/** * This file represents an example of the code that themes would use to register * the required plugins. * * It is expected that theme authors would copy and paste this code into their * functions.php file, and amend to suit. * * @package TGM-Plugin-Activation * @subpackage Example * @version 2.3.6 * @author Thomas Griffin * @author Gary Jones * @copyright Copyright (c) 2012, Thomas Griffin * @license http://opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php GPL v2 or later * @link https://github.com/thomasgriffin/TGM-Plugin-Activation */ /** * Include the TGM_Plugin_Activation class. */ require_once dirname( __FILE__ ) . '/class-tgm-plugin-activation.php'; add_action( 'tgmpa_register', 'my_theme_register_required_plugins' ); /** * Register the required plugins for this theme. * * In this example, we register two plugins - one included with the TGMPA library * and one from the .org repo. * * The variable passed to tgmpa_register_plugins() should be an array of plugin * arrays. * * This function is hooked into tgmpa_init, which is fired within the * TGM_Plugin_Activation class constructor. */ function my_theme_register_required_plugins() { /** * Array of plugin arrays. Required keys are name and slug. * If the source is NOT from the .org repo, then source is also required. */ $plugins = array( // This is an example of how to include a plugin pre-packaged with a theme array( 'name' => 'Contact Form 7', // The plugin name 'slug' => 'contact-form-7', // The plugin slug (typically the folder name) 'source' => get_stylesheet_directory() . '/includes/plugins/contact-form-7.zip', // The plugin source 'required' => true, // If false, the plugin is only 'recommended' instead of required 'version' => '', // E.g. 1.0.0. If set, the active plugin must be this version or higher, otherwise a notice is presented 'force_activation' => false, // If true, plugin is activated upon theme activation and cannot be deactivated until theme switch 'force_deactivation' => false, // If true, plugin is deactivated upon theme switch, useful for theme-specific plugins 'external_url' => '', // If set, overrides default API URL and points to an external URL ), array( 'name' => 'Cherry Plugin', // The plugin name. 'slug' => 'cherry-plugin', // The plugin slug (typically the folder name). 'source' => PARENT_DIR . '/includes/plugins/cherry-plugin.zip', // The plugin source. 'required' => true, // If false, the plugin is only 'recommended' instead of required. 'version' => '1.1', // E.g. 1.0.0. If set, the active plugin must be this version or higher, otherwise a notice is presented. 'force_activation' => true, // If true, plugin is activated upon theme activation and cannot be deactivated until theme switch. 'force_deactivation' => false, // If true, plugin is deactivated upon theme switch, useful for theme-specific plugins. 'external_url' => '', // If set, overrides default API URL and points to an external URL. ) ); /** * Array of configuration settings. Amend each line as needed. * If you want the default strings to be available under your own theme domain, * leave the strings uncommented. * Some of the strings are added into a sprintf, so see the comments at the * end of each line for what each argument will be. */ $config = array( 'domain' => CURRENT_THEME, // Text domain - likely want to be the same as your theme. 'default_path' => '', // Default absolute path to pre-packaged plugins 'parent_menu_slug' => 'themes.php', // Default parent menu slug 'parent_url_slug' => 'themes.php', // Default parent URL slug 'menu' => 'install-required-plugins', // Menu slug 'has_notices' => true, // Show admin notices or not 'is_automatic' => true, // Automatically activate plugins after installation or not 'message' => '', // Message to output right before the plugins table 'strings' => array( 'page_title' => theme_locals("page_title"), 'menu_title' => theme_locals("menu_title"), 'installing' => theme_locals("installing"), // %1$s = plugin name 'oops' => theme_locals("oops_2"), 'notice_can_install_required' => _n_noop( theme_locals("notice_can_install_required"), theme_locals("notice_can_install_required_2") ), // %1$s = plugin name(s) 'notice_can_install_recommended' => _n_noop( theme_locals("notice_can_install_recommended"), theme_locals("notice_can_install_recommended_2") ), // %1$s = plugin name(s) 'notice_cannot_install' => _n_noop( theme_locals("notice_cannot_install"), theme_locals("notice_cannot_install_2") ), // %1$s = plugin name(s) 'notice_can_activate_required' => _n_noop( theme_locals("notice_can_activate_required"), theme_locals("notice_can_activate_required_2") ), // %1$s = plugin name(s) 'notice_can_activate_recommended' => _n_noop( theme_locals("notice_can_activate_recommended"), theme_locals("notice_can_activate_recommended_2") ), // %1$s = plugin name(s) 'notice_cannot_activate' => _n_noop( theme_locals("notice_cannot_activate"), theme_locals("notice_cannot_activate_2") ), // %1$s = plugin name(s) 'notice_ask_to_update' => _n_noop( theme_locals("notice_ask_to_update"), theme_locals("notice_ask_to_update_2") ), // %1$s = plugin name(s) 'notice_cannot_update' => _n_noop( theme_locals("notice_cannot_update"), theme_locals("notice_cannot_update_2") ), // %1$s = plugin name(s) 'install_link' => _n_noop( theme_locals("install_link"), theme_locals("install_link_2") ), 'activate_link' => _n_noop( theme_locals("activate_link"), theme_locals("activate_link_2") ), 'return' => theme_locals("return"), 'plugin_activated' => theme_locals("plugin_activated"), 'complete' => theme_locals("complete"), // %1$s = dashboard link 'nag_type' => theme_locals("updated") // Determines admin notice type - can only be 'updated' or 'error' ) ); tgmpa( $plugins, $config ); } Seven FREE Meal Planning Apps To Make Dinner Easier

Seven FREE Meal Planning Apps To Make Dinner Easier

My buddy Joel started an awesome meal planning service called Ultimate Meal Plans (free trial!). Every week they give you recipes to cook, a mapped out meal schedule for the week, and a grocery list of everything you need to buy. Plan to Eat’s user experience is built around its robust recipe clipper and planning calendar.

