Plan to Eat: The Ultimate Meal Planner App Review

by | Meal Planning, Money

Sharing is Caring

Kitchen tools

As a busy mom, finding the time to plan meals can often feel like an impossible task. With so many things to juggle, it’s easy to let meal planning fall by the wayside, but the consequences of not having a plan in place can be disastrous. That’s where the Plan to Eat app comes in – a complete game-changer for busy families everywhere.

Admittedly, I’m a newbie to this app, I’m still trying to figure out all the ropes so to speak, however, I can tell you since I have been using Plan to Eat, that I am excited to do meal planning.


Now I have tried many ways to do my meal planning. I have downloaded several apps, I currently have a book where I wrote out everything.  I have tried the calendar method where I put meals on the calendar in either paper form or digital.

However, it still comes down to the same thing.  You have to do the work over and over.  

That worked for a while, as long as you don’t mind having the same meal plan each time.


If I wanted to have hamburgers the next time and not tacos, it wasn’t very customizable or I would have to write out my ingredient list again.


That is time-consuming, especially if your calendar is already full.  


Confession time here: even though I do my shopping online and someone else fills the orders, there are crazy weeks, where shopping gets pushed aside until the last minute or sometimes I new week begins.


What would eventually happen is a lot of going out to eat.  I don’t have to tell you with the costs of everything these days how expensive that was.


Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of you moms probably can relate!


A couple of weeks back, I was on a quest for a meal-planning solution that felt more like organizing my week on a calendar. 

I enjoyed the calendar where I could just look at my week or month at a glance.


Now using my book method.  I would have my meals planned for the week and would write out all the ingredients that I would need for the week.

Now like I said earlier I have tried many ways to do meal planning. 

I’ve dabbled with various apps, notebooks, paper calendars, and even spreadsheets – they do the job but, let’s be real, they can be quite time-consuming, especially when you’ve got a big family to plan meals for. We’re a family of 8 (which I love, love, love) (well, it was 10 before the older 2 flew the nest and got married!), which means a lot of meal planning on my plate. And, to add to the complexity, I’m gluten-free, so meal planning includes factoring in my dietary needs too.

Anyway, as I was saying, I was on the hunt for something that I could do easily, save me time, and I wanted it to be very customizable with a drag-and-drop view.

That is when I discovered the app Plan to Eat.  While it does come with a reasonable monthly or yearly cost, it pays for itself in time and money not having to go out to eat as often.

If you want to go out to eat, schedule it, but you shouldn’t have to go out to eat 2 or more times a week because you haven’t planned and shopped for the week. That is where I have been a lot of times.

So this is my honest review of this app and I can tell you I have enjoyed it.  You do the work once and not have to keep doing it over and over again.

It is fully customizable and your meals can be changed with a drag and drop to another day on the calendar. Just that simple. 

No need to keep adding ingredients because they are already in there.

Here is a look at some of the features that I am going on and on about.  If you prefer meal planning, then I think you will enjoy the ease this app brings.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

Creating Recipes

Now before I tell you all the great features that I just love about this app and how it will save you time.  I need to tell you that you will need to find or add your recipes in the app first to make it a success.

This app has several ways to add recipes or if you just want to have hamburgers or hotdogs one night, you can add that as well.

You need to go in and add recipes or meals but after you put these meals in, then it’s just a matter of drag and drop.  

So let the fun begin. 

One of the things I love most about the app is how intuitive it is. It’s straightforward to add recipes, create meal plans, and generate shopping lists, all within a few clicks. And because the app is cloud-based, I can access it from anywhere, whether I’m at home or on the go.

Recipe Book- All your recipes are your own.  This app doesn’t give you a list of foods that you have never heard of or you just don’t like.  There are various ways to add recipes to the app. You can grab recipes that you like from the web and they can be added into Plan to Eat while surfing on your computer or mobile device.


If you just want to have hamburgers or hotdogs that can be added as well.  


Once you add a recipe from the web it will bring over all the ingredients and all the information for the recipe into the app.


If you add your own personal meals, then just add the ingredients one time and the app will have it in there every time you drag that meal onto your calendar.


Do it once and forget it! How cool is that?


Like I said, I got excited over this app.  I got so excited  I was telling my husband all about it.  You know he was probably really enjoying that too. Haha


So the app has an online recipe organizer, a meal planning calendar, and an automated shopping list. 

