Top 5 AI Meal Planning Apps in 2025
• Updated
AI meal planning apps in 2025 save time, reduce food waste, and cut grocery costs. These apps offer features like personalized meal plans, pantry tracking, grocery list automation, and nutritional insights. Whether you're a busy parent, a fitness enthusiast, or someone looking for quick meal prep, there's an app for you. Here’s a quick overview:
- Honeydew Recipe Manager: Best for families and social media users; imports recipes from platforms like TikTok and Instagram, syncs grocery lists for up to six members, and offers AI-driven meal plans. Free version available; premium costs $39.99/year.
- Ollie: Ideal for busy families; conversational AI adjusts plans for dietary needs and schedules, reuses ingredients to reduce waste. Starts at $9.99/month.
- MyFitnessPal: Great for fitness tracking; combines calorie counting with tailored meal plans for various diets. Premium+ starts at $24.99/month.
- Cronometer: Focused on detailed nutrient tracking; tracks 84 nutrients but lacks meal planning. Gold subscription starts at $4.99/month.
- Mealime: Perfect for quick, healthy meals; offers 30-minute recipes and grocery integration. Pro version costs $5.99/month.
These apps help streamline meal planning, save money, and improve your cooking routine. Choose one based on your needs, whether it's AI automation, detailed nutrition tracking, or simple meal prep.
Top 5 AI Meal Planning Apps 2025: Features and Pricing Comparison
I asked AI to meal plan for me… Here’s how it went with ChatGPT Prompts
1. Honeydew Recipe Manager
Honeydew Recipe Manager stands out with its AI-driven features and seamless real-time collaboration. With an impressive 4.8/5 star rating on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, backed by over 6,300 reviews, it’s a favorite among users looking for smarter meal planning and organization.
AI-Powered Meal Planning and Customization
The app’s AI assistant, "Honey", takes meal planning to the next level. Whether you’re following a keto diet, need gluten-free options, or just want to create meals from what’s in your fridge, Honey’s got you covered. It can even recreate restaurant dishes from a single photo. The Pantry Mode allows you to snap a photo of your fridge, and the AI suggests recipes based on what you already have.
Honeydew processes an impressive 270,000 recipe saves each month and can instantly import recipes from platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube. The AI extracts ingredients, instructions, and cooking details, though users have occasionally reported issues with unusual measurement units, which might require manual adjustments.
Grocery List Generation and Shopping Integrations
Honeydew simplifies grocery shopping by generating categorized lists sorted by store sections. It pulls exact quantities from your meal plan, ensuring you buy only what you need. With its integration with Instacart, you can order groceries for delivery or pickup with just one click. The app also lets you skip items you already have and suggests substitutions when necessary. Plus, up to six family members can sync their grocery lists and meal plans in real time, making household coordination a breeze.
"The smart grocery lists save me hundreds of dollars a month." - James L.
Nutritional Tracking and Analysis
Tracking your nutrition has never been easier. Honeydew includes an automatic calorie and macro calculator that breaks down recipes into calories, protein, fat, carbs, and fiber. The 2025 update (version 1.6.7) has improved calorie counting accuracy, making it even more reliable. If you modify a recipe to suit specific dietary needs, the app adjusts the nutritional breakdown accordingly.
Additional Features That Shine
Honeydew offers several extra tools designed to make your cooking experience smoother. The Cookbook Translator can convert recipes into one of eight supported languages with a single tap, perfect for exploring international cuisines. The app’s "no screen lock" mode ensures your phone stays active while cooking, so you don’t have to touch your device with messy hands. Plus, all saved recipes are accessible offline, making it convenient even without internet access.
When it comes to pricing, Honeydew keeps things simple. The free version includes features like AI recipe import, basic meal planning, and Instacart integration. For those looking to unlock more, Honeydew Plus costs $39.99 per year (about $4.17 per month) and offers unlimited recipe storage, smart substitutions, household sharing, and an ad-free experience.
2. Ollie
Ollie has become a go-to AI meal planner for over 75,000 families, earning a stellar 4.8/5 star rating on the Apple App Store from more than 830 reviews. Designed with busy parents in mind, it simplifies meal planning while juggling diverse dietary needs and hectic schedules.
