.

7. AnyList – Best for Couples and Shared Grocery Lists

Pros:

• Shared grocery lists that sync instantly
• Super smooth interface
• Also works great for meal planning & saving recipes
• You can add notes, photos, or quantities easily
• Free version is already powerful

Cons:

• Premium version unlocks the meal planner and themes
• Not as full-on as other meal planning apps

Alright, this one’s for the real-world teams—couples, roommates, siblings, whoever you split groceries or meals with. 

I started using AnyList because my cousin and I kept buying the same things without telling each other. 

Two bottles of ketchup later, we knew we needed help.

With AnyList, you create one grocery list that both of you can access and update in real-time. 

So if I’m at the store and I tick off “milk,” he sees that it’s done—instantly. 

No texting, no back-and-forth. 

Just good ol’ peace and efficiency.

But it’s not just a list app. 

You can also save your recipes (manually or by copy-pasting links), and once you pick what you’re making, it adds all the ingredients straight to your list. 

It’s not a full meal planner like Mealime or Prepear, but honestly? 

It doesn’t need to be. 

It keeps things simple, which sometimes is exactly what you want.

I’ve even used it solo when I wasn’t meal planning.

Just to stay organized at the store. 

And if you do decide to upgrade, the themes and advanced meal planning stuff are a nice bonus.

If you live with someone and share the food duties, trust me, AnyList is a sanity-saver.

By the way, if you want to level up your grocery game too, I’ve put together a full list of the best iPhone grocery apps — perfect for saving time at the store.

My Final Take

Meal planning used to feel like a chore… until I found the right apps.

Now? It’s lowkey one of my weekly rituals.

If you want something easy and beginner-friendly, start with Mealime.

It’s the one I personally use the most.

• Got a family or love organizing your own recipe stash? Go for Plan to Eat or Paprika.
• And if you’re exploring a healthier lifestyle, Forks Over Knives is a game-changer.
• For shared grocery runs? AnyList all the way.

The truth is—there’s no one-size-fits-all. 

But once you find the app that clicks with your vibe, it’s gonna save you time, money, and a whole lot of food stress.

Trust me, your future self (and your fridge) will thank you.

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