Most people do not need more recipes. They need the boring part done: deciding on a few dinners and turning them into one list. As one Hacker News commenter put it: “I always just wanted it to be able to make checkable grocery lists.”
The four things a grocery list from a meal plan must do
- Merge duplicates. Two recipes that each need an onion should give you “2 yellow onions”, not two lines.
- Group by store section. Produce, meat, dairy, bakery, pantry, frozen. This alone cuts a shopping trip by several minutes.
- Separate pantry staples. Salt, pepper, oil and common spices go in their own “check your pantry” group, so you only buy what you are out of.
- Be checkable on your phone. Big tap targets, saved as you go, and still there if your phone locks halfway down the aisle.
Doing it by hand (10 minutes)
- Pick 3 to 5 dinners. Write each one’s ingredients on a sheet.
- Cross out what you already have.
- Rewrite the rest under section headings, adding up quantities as you go.
- Photograph it or put it in your notes app.
It works. It is also the step most of us skip on a busy week, which is how you end up at the store at 6 pm with no plan.
Doing it with WeekPlate (about a minute)
Enter your household size, diet, dislikes and budget. WeekPlate writes the dinners, merges every ingredient into one list grouped by section, and saves your ticks as you shop. Swap a dinner you do not fancy and the list updates. You can also add your own items (coffee, dish soap) and copy the whole list as text.
Try it once and see the list it builds. Plan my week free →