AI-Powered Meal Planning and Personalization
Ollie’s standout feature is its conversational AI, which adapts to your family’s habits and preferences. It can tweak recipes on the spot - like making a dish spicier or swapping out ingredients such as tomatoes. The app even picks up on recurring patterns, like "Taco Tuesdays" or "Friday leftovers", making future planning effortless. With support for multiple user profiles, Ollie ensures tailored options for everyone, whether it’s nut-free meals for one child or quick dinner ideas for another. Forbes aptly praised it for turning "meal planning into a conversation, not a chore".
Grocery Lists and Seamless Shopping
Ollie simplifies grocery shopping by automatically creating organized lists sorted by store aisles. It also integrates with platforms like Instacart, Amazon Fresh, and Walmart, allowing users to order ingredients with just one click. Recent updates, such as Version 1.0.95, added features to locate nearby stores, show real-time prices, and match list items with in-stock products. Plus, its photo-recognition tool scans your fridge to suggest recipes, reducing food waste. One user, Buryesa, shared:
"It plans your groceries, it plans your meals. IT TAKES THE THINKING OUT! As a working mom of a toddler, this has been a lifesaver."
With tools like these, Ollie doesn’t just make shopping easier - it helps you make the most of what you already have.
Key Features That Shine
Ollie goes a step further by reusing ingredients across meals throughout the week, cutting down on waste while keeping menus varied. For example, fresh herbs might appear in multiple recipes. It also includes a Cooking Calendar to track your meal streaks and rate dishes, along with Collections for organizing favorite recipes into folders like "Crockpot" or "Quick & Easy".
The pricing is straightforward: new users can try Ollie free for 7 days, with subscription options at $9.99 per month or $79.99 annually.
3. MyFitnessPal
In early 2025, MyFitnessPal took a big step forward by introducing its AI-powered Meal Planner after acquiring Intent. This feature transformed the app from a simple calorie tracker into a comprehensive meal-planning tool.
AI-Powered Meal Planning and Customization
The AI-driven Meal Planner creates tailored meal plans for 10 different dietary approaches, including Mediterranean, Vegan, and Keto. It takes into account your calorie goals, budget, allergies, cuisine preferences, and even cooking time. Plus, it adjusts for family size and leftover use. As you interact with the app - rating recipes, for example - it learns and improves its recommendations.
Member Sharon M. shared her experience:
"I [used to use] AI chat to suggest meals, but there are no pictures, recipes, or nutritional breakdown. MyFitnessPal Meal Planner was a fabulous visual experience and easy to use."
Beyond meal planning, the app simplifies grocery shopping.
Grocery List Generation and Shopping Integrations
The Meal Planner automatically creates categorized grocery lists based on your selected meals. Its "Build Your Pantry" feature allows you to mark ingredients you already have, avoiding unnecessary purchases. You can even share your meal plan and grocery list with household members through a link, making shopping and meal prep more efficient. To top it off, the app integrates with grocery delivery and pickup services, available in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia [21, 23].
Nutritional Tracking and Analysis
MyFitnessPal seamlessly combines meal planning with nutrition tracking. Recipes are easy to log, saving you from the hassle of manual entries. Each meal includes a detailed macronutrient breakdown and precise portion sizes, helping you hit your specific health and weight goals.
Member Jodi N. highlighted the convenience:
"The meal planner feature has been helpful! I love that I don't have to think about what I'm going to fix for dinner. It's not only convenient but also helps me reach my weight loss goals without much effort."
This advanced Meal Planner is part of the Premium+ subscription, which costs $24.99 per month or $99.99 per year in the United States [21, 24].
4. Cronometer
Cronometer stands out as a nutritional tracking app that takes a deep dive into nutrient analysis. While it doesn’t provide meal plans or grocery lists, it offers insights into 84 nutrients from over 1 million lab-verified foods. This makes it a unique companion for users seeking a more detailed approach to managing their nutrition.
