I used only my Android phone to meal prep for a week — and now I rely less on takeout

Meal prepping has always been one of those things I want to do but never manage to keep up with. Between juggling recipes, shopping lists, and tracking what’s already in my fridge, the whole process usually feels like more effort than it’s worth.

So, I decided to try something different. I’d rely only on my phone to plan, shop, and prep for a week. That meant no sticky notes on the fridge and no scribbled grocery lists.

Here’s what I learned and what I’ll be keeping in my routine.

Planning all my meals for the week

With the help of a single app

The trickiest part of meal prep is figuring out what to cook. Left to my own devices, I rotate between the same few dishes and call it a day. This time, I used my phone to break the rut.

Instead of juggling saved links and half-baked ideas, I used SideChef. The app made it easy to browse recipes based on ingredients I already had, my time limits, and even the number of portions I wanted.

I quickly discovered the power of keeping everything in one place. SideChef allowed me to add recipes to a weekly meal planner, so I could see how breakfasts, lunches, and dinners lined up rather than winging it day by day.

I also used it for quick recipe notes and saving recipes from the web. That way, I had all my recipes in one app, and I didn’t have to scramble to find something.

Building the grocery list

Simplifying shopping

After I set the meal plan, it was time to tackle the most crucial part: the grocery list.

I’ve tried old-school pen and paper plenty of times, but this week I went fully digital. My central hub was Google Keep, where I have a grocery list that’s easy to check off in-store.

Here’s where things got interesting. I paired Keep with Gemini for quick voice input. If I suddenly remembered I was out of onions or oats, I told Gemini to add them to my grocery list, and it instantly dropped into Keep without me typing a word.

SideChef also came in handy here. Any time I picked a new recipe to try, I could send its entire ingredient list to Keep with one tap. That way, I didn’t have to worry about missing a small but crucial item, like ginger or baking powder.

By the end of planning, my phone was a centralized hub: a meal plan on SideChef and a clean, ready-to-shop list on Keep.

Shopping smarter and saving money

Making every grocery run more efficient

Meal planning and list-making are only half the battle. The real challenge begins when I step into the store or scroll through an online grocery app.

To avoid impulse buys and stick to my budget, I’ve learned to shop more strategically. I use my grocery store’s app for digital receipts and loyalty points, which keep me from hoarding paper slips.

Meanwhile, my grocery list in Google Keep keeps me on track. Whether I’ve added items through Gemini voice commands or sent a recipe list from SideChef, everything stays organized in one place.

I make it a point to stick to the list as closely as possible.

Meal prepping with digital help

Turning meal prep into a routine

When I’m back home, I set my phone up as my prep assistant. I use Forest, my focus app, to block distractions and keep me locked in for a 45-minute prep sprint. Seeing that virtual tree growing while I chopped onions kept me from opening Instagram mid-task.

Timers were another unsung hero. Instead of relying on mental math, I set multiple alarms on my phone and labeled them according to the item I was prepping.

Keeping track of what I made

To reduce food waste

One thing I’ve learned from past attempts at meal prep is that food can easily disappear into the fridge and stay forgotten until it’s too late. This time, I used my phone to keep tabs on everything I’d cooked.

I created a simple checklist in Google Keep, noting each item I prepared. As I ate throughout the week, I would tick items off the list. It sounds small, but it helped me avoid food waste.

This tiny habit gave me a sense of control and made it clear when I needed to cook a backup or when I could coast through with what I already had.

Creating a streamlined system made meal prep fun

By the end of the week, I realized the most significant win wasn’t just the time I saved, it was that I finally stuck with meal prepping without burning out.

Relying on a select handful of apps, such as SideChef for planning, Google Keep for lists, and Gemini for quick voice input, meant I wasn’t juggling too many tools or spreading myself thin. Everything had its role, and together they formed a system that didn’t feel overwhelming.

That simplicity made all the difference. Instead of abandoning meal prep halfway through, I made it to the end of the week with a fridge full of meals I actually ate. And the best part is that I saved money by cutting back on takeout.