Most nights end with the same puzzle: what’s for dinner? You scroll through recipes, buy too much of some things and forget others. The fridge fills with extras and half-used jars, and your nutrition log stays mostly empty. Mealime aims to fix that: plan your meals once, shop with neat aisle-sorted lists, and see quick nutrition estimates—no math needed.
- Fast weekly setup with auto, aisle-grouped lists and optional hand-off to supported retailers.
- Clear Cooking Mode including hands-free gestures to advance steps.
- Apple Health sharing for nutrition (you choose to enable).
- Serving flexibility and power-planner tools are limited versus rivals.
- Web imports may need small edits when a site parses oddly.
- List resets after edits: if you change the plan, regenerate the grocery list to re-sync.
Introduction about Mealime
Mealime is a meal-planning app that helps you escape the “what’s for dinner?” question. Mealime makes meal planning easy and stress-free. It helps you cook simple, healthy meals, shop smarter, and cut down on food waste.
When you first open the app, you’ll get a quick tour showing how to plan meals, make grocery shopping easier, and enjoy nutritious recipes. You’ll then answer a few short questions about your diet, food allergies, and any ingredients you don’t like.
Based on your answers, Mealime suggests recipes that match your preferences. You can mix and match to create your weekly meal plan. Once you’re done, the app automatically builds a shopping list for you—ready to use in the store or connect with grocery delivery apps.
Mealime offers both a free and a paid version. The paid plan includes more recipes and extra features to make your meal planning even easier.
Who would benefit from this app?
If you want a drag-and-drop calendar, you might be happier elsewhere.
Best fit: beginners and busy households wanting quick wins—pick 3–4 dinners, consolidate the list, cook with the phone propped up.
May not fit: spreadsheet-level planners needing inventory, batch-cooking calendars, or deep collaboration (consider Prepear or Samsung Food if that’s you).
Pros & Cons (based on real usage patterns)
Pros
- Fast weekly setup with auto, aisle-grouped lists and optional hand-off to supported retailers.
- Clear Cooking Mode including hands-free gestures to advance steps.
- Apple Health sharing for nutrition (you choose to enable).
Cons
- Serving flexibility and power-planner tools are limited versus rivals.
- Web imports may need small edits when a site parses oddly.
- List resets after edits: if you change the plan, regenerate the grocery list to re-sync.
Is Mealime accurate? (nutrition, portions & expectations)
The fastest way to sanity-check calories before you cook.
- Where to see numbers. On a recipe, tap Nutrition Facts; Pro exposes fuller details and calorie filters across planning screens.
- Per-serving clarity. Support materials and UI design present nutrition per serving—useful when scaling. (Always cross-check packaged substitutions.)
- Realistic expectations. Databases, swaps, and portioning can shift totals; think “planning estimate,” not clinical measurement. For medical needs, consult a qualified professional.
Pricing & value
Where the paywall actually shows up—and how to test free first.
- Free vs. Pro. You can plan/shop on the free tier. Mealime Pro adds full nutrition views (calories/macros/micros), calorie filters, notes, and more.
- Current iOS signal (Oct 29, 2025): the App Store listing shows “Meal Planner Pro $2.99” (monthly) and explains auto-renew you control in settings; prices can vary by store/region and may change.
- Cancel anytime. Manage subscriptions via your device store (Apple/Google); the help center provides cancellation steps.
Privacy & data handling (plain-English)
Before you tap “Allow,” skim this 45-second checklist.
- Health data stance (iOS). Mealime says it does not collect HealthKit health data; you can choose to share nutrition into Apple Health.
- Android “Data safety.” Google Play shows categories the app may collect or share and notes encryption in transit and an option to request deletion. Details vary by use, region, and age.
- Deleting your account. In-app delete path (or email support) erases preferences, plans, and favorites.
What real users say
We knew Mealime was big—the website proudly says over 4.5 million people have downloaded it. But we wanted to know if people actually love it.
One review from The Nutrition Wonk summed it up nicely: most recipes were easy, quick, and genuinely delicious across all diet types. Aside from one minor flop, the experience was “fun and convenient,” which pretty much explains Mealime’s huge fan base.
Looking at app ratings, the feedback speaks for itself. On Google Play, Mealime scores 4.7/5 from 21,000+ users. One reviewer said, “It’s worth every penny! I don’t have to think about what to cook—the app plans everything and even makes my grocery list.”
