Yummly Meal Planning App Review

Meal planning apps have grown in popularity across the nation, as consumers are taking greater control of their health (and wallets). That's because meal planning can help keep you on track toward your goals, as it cuts down on impulse buying and consumption. Of course, that's easier said than done, especially when you already have enough to-do lists on your plate (no pun intended).

As a registered dietitian, people assume that I have meal planning and healthy eating down. In a perfect world where I don’t have a child to care for, a business to manage, and an endless pile of laundry to wash, I would. But alas, the reality of life makes it challenging to plan out all of my meals, make an organized shopping list, and cook my meals to a perfect temperature.

I have tried leaning on cookbooks, meal plans, and websites, but nothing has stuck like the Yummly (available at Yummly) meal planning app has. Since I have started using it, I have found that planning and cooking meals has been much simpler for this busy working mama. And as a result, I have been eating more balanced meals than I have been previously.

About the Yummly App and Bluetooth thermometer

The Yummly App is a user-friendly meal planning app that helps individuals and families alike plan their weekly meals.

This app offers options for beginner, intermediate, and advanced chefs and—most importantly—takes into account specific allergens, dietary restrictions, and preferences.

Upon opening the app, you’ll be greeted with a slew of personalization options including world cuisine preferences (from Mediterranean to Portuguese to Swedish) as well as allergens and lifestyle preferences (from vegan to Keto to Kosher), as well as any foods you wish to avoid.

Additionally, you can go ahead and choose dishes that appeal to you and add them immediately to your weekly schedule. This will, in turn, automatically add to your grocery list.

The app itself is totally free, and includes personalized recipe recommendations, meal planning, and access to exclusive recipe videos.

Additional (and optional) purchases include the Yummly App Bluetooth thermometer, which you can pair with your phone. This thermometer automatically tells you when your food is perfectly cooked. For example, you will be alerted when your steak is done “medium well” to your preferences.

The thermometer comes at a $99.99 price point and is chargeable through its battery-powered home port.

How we tested

To test both the Yummly App and the Bluetooth thermometer, we downloaded and logged into the Yummly app (which is available on both iOS and Android) and paired the Yummly thermometer to our phone.

The app immediately asks for your preferences, allergies, and dietary restrictions, while also taking into account your skill level in the kitchen. (You’re able to change these later if anything changes.)

We kept it simple by choosing the entire gamut of world cuisines without any restrictions. From there, we scrolled through the available recipes. Once we found one we liked, we simply clicked on the recipe and then the green plus sign, which then allowed us to do one of three things: “add to meal plan,” “add to shopping list,” or “add to collection.”

We went with all three by adding it to tonight’s dinner plan, adding it to our shopping list for grocery store ease, and then adding it to our “dinners” collection for future use.

For the Bluetooth thermometer, we followed the easy-to-use instructions on the Yummly App to configure the connection. After turning on our phone’s Bluetooth, we removed the thermometer from its case and the app automatically connected to the thermometer. From there, we let the thermometer charge until it was time to use (to charge, simply place the thermometer back into the battery-powered carrying case).

When it was time to cook, we removed the thermometer and logged back into the app. From there, we chose from a list of cooking actions: "manual,” “meat,” “poultry,” “fish,” and “wild game.” We chose poultry.

From there, we were able to choose our exact cut, opted to allow the app to “let us know when to flip,” and then chose our cooking method (for us, it was the oven). We inserted the thermometer into the meat and kept it in through the entire cooking process. Importantly, we made sure to keep the dock within five feet of the oven. From there, we were able to view real-time temperature progress through the Yummly app.

Once our meat was ready to flip, we were alerted through the app (it’s recommended that you turn off silent mode). We were also alerted when the meat was completely cooked and ready to remove from the oven.

What we like

It's easy to use

For those of us who are technologically challenged, have no fear! The Yummly app is incredibly user-friendly and easy to pick up upon initial use.

The necessary buttons are big, bright, and unmissable, such as the plus sign that signals where to create your weekly meal plan. Additionally, the recipes are both large and swipeable, and nearly every recipe (unless uploaded by yourself) features pictures for quick and easy decisions.

Although we were initially daunted by the sleek design of the Bluetooth thermometer, it was actually quite easy to use. All we had to do to pair the thermometer with the app was simply lift the thermometer out of its case, which triggered the Bluetooth signal. After making sure the Bluetooth on our phone was switched on, it immediately connected automatically and with no hassle.

It makes meal planning convenient

One of the hardest parts about staying on track toward your health goals is planning what you’re going to eat. Many of us have about five or so staple dishes that we rotate because they’re easy and delicious. But if they’re not healthy (and if you get tired of them), how do you know what to cook next? Add on other picky mouths to feed, and this can get even harder.