  1. Plan to Eat is a meal-planning app that provides a variety of benefits to its users. Here are some benefits that you can enjoy by using Plan to Eat:
  2. Save time: With Plan to Eat, you can easily plan your meals for the week in just a few minutes, saving you time and hassle.
  3. Save money: Meal planning helps you avoid impulse purchases and reduces food waste, saving you money in the long run.
  4. Eat healthier: By planning your meals, you can ensure that you are eating a balanced and nutritious diet.
  5. Customize your meal plan: You can choose your recipes or import them from your favorite websites, and then drag and drop them into your meal plan.
  6. Make grocery shopping easier: Plan to Eat generates a shopping list based on your meal plan, making grocery shopping faster and more efficient.
  7. Share your meal plan: You can share your meal plan with family and friends, making it easier to coordinate meals and avoid last-minute takeout.
  8. Keep track of dietary restrictions: Plan to Eat allows you to easily filter recipes that meet your dietary needs, such as gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian.
  9. Finding new recipes: Plan to Eat allows you multiple ways to add your favorite recipes using your desktop or a mobile option.
  10. Stay organized: With Plan to Eat, you can keep all of your recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists in one place, making it easy to stay organized.
  11. Adds ingredients to the shopping list: The app adds the ingredients that you will need for each meal.

Saves Time

By using this app, you can save a significant amount of time as it provides quick and efficient meal planning with minimal effort on your part. Instead of spending hours planning meals for the week. Plan to Eat can help you to create a meal plan in just a few minutes.

Plan to Eat can also help you save time in the kitchen. The app allows you to schedule your meals for the week or more, so you can prep ingredients ahead of time and avoid the last-minute rush to put dinner on the table.

By using this app, you can simplify your meal planning process and free up more time to focus on other important tasks. As a busy mom, this app can help you streamline your meal planning and make healthy eating more accessible and convenient with less time doing it.

Saves Money

Moms are always looking for ways to save money while still providing their families with delicious and nutritious meals. The Plan to Eat app is a great tool that can help save money on groceries and meal planning.

It allows you to import recipes from your favorite websites and blogs, and then organize them into a meal plan. The app generates a shopping list based on your meal plan, which can help you save money by only buying the ingredients you need for your meals.

Overall, the Plan to Eat app is a valuable tool for moms who want to save money on groceries and meal planning while still providing their families with delicious and nutritious meals.

Eating healthier

Using a meal planning and grocery shopping app can be a great way for families to eat healthier. Here are some tips on how this app can help:

  1. Plan Ahead: The app can help families plan meals for the week in advance. This way, they can ensure that they are incorporating a variety of healthy foods into their diet and not relying on fast food or takeout. Meal planning can also help save time and money, as families can buy ingredients in bulk and use them for multiple meals.
  2. Make a Grocery List: Once the meals are planned, the app can generate a grocery list with all the necessary ingredients. This ensures that families only buy what they need and don’t waste money on unnecessary items. Having a grocery list can also help families avoid impulse purchases of unhealthy snacks or processed foods.
  3. Track Nutrition: The app lets you track the calories as well as other important nutrients like protein, fiber, and sugar. This can help families ensure that they are getting the right balance of nutrients in their diet and can make adjustments as needed.

Overall, using a meal planning and grocery shopping app can help families eat healthier by making it easier to plan meals, shop for healthy ingredients, and track their nutrition.

Customized Meal Plans

Plan to Eat is an innovative app that offers a customizable drag-and-drop calendar interface. This feature allows users to create their own custom meal plans with ease. The app is designed to simplify meal planning for busy individuals and families, and the drag-and-drop interface is a key part of this mission.

With the Plan to Eat app, users can easily drag and drop recipes onto the calendar to create a weekly meal plan. The app even allows users to specify the number of servings they need, and it will automatically adjust the recipe to ensure that the correct amount of ingredients are used. This feature is particularly helpful for those who are cooking for a large family or group.

The app also offers a variety of customization options. Users can add their own recipes to the app, or they can import recipes from popular recipe websites. The app will automatically generate a shopping list based on the recipes chosen for the week, and users can even customize the shopping list to add or remove items as needed.

Overall, the Plan to Eat app is a valuable tool for anyone looking to simplify their meal planning process. With its customizable drag-and-drop calendar interface, users can easily create meal plans tailored to their specific needs and preferences.

Makes Grocery Shopping Easier

The Plan to Eat app is a fantastic tool for anyone who wants to simplify their grocery shopping routine. This app not only helps you to plan your meals for the week including breakfast and lunch, but it compiles a sharable grocery list for you.

Once you have your meals planned out, the app generates a grocery list for you, making it easy to see what you need to buy for the week. You can also customize your list by adding or removing items as necessary. Plus, since the app is available on your phone, you can access your list on the go, ensuring that you never forget an important ingredient.

One of these features I like is that you can split your shopping list up among the stores that you buy items from.

For example, I do the bulk of my shopping from Walmart. However, some items are cheaper to purchase from Aldi. My husband’s office is right down the road from them. I send him a list and he can pick up those items for me.

Share Your Meal Plan

One of the many features of the Plan to Eat app is the ability to share your meal plan with other family members.

With Plan to Eat, you can easily text or print out your meal plan or shopping list to share with your loved ones. This makes it easy for everyone in the family to know what’s on the menu for the week and what groceries need to be purchased.