Nutritional Tracking and Analysis
The app’s precision is its biggest strength. Unlike many trackers that only monitor calories and basic macronutrients, Cronometer goes further by tracking vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients. For those looking to unlock more advanced tools, the Gold subscription is available at $4.99 per month (billed annually at $59.99) or $10.99 on a month-to-month basis. This subscription includes features like an AI-powered Photo Log and the Oracle Nutrient Search, which helps identify and fill nutrient gaps. These tools make Cronometer an invaluable resource for anyone serious about understanding their dietary intake.
Standout Features and Tools
Cronometer offers seamless integration with wearables such as Apple Watch, Samsung Watch, Oura, and WHOOP, enabling users to track exercise, sleep, and other biometric data. Its Recipe Importer allows users to paste a recipe URL and instantly calculate the full nutritional breakdown. The Macro Scheduler adds flexibility by letting users set different macro targets for specific days. For those practicing intermittent fasting, the built-in Fasting Timer keeps track of fasting periods alongside nutritional data.
Even the free version of Cronometer packs a punch, featuring a barcode scanner and detailed nutrient tracking. While it doesn’t handle meal planning, its comprehensive insights make it an excellent choice for anyone focused on optimizing their nutrition.
5. Mealime
Mealime takes meal planning to the next level, using AI to make everything from creating meal plans to managing nutrition easier. With over 4.5 million users, the app specializes in quick, 30-minute recipes designed for busy lifestyles.
AI-Powered Meal Planning and Customization
Mealime offers more than 200 ways to personalize your meal plans. It supports eight diet types - including Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian, and Pescatarian - and includes 12 allergy filters. Plus, you can exclude up to 124 ingredients you’d rather avoid. For those who want even more, Mealime Pro ($5.99/month or $49.99/year) unlocks the "What's in My Fridge" tool, an AI-powered feature that suggests recipes based on the ingredients you already have. The app also includes a Food Waste icon, which highlights how efficiently ingredients are used in your plan.
"Our recipes are designed from scratch to be smart. We use this grocery intelligence to create recipes that work together to reduce food waste through smarter ingredient prep and give you meal kit convenience - without the high cost." - Mealime
Grocery List Generation and Shopping Integrations
Mealime simplifies your grocery shopping by automatically generating categorized lists that match typical grocery store layouts. The app integrates with Kroger, pre-selecting items in the right quantities for stores like Ralphs, Fred Meyer, and King Soopers. It also connects with Walmart, Amazon Fresh, and Instacart for delivery or pickup, making shopping even more convenient.
Nutritional Tracking and Analysis
For those focused on nutrition, Mealime Pro offers advanced tools to help you meet macronutrient goals. It syncs with Apple Health to automatically log your nutritional intake after you mark a recipe as cooked. Free users, however, don’t have access to detailed nutritional information.
Standout Features and Tools
Mealime’s hands-free cooking mode is a game-changer. You can move through recipe steps with a simple wave of your hand, keeping your device clean while cooking. The app also provides detailed information for every ingredient on your shopping list, including photos, sizing tips, substitutes, and which recipes require it. With a 4.6/5 rating across major app stores, users frequently highlight its intuitive grocery list feature and how it streamlines meal prep.
Feature and Pricing Comparison
Weighing features and costs can help you decide which app best suits your needs.
| App | Pricing | Best For | Key Strengths | Notable Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honeydew Recipe Manager | Free; Plus: $4.17/mo | Social media users & families | Import recipes from TikTok/Instagram, AI-powered meal planning, Instacart integration, household sharing (up to 6 members), unlimited recipe storage | Free plan limited to 10 recipe imports |
| Ollie | Free trial; ~$9.99/mo | Busy families | AI-driven weekly plans, kid-friendly swaps, ingredient reuse automation, budget controls | Requires subscription for full automation features |
| MyFitnessPal | Free; Premium varies | Fitness enthusiasts | Extensive food database, calorie tracking, macro goals, fitness app integration | Meal planning features are less robust |
| Cronometer | Free; Gold varies | Nutrition-focused users | Detailed micronutrient tracking, biometric logging, and precise nutritional analysis | Steeper learning curve and less recipe variety |
| Mealime | Free; Pro: $5.99/mo or $49.99/yr | Busy professionals | Healthy, 30-minute meal plans with a simplified planning interface | Advanced features require a Pro subscription |
Each app shines in its own way, catering to different needs like AI-driven automation, detailed nutritional insights, or streamlined meal prep.