Yummly makes it convenient—and even fun—to swipe through different recipes to find “the one.” With breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options, you can have your meal planned at the touch of a button.

And when you tell Yummly which ingredients you don’t like, your dietary habits, and your allergies, Yummly specifically curates recipes that take the guesswork out of cooking.

In addition to inspiration and discovery, the Yummly app acts as the ideal cooking aid in the kitchen thanks to the recipe scheduling and calendar reminders through its upgraded Meal Planner feature.

Once I pick which meals I want to create, I can access my customized shopping list. This functions as a convenient guide as I am roaming the grocery store aisles, or I can even have everything purchased through Instacart, Amazon Fresh, or other third party vendors.

The app also creates gentle reminders to let me know which meal I had planned to create on a certain day based on my meal plan. That way, I can mentally prepare for what I have in store for the evening: Do I need to leave time to roast a chicken, or am I just chopping veggies for a hearty salad?

I also appreciate that I can input my favorite family recipes in the app so they can be added to my meal plan and shopping list too.

Lastly, the thermometer is highly convenient, as we all know how stressful it can be to constantly check on your meal while it sits in the oven. With the Bluetooth thermometer, you’ll receive real-time updates on when to flip your meat or when to take it out of the oven. This means you can get other important things done and won’t have to constantly worry about burning your meal.

There's a variety of recipes available

I have yet to have a moment when I can’t find something I want to cook. Each recipe is customizable, and there are over 2 million recipes to choose from. Mostly all world cuisines are represented, from Hawaiian to Hungarian and everything in between.

As you are perusing different recipe categories, the app prompts you to answer questions like “Are you looking for recipes that require fewer than five ingredients?” or "Are you looking for a quick recipe?” This helps narrow down your search—otherwise, you could be scrolling for hours!

Yummly also has categories like “under 10 ingredients” for easier prep, and they offer rotating seasonal recipes. Around the holiday season, you can find lots of Christmas and Hanukkah dishes to really spice up your party. And for my picky eater kiddo, there are kid-friendly recipes abound on the Yummly app. I'm convinced that this app may even (eventually) help introduce new ingredients to my little one—slowly but surely.

One standout recipe I discovered was Air Fryer Chicken Tenders. My daughter would live off of fast food chicken nuggets if I let her. Discovering this kid-friendly recipe that doesn’t require deep frying is a major win in my home. And having ingredients to create this dish is a no-brainer when using the Yummly app. I simply add the recipe to my plan and the ingredients appear on my shopping list, so I don’t forget to pick up my poultry when I do my shopping.

What We Don’t Like

The Bluetooth thermometer comes at a cost

This can definitely be a drawback for many users, as traditional meat thermometers are much cheaper and therefore more accessible. Of course, the Bluetooth thermometer comes with many benefits, like streamlining the cooking process and peace of mind when leaving the kitchen to multitask.

However, this may not be a reality for many consumers, so remember that this is an optional purchase and not necessary to have while using the app.

What users are saying

Overall, users seem pretty pleased with the Yummly app. In the Google Play app store, this app has achieved 4.4 stars, with one user stating, “I’ve got some pretty nasty and uncommon food allergies, and their filters have been a lifesaver.”

In the Apple Store, this app has achieved a whopping 4.8 stars, with one user entitling their review with, “Best Recipe App for All Kinds of People” (as a vegan, she also quotes this app as a “lifesaver”). That being said, some users find that there are too many ads plaguing the app, with some saying that they canceled the subscription over this flaw.

The Bluetooth thermometer boasts 4.3 stars on Amazon. Users are loving how they no longer have to sweat over cooking their steaks just right, and one user states that the first time he used the thermometer, it was on a “$150 tenderloin"— and it turned out perfectly.

Some users, however (although a very slim minority) mention that their thermometers didn’t last long or never connected. So it’s important to stay in touch with the manufacturer and/or make sure you have fresh batteries in the charging dock.

Should you buy the Yummly app and thermometer?

Yes! Particularly if you need some extra help with healthy meal planning

The Yummly app is a highly accessible and easy-to-use app that can not only help keep you on track toward your health goals, but it’s great for meal planning for the entire family. It really takes the bore out of deciding what to eat for dinner, and the curated shopping lists are essential.

With its convenience, easy-to-read graphics, and inclusivity for all dietary lifestyles, we highly recommend purchasing this app. If you’re looking for an app that focuses more on weight loss goals, Noom may be a better fit for you.

As for the Bluetooth thermometer, we think this is a great investment despite its higher price point, as it takes the guesswork out of cooking. For people like us who are scared to undercook our poultry, this really can make your life a lot easier. But you don't have to buy a smart, wireless meat thermometer to enjoy those benefits; check out our list of the best meat thermometers.