Over on the App Store, it’s rated 4.8/5 by nearly 47,000 users, and Reddit users agree. One said it best: “Meals are great and easy. I spent about $80 for 24 meals—roughly $3 each—and they were all simple and good.”
The best part? Mealime gives you full control. You can pick your own ingredients and adjust meat quality to match your budget, unlike meal kits that send fixed portions.
All in all, Mealime earns its reputation. It turns meal prep from stressful to simple, helping millions of people cook healthy, tasty food without wasting time, money, or energy.
Mealime & Samsung Food & Prepear (quick compare)
| App | Best for | Strengths | Trade-offs | Price signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mealime | Simple weeknight planning | Fast plan → list → cook; nutrition share to Apple Health; low learning curve | Lighter calendar/inventory tools | Free core; Pro $2.99/mo on iOS today |
| Samsung Food | Recipe capture + discovery + ecosystem | Import from “any site,” shared lists, smart-home ties; Food+ for AI/pantry extras | — | $6.99/mo or $59.99/yr (Food+) |
| Prepear | Cookbook-style organization & family planning | Drag-and-drop planner, cookbooks, printables; robust organizing tools | — | Free core; Prepear Gold upsell (see app/website) |
Note: Prices and features may change by region/store. Check each app’s store listing for the latest details.
Install & sync (Android/iOS + optional connections)
Android (Google Play)
- Install Mealime Meal Plans & Recipes.
- Create an account; set dislikes/allergies.
- Choose 3–4 dinners; open Grocery List.
- For delivery/pickup, hand-off to supported retailers (availability varies).
iOS (App Store)
- Install Mealime Meal Plans & Recipes.
- Sign in, choose a diet/profile; preview cookware/steps before adding.
- (Optional) Enable sharing nutrition to Apple Health.
Optional connections
- Grocery services: Kroger, Walmart Grocery, Amazon Fresh, Instacart (where supported).
- Wearables: No dedicated watch app advertised; treat watch syncing as out of scope unless store listing changes.
Troubleshooting (6 quick fixes)
If your list resets or imports break, do this.
List changed after plan edits? Regenerate the grocery list to re-sync.
- Imported recipe parsed weirdly? Re-import with a clean URL; if needed, paste ingredients into Your Recipes.
- Can’t find nutrition info? Tap Nutrition Facts on the recipe; fuller details require Pro.
- Units wrong? Switch US ↔ Metric in Settings (Account Management docs).
- Cancel Pro? Follow store steps (Android/iOS) via the help center.
- Delete account/data? Use in-app delete or email support; data (preferences, plans, favorites) is erased.
Health & Privacy Disclaimer (quick checklist)
- This review is informational, not medical advice—consult a qualified professional for diet/health decisions.
- App nutrition can vary with database, portion size, and substitutions; double-check packaged items and labels.
- Keep permissions minimal (e.g., location) until needed; you control Apple Health sharing on iOS.
- Read Privacy Policy and manage auto-renew in your device’s store settings.
- Use the in-app delete path to remove your data if you stop using the app.
FAQs
Is Mealime free? What does Pro add?
Free core planning and lists; Pro (subscription) unlocks fuller nutrition, calorie filters, notes, and more. Prices show in your app store and may vary over time/region.
Does Mealime integrate with Apple Health or wearables?
On iOS, you can share nutrition with Apple Health. Dedicated smartwatch apps aren’t advertised.
Can I import recipes from the web?
Yes—Settings → Your Recipes → New → Import from the Web; paste a URL.
How does Mealime handle data?
Policy notes no HealthKit data collection; nutrition sharing to Health is optional. Play’s “Data safety” shows collection/sharing categories and encryption in transit.
How do I cancel or delete?
Cancel via your device store’s subscriptions area; delete your account in-app or email support.
Most nights end with the same puzzle: what’s for dinner? You scroll through recipes, buy too much of some things and forget others. The fridge fills with extras and half-used jars, and your nutrition log stays mostly empty. Mealime aims to fix that: plan your meals once, shop with neat aisle-sorted lists, and see quick nutrition estimates—no math needed.
- Fast weekly setup with auto, aisle-grouped lists and optional hand-off to supported retailers.
- Clear Cooking Mode including hands-free gestures to advance steps.
- Apple Health sharing for nutrition (you choose to enable).
- Serving flexibility and power-planner tools are limited versus rivals.
- Web imports may need small edits when a site parses oddly.
- List resets after edits: if you change the plan, regenerate the grocery list to re-sync.
User Reviews