Beyond the features, these apps deliver real savings in both time and money. Research shows users can save over $200 a month on groceries, cut food waste by 60%, and reclaim more than 5 hours weekly on meal planning and decision-making. For example, a $10/month subscription can easily pay for itself many times over by reducing emergency takeout and minimizing grocery waste. Honeydew stands out with its high user engagement, reflecting its practical value.
When choosing, focus on what matters most to you: AI automation (Honeydew, Ollie), macro tracking (MyFitnessPal, Cronometer), or quick meal prep (Mealime). The right app will align with your goals, whether it's saving money, eating healthier, or simplifying your meal planning routine.
Conclusion
Choose an app that fits seamlessly into your daily routine. For instance, if you love discovering recipes on TikTok or Instagram, Honeydew Recipe Manager is a fantastic option. It helps you save recipes directly from social media, creates grocery lists, and even lets you order ingredients through Instacart. Plus, with its household sharing feature for up to six family members, it’s perfect for families who enjoy social media-inspired cooking and AI-driven convenience.
Of course, Honeydew isn’t the only option out there. Different apps cater to different needs. Ollie is great for families dealing with picky eaters or food allergies, offering personalized weekly plans. MyFitnessPal is a favorite among fitness fans, thanks to its detailed macro tracking. For those focused on micronutrient intake, Cronometer provides in-depth nutritional insights. And if simplicity is your priority, Mealime offers quick, 30-minute meal plans that are perfect for busy schedules.
These apps don’t just save time - they also help you save money and reduce food waste. Many users have reported cutting down their grocery bills and reclaiming hours every week from meal planning chores. Take advantage of free trials to compare meal planning apps vs manual planning and see which method aligns best with your cooking habits, whether you’re drawn to AI-powered planning, detailed nutrition tracking, or quick and easy meal prep.
Whether you’re all about social media integration, exact nutritional tracking, or fast meal solutions, these apps are designed to make life in the kitchen easier. The right app can help you save time, eat better, and spend less - all while making meal planning a stress-free part of your day.
FAQs
How do AI meal planning apps help cut down on food waste?
AI-powered meal planning apps are making it easier to cut down on food waste by crafting grocery lists and meal plans that work with what you already have at home. These apps take stock of your pantry or analyze your previous purchases to recommend recipes that use ingredients before they go bad. Plus, they create shopping lists with precise quantities, ensuring you only buy what’s necessary and avoid overstocking.
What’s more, these apps can adapt your meal plans on the fly, offering recipe suggestions that include leftovers or items close to their expiration date. By streamlining your planning process, they help reduce waste, save you money, and take the hassle out of meal prep.
What features make a meal planning app family-friendly?
When picking a meal planning app for your family, focus on tools that make meal prep straightforward, save time, and cater to everyone's needs. One standout feature to look for is AI-powered personalization, which can tailor meal suggestions based on preferences, allergies, and schedules - keeping things convenient and inclusive. A drag-and-drop meal calendar is another game-changer, allowing you to visually map out weekly menus and make quick adjustments when plans change.
Other helpful features include grocery list automation, which converts recipes into shopping lists and even syncs with delivery services for added convenience. Look for apps that offer recipe importing from your favorite websites or social media platforms, as well as nutrition tracking to help you stay on top of dietary goals. To make meal planning a family affair, choose apps with collaboration tools, so everyone can pitch in ideas and ensure meals are enjoyable for everyone at the table.
Do these apps work with grocery delivery services?
Many AI-driven meal planning apps now integrate with grocery delivery services, simplifying the entire process. Take Honeydew Recipe Manager, for instance - it allows you to order all your ingredients through Instacart with a single click. This seamless connection ensures your meal planning and grocery shopping are handled effortlessly, with everything conveniently delivered to your doorstep.
