What to Know About Meal Planner, the Newest MyFitnessPal Feature

Do you struggle to plan home cooked meals that fit your lifestyle and goals? 

MyFitnessPal’s new Meal Planner can help reduce mealtime stress—plus, maybe even help you save some time and money, too. 

What’s New: Introducing Meal Planner!

Meal Planner is the latest feature from MyFitnessPal, designed to simplify healthy eating by delivering customized, balanced meal plans that make hitting your calorie and macro goals easy and delicious—on any budget.

Available through our new Premium+ subscription tier, Meal Planner is your personal chef and grocery delivery service*, all rolled into one.

Why It Matters: Meal Planning for Real Life

We recognize the realities of modern life, where eating to fuel your body and achieve your health goals can feel like a major challenge. 

Meal Planner is meal planning for real life. It takes into account your:

• Budget constraints
• Calorie and macro goals
• Weight loss/gain objectives
• Food preferences and allergies
• Cuisine preferences
• Schedule (because not everyone has a lot of time to cook!)
• Preferred dietary approach (e.g.,Mediterranean, vegetarian, whole-food focus, etc.)
• Family size and leftover preferences

With Meal Planner, you can save time, reduce stress, and stay on track with your health goals—all while enjoying delicious, varied meals.

Oh, and there are some health benefits to meal planning and cooking at home, too… 

Health Benefits of Meal Planning and Home Cooking

Meal planning and home cooking have been shown to offer numerous benefits for your health, wallet, and overall well-being. According to recent studies:

1. Improved Diet Quality: A large population-based cohort study found that people who cook at home more frequently are associated with a better diet, and tend to consume more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while also increasing their fiber intake. (1)
2. Weight Management: The same study showed that more frequent home cooking is associated with lower body fat and reduced risk of obesity. (1)
3. Cost Savings: A recent study showed that home cooking was linked with reduced food expenses overall, especially compared to those that frequently eat out. (2)
4. Better Portion Control: When you prepare meals at home, you have more control over ingredients and portion sizes, making it easier to manage calorie intake. (1)
5. Enhanced Family Relationships: Sharing home-cooked meals can be a good way to help improve family dynamics, reduce stress, and even boost academic performance in children. (3)

For more detailed information on the benefits of home cooking, check out our comprehensive guide.

How to Use Meal Planner

It’s super easy. Start a Premium+ trial (if eligible) and the app will guide you through the steps. These include: 

1. Choosing your preferred dietary approach from 10 options, including Vegan, Mediterranean, and more.
2. Setting your preferences for meal recommendations, including time to cook and readiness for change.
3. Sharing information on allergies, restrictions, and food/cuisine preferences.
4. Viewing your personalized meal plan, complete with recipes and nutritional information.
5. Editing meals as needed, adjusting portions or swapping dishes.
6. Building your “pantry” to exclude items you already have from your grocery list.
7. Generating your grocery list automatically.

And, of course, logging meals directly to your MyFitnessPal diary with a few simple taps!

Please note: duration and availability may vary based on your account status, and are subject to the terms and conditions of such offer. In some instances, unless you cancel before the end of the free trial period, your access to the Premium services will automatically continue, and you will be billed the applicable fees for that Premium service using the payment method you provided.

Pro Tips for Maximizing Meal Planner

Here are some tips from our team to get the most out of your Premium+ Meal Planner experience:  

• Use the budget feature to control your grocery spending without sacrificing nutrition.
• Experiment with new cuisines and recipes to keep your meals exciting.
• Take advantage of the leftover option to save time and reduce food waste.
• Share your meal plans with family members for better coordination.
• Rate recipes to improve future recommendations!

What MyFitnessPal Members Are Saying

“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.” – Jodi N.

“I absolutely love the meal planner idea. 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.” – Sharon M.

“[We are] definitely saving a lot! Our food budget is nearly half of what we used to spend… We’ve especially enjoyed the Pork & Green Bean Stir Fry, Wedge Salad, Mexican Lime Salad, Sesame Shrimp, and Spinach Stir Fry… [And] it aligns completely with our dietary goals!” – Marilyn B.

FAQ

Ready to take the guesswork out of healthy eating? Upgrade to Premium+ today and let Meal Planner do (most of) the work. 

*Grocery delivery integrations are available only in certain countries

The post What to Know About Meal Planner, the Newest MyFitnessPal Feature appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.

Original source: https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/myfitnesspal-meal-planner-what-to-know/