Yummly is a lot like that friend–if they lived in your pocket and were determined to make meal prep anything best calorie counter app free but boring. The benefits of meal planning have been shouted from every mountain and every Pinterest board, and rightly so. Meal planning can help with everything from slashing expenses to boosting nutrition.

Formerly known as Whisk, this platform excels at creating highly personalized meal plans based on your preferences and even uses Vision AI to recognize ingredients from photos. Its ability to connect directly with Samsung smart appliances to preheat ovens or send cooking instructions makes it a standout choice for tech-savvy households. Mealime automatically compiles your shopping list from the selected recipes, sorting items by aisle to streamline your trip to the store. This seamless integration from plan to pantry is a significant time-saver. If you're using it for meal planning, you may not need to upgrade; I was able to build out an entire schedule of recipes without paying.

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  • We recommend asking yourself a few key questions before committing to an app.
  • Yummly is a smart meal planning app that suggests recipes based on your preferences and dietary needs.
  • Pepperplate also includes tools such as timers and kitchen scales to help make meal prep easier.
  • Nearly 50% of users say this app slashed their time in the grocery store and almost 80% of people said they see less food waste.
  • All you’ll need to do is create an account and then log into the app,” he said.
  • Each week, you receive seven new recipes, but you have the flexibility to swap them out if they don't suit your taste, ensuring you're never stuck with a meal you don't want.

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? Samsung Food provides a modern, sleek interface that makes navigating its extensive features feel intuitive. The AI-driven recommendations are a core part of the experience, constantly adapting to your tastes.

Best Meal Planning Apps on a Budget by Category

best simple meal planning app

The Pro version unlocks exclusive recipes, nutritional information, and the ability to view past meal plans. Cooklist also allows you to make in-app price comparisons on ingredients, so you’ll know which local grocer offers the best price. 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). The Forks Over Knives meal planning app currently has over 400 meals from dozens of chefs in their library, and they continue to add new healthy recipes on a weekly basis.

Forks Over Knives — Forks Meal Planner

Samsung Food (formerly Whisk) is an all-in-one cooking app that combines recipe saving, meal planning, and grocery shopping into a single platform, all for free. It allows users to save recipes from any website into a digital recipe box, use them to build a weekly meal plan, and generate a smart shopping list. EMeals is one of the best meal planning apps for those who want a truly hands-off experience, bridging the gap between planning and shopping. This subscription service delivers curated weekly meal plans directly to you, based on your chosen eating style. Prepear is our pick for the best overall meal planning app because it runs like a true kitchen manager, which we think is perfect for busy professionals.

best simple meal planning app

Paprika

This apps best feature is that you can choose specific ingredients from the recipes to go on your grocery list. You don’t have to weed through all the ingredients later or while you’re shopping. That’s one reason why this makes it one of the simple meal planning apps.

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Instead of providing its own recipe database, this app acts as a central hub where you can save recipes from any website with a single click. Juggling busy schedules, dietary needs, and the constant question of "what's for dinner?" can turn cooking into a chore. While meal planning is the obvious solution, traditional pen-and-paper methods are often cumbersome and time-consuming.

Cozi is a family organizer, so you might not think of food and recipes when you first hear about it—but don't be fooled. In addition to its daily calendar and to-do lists, Cozi provides space for you to keep a grocery list (which any family member can add to in real time) and even offers up recipes. Not only can you plan your meals' content, but you can schedule them for when everyone is available. Here, we've tried to take those questions into consideration by creating our very own list of the best meal planning apps in 2026.

Best Meal Planning Apps on a Budget That Actually Save Families Money

“However, there’s no way to customize the grocery list itself or quickly edit items already on the list. For example, if your grocery list had two apples on it, you can’t easily change it to three. You’d have to click on the plus (+) button, then type in apple, and then add it to the list.” Because of this, he rated the shopping list feature a 3 out of 5.

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If someone in your family has allergy restrictions, this is the best of all the meal prep apps to try. You can sort by everything from sulfite-free and dairy-free to peanut-free and gluten-free meal prep recipes. This meal prep app is designed for real people and to manage real problems. No more digging through recipe book after book or rummaging through piles of papers to find your favorite meal. No more hunting down complicated ingredients at the grocery store. These are simple, delicious, and healthy meals everyone will enjoy.

The 5 Best Meal Planning Apps ( : For Families, Weight Loss, and More

The app guides users through choosing recipes and instantly creates a grocery list based on the selected meals. Best meal planning apps on a budget can also be grouped by specific needs like free tools, family use, or grocery planning. This helps you choose the right app faster based on your situation. These benefits make the best meal planning apps on a budget a practical tool for families who want to save money and keep meal planning simple. The platform functions as a comprehensive recipe hub, community space, and planner all in one. Samsung Food elevates the meal planning experience by leveraging powerful AI and deep integration with smart home technology.

Your Goals

You get a free two-week trial, then you'll pay $5 a month or $55 a year to access all the features. EMeals also has partnerships with major grocery retailers, which makes creating your grocery list a little easier and more specific. Another on the list that has a robust browser component, this makes things almost too easy. Some people love the idea of an app that does everything for them automatically. If that sounds like you, Eat This Much is the clear winner with its powerful automation and customization. A flexible app should allow you to easily import your own family recipes from blogs or websites.

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