Sharing your meal plan with others is a great way to get input and feedback on what meals everyone is excited about. It’s also a helpful way to ensure that everyone’s dietary needs are being considered and accommodated. As in my case. I have to purchase different gluten-free food options.

Overall, Plan to Eat makes meal planning and grocery shopping a collaborative effort, allowing families to come together and enjoy delicious and healthy meals.

Track Dietary Restrictions

The app’s dietary restriction tracking system works by allowing you to filter through your added recipes based on specific tags you’ve assigned them. For example, you can add a tag to a recipe that indicates it is gluten-free. This way, when you search for recipes in the app, you can select the gluten-free tag to narrow down your options.

My daughter-in-law can’t eat beef. If I need a meal without beef, I can find all the meals tagged with chicken or turkey for example.

Plan to Eat makes it simple to find the recipes you are looking for.

To get started, simply add your recipes to the app and assign relevant tags to them. The app will then use these tags to filter your recipes based on your dietary restrictions. You can also add multiple tags to a single recipe if it meets more than one dietary restriction.

Simplifying Recipe Searches with tags helps finding recipes that suit your dietary needs a breeze. This allows you to enjoy your meals with confidence and without worry.

Finding New Recipes

Plan to Eat is a fantastic tool for anyone who loves to cook or wants to get more organized in the kitchen. One of the great things about this platform is that it offers multiple ways to add new recipes, whether you’re using your computer or mobile device.

You can get recipes from your favorite website or add your recipes to the app. Also, you have the option of grabbing recipes using your mobile device.

The app acts like an online recipe book with meals that you enjoy. Also, you can keep the recipes in one place instead of searching in multiple places to find the one recipe that you are looking for.

Then just add that meal to your calendar and you are set for the week.

https://largefamilyarrows.com/smart-ways-to-save-money-on-groceries/https://largefamilyarrows.com/a-frugal-familys-guide-to-saving-money-on-expenses/

Stay Organized

Organizing your meals can be daunting, especially if you have a busy schedule. Fortunately, with the right app, you can keep track of your recipes and plan out your meals with ease. This is where an app that allows you to drag and drop your recipe selections on a calendar can come in handy.

By using this app, you can add all your favorite recipes to your personalized recipe database. Once you have added your recipes, you can then go to the calendar section and select the days you want to plan your meals for. By simply dragging and dropping the recipes onto the calendar, you can plan your meals for the week or month ahead.


If you’re searching for a better way to plan and organize your meals, then look no further than the Plan to Eat app. With its drag-and-drop functionality, this app makes meal planning a breeze – Say goodbye to the stress and hello to more time for other things on your list.

Adds Ingredients to Shopping List

I just love how the app moves the ingredients that you need to your shopping list.

The app offers a convenient way to plan your meals and create shopping lists. One of its most useful features is the ability to add the ingredients you need for your meal planning to a shopping list. This makes it easy to keep track of what you need to buy at the grocery store.

In addition to helping you plan your meals and create a shopping list, Plan to Eat also keeps a list of the staple foods you buy on a weekly basis. This way, you can be sure to always have the ingredients you need on hand to cook your favorite meals.

A quick tip: if you need a certain product such as a gluten-free brand. Add that to your ingredient list. It saves time and ensures that you get the product you need.

For example, if I want spaghetti sauce. I need to give them the gluten-free brand. If you don’t need a specific brand then you can skip this tip. This was just something that I discovered and it saves me time and ensures I am not getting food I can’t eat or shouldn’t.

Lastly, on my rant on how much I have enjoyed this app, is that once you put in your recipes, add them to your meal plan, and create a shopping list, it will send them to Walmart if you do online grocery shopping. I can’t tell you how excited I was about that too.

Once you have your meal planning set up the app does the work for you. However, I recommend going over the Walmart order to make sure everything is transferred correctly.

https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/ways-to-save-on-groceries

Both of these websites offer a wide range of recipes and meal ideas that are easy to follow and delicious to eat. They also have beautiful photography and engaging writing that will inspire you to get creative in the kitchen. Happy cooking!

I have only used this feature once, but now that we have got through Christmas, it is back to work as usual and I am looking forward to this week’s meal planning.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the Plan to Eat app. If you choose to try it and use my link, I do get a small commission. However, I have been so super excited to use this app and I think you will too.

https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/ways-to-save-money-on-food-groceries

if you’re a busy mom (or dad!) looking to simplify the meal planning process, I can’t recommend Plan to Eat enough. With its intuitive interface, vast recipe database, and customizable features, it’s the perfect tool for anyone looking to take the stress out of meal planning.

Give it a try and sign up today – you won’t be disappointed!

Get 20% off your first annual subscription using the my link.

https://app.plantoeat.com/ref/Largefamilyarrows

Psalm 139:14 KJV
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you choose to purchase through any of my affiliate links.  I receive a small commission that helps my website expenses and blesses my family.  There is no additional cost to you.