You want to try something different with your meal plan. That means looking at new foods to try and different ways to make them. Sometimes it means a different way of cooking the meals.
While there are plenty of cookbooks out there, we’re moving into a world of technology. It’s possible to download apps to our smart devices, allowing them to help make better meals. These apps don’t just inspire us but helps us understand more about the foods we’re eating and managing a plan that is good for our weight loss efforts.
But you need to get the right cooking apps on your phone or tablet. Here are the five that you need to get for better meals.
Try Whole Foods Market Recipes
Let’s start with an app that is good for both bringing out new meal ideas, but also helping you lose weight. You’ll get an app that focuses on improving your health while getting rid of the pesky pounds.
Whole Foods Market Recipes is completely free for both Android and iOS devices. It does exactly what it suggests by name. You’ll get a list of recipe ideas involving only whole foods. That means no more sugary foods, cutting out the trans fat and more of a focus on high fiber meals.
You can get as intricate and specific as possible. Need a gluten-free cake recipe? There’s an option for that. Want to skip the diary? There’s a section full of delicious and tasty recipes for you. The recipes are suitable for multiple diets and dietary needs, making this one of those that is literally for everyone. Not many apps out there can say they do that.
While getting a full list of the ingredients and the methods to make each recipe, you’ll also get gorgeous, drool-worthy photos. This gives you an idea of the way the food should look at the end, so you get an idea of whether it’s suitable by sight.
On top of that, you get all the nutritional information. Each recipe tells you exactly how many calories and macronutrients are in them. Then you get the saturated fat count and the sodium level. The focus isn’t just to lose weight, but to put your health first at the same time. It’s not that surprising that a lot of dieters are leaning on this app to help.
You won’t have to feel guilty about needing something sweet when it comes to this app, either. There are delicious desserts that will make you feel naughty, but you know you’re super good. They curb the sweet cravings without adding extra, unnecessary sugars into your diet.
Plus, the kids will have no idea that they’re eating something totally good for them! This often helps you win the battle in creating something healthy and delicious for the whole family. They’ll never have to know that you’ve cut their sugar intake, dairy intake and even animal product intake down!
Get Recipe Reviews with AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner
There are high chances that you use AllRecipes.com for some recipe ideas. Well, now it’s time to look at your options with the free app. This is available for both Android and Apple.
The AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner helps you create meal plans with just a few ingredients you already have. This is a great way to make sure you use up all the leftovers in your house and prevent food from going off. You can also create fresh meal ideas, without doing a lot of searching in the recipe books.
For example, you can put in a main ingredient, and the meal you want to make (such as your breakfast or dinner) and the app will search for all the recipes involving that. You can even select a few extra ingredients to help get more proactive, ensuring you have all the ingredients you need in the house.
All the meals are fully rated by other users, and you can rate them too. This gives you the chance to get an idea of what to expect and whether there are special additions that people have used to get the perfect taste. Also, the recipes are created by individual users, so you can share your inventions as you make them. This is a great way to track your recipes.
Want to stick to a special diet? AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner makes it super simple. You just click on a filter, and you get all the recipes that suit your needs. This is, by far, one of the best options for those who want low-carb meals, as it often automatically finds you the low-carb options first. There are also low sodium and gluten-free diets available, among many more.
Like with Whole Foods Market Recipes, you’ll get all the nutritional breakdowns. This also includes the preparation and cooking time to make sure you have enough time in your day to make your recipe.
There are photos, but it’s worth remembering that the users take these. They won’t always look appetizing, and in some cases, the creator of the recipe hasn’t bothered to take a picture.
One of the biggest benefits of the app is when it comes to buying the ingredients. You can see through the app where the items are the cheapest on the day of searching. This will allow you to plan your meal budget better to make sure you get to enjoy everything that you’d like.
Get an Easy-to-Use Option with Oh She Glows
If you want a plant-based diet, you’ll want to consider Oh She Glows. The app, available for both Android and iOS, is focused mostly on vegans and vegetarians. You’ll have plenty of options, and there will be no need to find the lifestyle that difficult ever again.
