The pantry-first approach to meal planning
Pantry-first meal planning means choosing recipes around the ingredients you already have, rather than choosing recipes first and shopping to match. The four steps:
- List what's already in your fridge, freezer, and cupboard
- Find recipes that use those ingredients
- Add one or two recipes you want to cook this week
- Shop only for the missing items
Weekly planning in five steps
1. Inventory your pantry
Take 10 minutes to check what you have. Open the fridge, freezer, and cupboards. Add everything relevant to the pantry list. Focus on:
- Proteins (fresh, frozen, or tinned)
- Produce close to going off
- Staples (rice, pasta, beans, spices)
2. Use "What can I make?" first
Click "What can I make?" to see recipes ranked by your pantry. Start the week with 2-3 high-match recipes. This uses what's already there before buying more.
3. Fill the rest with searched recipes
After pantry-based recipes, search for specific meals you want. Use cuisine and dietary filters for variety. Look for recipes that share ingredients to keep the shopping list short.
4. Save to favourites
Click the heart icon on recipes you want to make this week. Favourites become your weekly plan. Access them from the Favourites tab.
5. Build the shopping list
Each recipe card shows ingredients you don't have ("You'll need"). Compile these from your favourite recipes. Group by store section (produce, dairy, meat) to shop efficiently.
Using filters for variety
The cuisine filter has 28 options (Italian, Mexican, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Mediterranean, and more). Rotating cuisines through the week avoids menu fatigue without changing the underlying meal structure.
The dietary filter has 7 options (Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Low-Carb, Keto, Pescatarian). Filters rank results rather than hide them, so matching recipes appear first while non-matching options remain accessible.
For quick weeknight meals, combine your pantry with terms like "quick" or "30 minute" in the search box. Save complex recipes for weekends.
Tips for keeping costs down
- Prioritise high-match recipes. Recipes at 75%+ match require fewer purchases.
- Buy versatile ingredients. If you need chicken for one meal, find 2-3 other chicken recipes for the week.
- Check before shopping. Use the "You'll need" list. Each recipe shows what you don't have. Combine across recipes you're cooking that week to write a single shopping list, rather than buying for each recipe separately.
- Prioritise ingredients close to going off. Add them to your pantry. Recipes using those ingredients will appear in your results, ranked by how many other ingredients you also have.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many meals should I plan at once?
5-6 dinners is a good range. Leave 1-2 nights flexible for leftovers, eating out, or spontaneous cooking. Planning every meal can lead to burnout.
What if I don't have time to cook every night?
Batch cook on weekends. Soups, stews, curries, and grain bowls reheat well. Search for "slow cooker" or "one pot" recipes for less active cooking time.
How do I meal plan on a tight budget?
Focus on high-match recipes that use what you have. Build meals around affordable staples (rice, beans, pasta, vegetables). Check supermarket sales before planning.
Should I meal prep breakfast and lunch too?
Optional, but useful for time-pressed weeks. Overnight oats, hard-boiled eggs, and prepped smoothie ingredients work for breakfasts. For lunches, prep components (cooked grains, chopped vegetables, proteins) that assemble quickly.
When's the best day to meal plan?
Whenever fits your schedule. Many plan on Sunday for the week ahead, but any day works as long as it's before the main grocery shop.
How do I avoid getting bored with my meals?
Rotate cuisines using the filter. Save interesting recipes to favourites for future weeks.
How often should I update my pantry list?
A quick update once a week is enough. Add items after a shop, remove anything finished. An approximate list still improves recipe matching.
Can I plan for more than one person?
Yes. Focus on recipes that scale easily and share ingredients. Use dietary filters to keep options suitable for everyone in the household.
What if plans change during the week?
Keep one or two quick fallback meals saved (stir-fry, pasta, soup). Swap these in when plans change and reschedule the more complex meal.
Can I save weekly plans to revisit?
Not directly. There's no built-in weekly plan feature yet. But favourites persist between sessions, so saving recipes you want to repeat works as a workaround.
Related Cooking Guides
- Find recipes by ingredients
- How to cook with what you have
- Pantry tips and ingredient guide
- How Pantry Recipe Finder works
Ready to start?
Add the ingredients you already have and find recipes you can make right now.