Creating Your First Meal Plan

Learn how to create a weekly meal plan using the drag-and-drop calendar interface.

Written By Michelle Mayes

Last updated 10 months ago

What You'll Learn

  • How to navigate the meal plan calendar

  • How to add recipes to meal slots

  • How to use drag-and-drop to plan meals

  • How to customize meal types

  • Tips for effective meal planning

Quick Start: Plan Your Week in 5 Minutes

  1. Go to Meal Plans in the navigation

  2. You'll see a weekly calendar view

  3. Click any meal slot (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snack)

  4. Select a recipe from your collection

  5. Repeat for other meals

  6. Your plan is automatically saved

Understanding the Meal Plan Calendar

Calendar View

The meal plan shows:

  • Days of the Week - Columns for each day

  • Meal Types - Rows for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks

  • Recipe Cards - Visual cards showing planned meals

  • Navigation - Previous/Next week buttons

Default Meal Types

  • Breakfast - Morning meals

  • Lunch - Midday meals

  • Dinner - Evening meals

  • Snacks - Between-meal options

You can customize these in Settings → Preferences → Meal Types.

Adding Recipes to Your Meal Plan

Method 1: Click to Add

  1. Click on any empty meal slot

  2. A recipe selector will appear

  3. Search or browse your recipes

  4. Click a recipe to add it

  5. The recipe appears in that meal slot

  6. (Optional) Type in a manual meal like “Leftovers” instead of selecting a recipe under “Quick Add Custom Meal”

Method 2: Drag and Drop

  1. Click and hold the recipe

  2. Drag it to the desired meal slot

  3. Release to drop it in place

Tip: Drag-and-drop works best on desktop. On mobile, use the click method.

Method 3: Quick Add from Recipe Page

  1. Open any recipe

  2. Click "Add to Meal Plan"

Managing Your Meal Plan

Moving Recipes

  • Drag to Different Day - Click and drag a recipe card to a different day

  • Drag to Different Meal - Move recipes between breakfast, lunch, and dinner

  • Click to Replace - Click a filled slot to replace the recipe

Removing Recipes

  • Click the Trash Button - Hover over a recipe card and click the trash icon

Viewing Recipe Details

  • Click the Recipe Card - Opens the full recipe page

  • Hover for Quick Info - See prep time and servings on hover

Planning Multiple Weeks

Navigating Weeks

  • Previous Week - Click the left arrow or "Previous Week"

  • Next Week - Click the right arrow or "Next Week"

  • Jump to Date - Use the date picker to jump to a specific week

  • Today - Click "Today" to return to the current week

Planning Ahead

You can plan as far ahead as you want:

  • Plan the entire month

  • Plan week by week

  • Plan just a few days ahead

Tip: Many users plan one week at a time, typically on Sundays.

Customizing Your Meal Plan

Custom Meal Types

Go to Settings → Preferences → Meal Types to:

  • Add custom meal names (e.g., "Brunch", "Dessert", "Appetizer")

  • Disable meal types you don't use

Week Start Day

Choose whether your week starts on:

  • Sunday (default) - Most common

  • Monday - Some prefer this

Change in Settings → Preferences → Week Starts On.

Meal Planning Strategies

Start Simple

For your first week:

  • Plan just 3-4 dinners to get comfortable

  • Use recipes you already know

  • Don't worry about breakfast and lunch initially

Build a Routine

  • Sunday Planning - Set aside 15-20 minutes each Sunday

  • Check Your Calendar - Account for busy nights

  • Leftovers - Plan meals that make great leftovers

Balance Your Week

  • Mix It Up - Vary cuisines and cooking times

  • Quick Meals - Plan quick meals for busy nights

  • Weekend Cooking - Save longer recipes for weekends

Using Meal Requests

Requesting Meals

Household members can request specific meals:

  1. Go to Meal Plans → Requests

  2. Click "Request a Meal"

  3. Select a recipe or enter a custom meal name

  4. Choose the week you want it

  5. Submit the request

Responding to Requests

  1. View pending requests on your dashboard

  2. Click "Schedule" to add it to your meal plan

  3. Or click "Dismiss" if you can't accommodate it

Tip: Meal requests help coordinate with your household without constant communication.

Tips & Best Practices

Planning Efficiently

  • Batch Similar Tasks - Plan all meals for the week at once

  • Use Favorites - Keep a list of go-to recipes

  • Plan Around Sales - Check grocery store ads before planning

Reducing Food Waste

  • Plan Leftovers - Intentionally plan meals that make leftovers

  • Use Similar Ingredients - Plan meals that share ingredients

  • Check Your Pantry - Plan meals using what you already have

Saving Time

  • Create Templates - Save common meal combinations as templates

  • Repeat Favorites - Don't be afraid to repeat meals you love

  • Prep Ahead - Plan meals that can be prepped in advance

Common Issues

"My meal plan isn't saving"

Solution:

  • Check your internet connection

  • Refresh the page

  • Make sure you're logged in

  • Try saving again

"I can't see all my recipes"

Solution:

  • Use the search bar to find specific recipes

  • Check that you're looking in the right household

  • Make sure recipes aren't archived

"The calendar looks wrong"

Solution:

  • Check your week start day setting (Monday vs. Sunday)

  • Refresh the page

  • Clear your browser cache if issues persist

Next Steps

Now that you can create meal plans, try:

  • Generating Grocery Lists - Create shopping lists from your meal plans

  • Meal Requests - Learn about requesting and scheduling meals

  • Household Voting - Vote on meal options with your household

Still Need Help?

Related Articles:

  • Importing Recipes

  • Generating Grocery Lists

  • Meal Requests

  • Household Collaboration