One of the other things this app has going for it is the range of options that are just so simple to make. Sure, the photos will make you think otherwise (because they look far too good to be true) but the dishes are among the easiest you will ever find on apps. You can get many of them whipped up within 30 minutes, creating something perfect for the whole family at the end of a long day.
And while the photos look too good to be true, they’re not. These photos are just well taken, and the meals certainly live up to expectations!
With each of the recipes, you’ll get a full breakdown of the nutritional information. There are also extra tips to help make the dish just right for your needs.
The way the app is laid out makes it excellent for all users. Whether you want “Kid Friendly” meals or need the “Quick + Easy” options, you’ll be able to find them in the app. There are specific filters, so you can find something that instantly works for your lifestyle and dietary needs.
You can also select recipes and favorite them. As you run through all your options, you can click a button and go back to them later. There’s no need to go searching for them again, and you can find them with just another clicks of the button. The whole focus is to make the app as convenient and friendly for you as possible.
Get Your Grocery List in Order with BigOven
The next app you want to download is BigOven. This has more than 350,000 recipes waiting for you to make! You’ll never be stuck for choice—well, you’ll just have to decide which one of the greats you want to try next. There are just so many!
While there are plenty of recipes, that’s not the only thing BigOven has going for it. You can also add photos of the recipes, so you get an idea of what it looks like. Added your tips and ingredients? You can include them in your notes on the app.
Plus, there’s a grocery list option. You just click on the recipe, get the grocery list, and you have something to base your shopping on right away. There’s no need to guess second the amounts of ingredients you need. It’s possible to put together a full grocery list of the multiple recipes you want to try, so you will always have enough.
And if that wasn’t enough, BigOven makes it extremely easy to plan your meals. You get a full weekly organizer, so you can save recipes in the days that you want to make them. This makes it extremely easy to just quickly look up the recipe and get cooking. And there’s even a social feature, making it easy to see what your friends are making and what bloggers who use the app make. This is excellent for those who need a little bit of extra inspiration. You’ll get a new idea each day.
You’ll even get to share your meal plan with friends and family members. This is an excellent way for everyone to plan and make sure the dinner party is just what everyone would like or need.
Love to make meals based on the current ingredients in the season? Well, that’s another option with the BigOven app. It’s possible to look at the seasonal recipes section, so you get the perfect ideas for the current time of year. These recipes are all put on the home screen, so change regularly. There will never be an excuse to save money and try something new each week.
Enjoy Your Diet with Yummly
If you’re going on a diet, the last thing you want to worry about is enjoying your food. The whole point of a good diet is to enjoy still the food you eat and the tastes you experience. This is where Yummly is perfect for your needs.
The power of Yummly is in the search engine, allowing you to search for recipes within the system specifically. Want something that’s chicken based? You’ll find a wide range of options quickly and effectively. But that’s not all you can get.
When you use the search engine, you’ll have the option to filter based on lifestyle, dietary needs and more. If you want a burger while following a low-fat diet, there will be options that come up without you feeling deprived. If you have a food allergy or are intolerant to something, you can use the filters to adjust your preferences. There’s no need to be tempted with things that you’re just not allowed to eat for whatever reason.
You can even add in the foods you don’t like. The app soon gets an idea of the types of foods you hate or the ones you’re not allowed to eat and will stop suggesting them. You’ll get more recommendations for the foods that you do enjoy eating.
On top of that, you’ll get the option to add certainly recipes to your favorites. Then there’s the option of building your shopping list, using Instacart through the app. You can even order these items and have them delivered to your door within the hour. Of course, this depends on where you live, but it’s perfect for those who want to try something on the day!
Start Using Cooking Apps Today
It’s time to make the most of technology, and that involves using apps to help with your cooking. The five apps above are perfect for all needs. Whether you want to share your meal plans with other family members, get ideas from food bloggers or just find a list of recipes that are suitable for your dietary needs, there is an app for you.
The five above focus on something for everyone. Those who want to search by dietary need can, but there are others that are more focused on the social aspects of meals.
Whichever you choose, you’re guaranteed to find delicious meals that will suit your preferences. And the apps allow you to save the recipes, making it easier to find them next time.
