Creating and Customizing a Client’s Meal Plan

In this article:

• Before You Begin
• Starting From a Template
• Starting From a Blank Meal Plan
• Setting Meal Plan Preferences
• Adding Recipes to a Meal Plan
• Reviewing Daily Nutrition
• Managing Recipes in a Meal Plan
  • Viewing Recipe Details
  • Changing Servings and Portions
  • Marking a Recipe as Leftover
  • Swapping a Recipe
  • Removing a Recipe

Before You Begin

• The steps in this article require you to purchase the Nutrition Planning add-on in your subscription. Find the full steps in Getting Started With Nutrition Planning →
   
• A meal plan covers one week: seven days, each with three meal slots and three snack slots.

Starting From a Template

Templates are ready-made meal plans you can adjust for your client.

1. Open a client record and go to their Nutrition Plan section.
    
2. Select More templates on the Get started screen. If the client already has a meal plan, select Browse templates at the top of the page.
    
3. In the Nutrition plan templates pop-up, type in the search bar or scroll the list to explore the templates. Each template shows its number of days and recipes. 
   • Click Preview to review a template’s details before selecting one. 
      
4. From either the templates list or the preview screen, click the Use template button.
    
5. Continue with Setting Meal Plan Preferences.

Previewing a Template

1. In the Nutrition plan templates pop-up, select Preview next to a template.
    
2. On the Overview tab, review the description, dietary tags, and recipes included.
    
3. Select the Evidence tab to see the research behind the template. This Evidence is only visible to practitioners in this view to help inform your choice. Clients won’t see this Evidence when you use a template. 
    
4. Select Use template (at the bottom corner) to create the meal plan, or select Back to nutrition plan templates (at the top corner) to keep browsing.
    
5. Continue with Setting Meal Plan Preferences.

Starting From a Blank Meal Plan

1. Open a client record and go to their Nutrition Plan section.
    
2. Select Blank Meal Plan on the Get started screen. 
   • If the client already has a meal plan, select + New meal plan.
      
3. A blank planner opens with settings panel open, for you to optionally rename the meal plan and set preferences. Add recipes to each slot as described below.

Setting Meal Plan Preferences

Preferences apply to one meal plan.

1. Open a client record and go to their Nutrition Plan section.
    
2. Click on a Meal Plan to open it.
    
3. Click Edit preferences near the top-right to open the Edit Meal Plan Settings panel.
    
4. Optionally rename your meal plan by typing in the meal plan title field.
    
5. Set your Meal plan preferences: 
    
   • Daily nutrition target allows you to set a goal for your client to achieve a set amount of calories, macros, and/or specific nutrients. Click Add to open the target settings. Select from one of the presets, or customize the values by typing numbers in the fields. Optionally toggle any target on or off. Click Expand to set additional targets for more nutrients. Click Apply to return to the Meal plan preferences options.
      
   • Dietary preferences settings narrow a meal plan to recipes that fit a specific eating pattern, such as Mediterranean, Ketogenic, Low FODMAP, Vegan, etc. Click Edit to open the Dietary preferences options. Choose from the list of options and click Apply to return to the Meal plan preferences options. 
      
   • Exclusions allows you to search for specific ingredients that need to be excluded from this mean plan. This could account for client allergies and specific needs. Click Edit to open the Exclusions options. Type to search for an ingredient and click the checkbox to add it to  this meal plan’s Exclusions. Click the small “x” beside an ingredient to remove it from this meal plan’s Exclusions. Click Apply to return to the Meal plan preferences options.
      
   • Cultural preferences include African, Asian, Caribbean, Indian, Latin, and Middle Eastern. These options will rank recipes when browsing the list, and swaps will favor matches without limiting results. Click Add to view these options and click the checkbox next to the ones you want. Click Apply to return to the Meal plan preferences options.
      
6. Click Save.

When Recipes Do Not Match Your Preferences

If any recipes in the meal plan conflict with your new preferences, you'll see a pop-up saying, “Some recipes don't match your preferences.” Select Expand to see each affected recipe with the number of days it appears and its meal. 

Choose one option:

• Swap recipes: Replaces each affected recipe with one that matches your preferences.
• Save with conflicts: Saves your preferences and keeps the existing recipes.

The meal plan header shows a conflicts badge when recipes do not match your preferences.

⚠️ Important: Swapping permanently replaces the affected recipes. This action cannot be undone.

Adding Recipes to a Meal Plan

Every empty slot in the planner has a + Add button.

1. Select + Add in an empty slot.
    
2. In the Select main panel, search for a recipe or scroll through the list. Each recipe shows its prep time and ingredient count.
    
3. Click the Recipe details icon beside a recipe in the list to review it first.
    
4. To add a recipe to the slot:
   • From the list, click on the recipe title.
   • From the Recipe details panel, click the Add as main button.

Adding a Side to a Meal Slot

1. Select a slot that already has a main recipe. The meal time details panel opens.
    
2. Click the Add side button.
    
3. In the Select side panel, search for a recipe or scroll through the list.
    
4. Click the Recipe details icon beside a recipe in the list to review it first.
    
5. To add a recipe to the slot:
   • From the list, click on the recipe title.
   • From the Recipe details panel, click the Add as side button.
      
6. You will see the side added in the meal details panel and in the meal plan.

If you need to change a meal to a different day or time, remove the meal from its existing time slot, select the day and meal time you need, and follow the steps to add the recipe again. 

📍 Note: Each meal time slot can hold one main recipe and one side recipe.

Reviewing Daily Nutrition

Each day in the planner shows its calories and a bar for carbs, fat, and protein. Totals update when you add, remove, swap, or adjust a recipe. Click on any day’s header to open the Nutrition details.

Managing Recipes in a Meal Plan

Select any filled slot to open its details panel, such as Breakfast details. The panel shows each recipe in the slot with its prep time, ingredient count, calories, carbs, fat, and protein. Use the arrows beside the day name to move through the week for the selected meal time.

Each recipe card has three icon buttons: Swap main (or Swap side), Recipe details, and Remove recipe.

Viewing Recipe Details

The Recipe details panel displays the recipe title, prep time, ingredient count, related dietary tags, and more.

1. Select the Recipe details icon next to a recipe.
2. Click into and review the Ingredients, Nutrition, and Directions tabs within the Recipe details panel.

Changing Servings and Portions

1. Click on a meal slot to open its details panel.
    
2. Use the + (plus) and − (minus) buttons under Servings to cook, or type a number in that field to set how many servings to prepare.
    
3. Use the + (plus) and − (minus) buttons under Portions to eat, or type a number in that field to set how many portions your client eats.

Your changes save automatically. The day's totals update with portion changes.

📍 Note: Servings to cook is not editable for a recipe marked as leftover. Either uncheck the leftover checkbox or open the meal slot that isn’t a leftover to update its servings. 

Marking a Recipe as Leftover

1. Click on a meal slot to open its details panel.
    
2. Click the Mark as leftover checkbox.

The recipe shows a Leftover tag in the planner.

📍 Note: Servings to cook is not editable for a recipe marked as leftover. Portions to eat stays editable.

Swapping a Recipe

1. Click on a meal slot to open its details panel.
    
2. Click the Swap button on the recipe card, for either a main or a side.
    
3. Find a replacement, using one of these methods:
    
   • Type in Search recipes field to search the full recipe library. Click on a recipe in your search results to make the swap, or click the Recipe details icon beside a recipe to review it first. This action cannot be undone.
      
   • Click the magic wand icon to swap the recipe automatically and you'll get a recipe with similar nutrition in its place. Choose to swap either just one recipe instance or every instance of this recipe in the meal plan. This action cannot be undone.
      
   • Or, review Suggested recipes. Each suggestion shows prep time, ingredient count, calories, carbs, protein, and a dietary tag. Click on a suggested recipe to make the swap, or click the Recipe details icon beside a recipe to review it first. This action cannot be undone.
      
4. If the recipe appears more than once in the meal plan, choose This recipe only or All occurrences of this recipe. Or click Cancel to stop the swap.

Removing a Recipe

1. Click on a meal slot to open its details panel.
2. Click the Remove recipe button (the trash icon).

The recipe is removed from the slot right away, and the day's totals update.