Weekly Meal Prep Planner

A comprehensive meal planning skill that designs weekly menus around your dietary preferences, budget constraints, pantry inventory, and available cooking time. Generates optimized grocery lists grouped by store section, suggests leftover reuse strategies, and tracks nutritional balance across the full week.

Supported Platforms & Integrations

Platform	Setup Method	Auth Type	Notes
Apple Reminders	Local Shortcuts integration	iCloud	Pushes grocery list to shared reminders list
Todoist	API token in config	REST API	Creates shopping checklist with store-section categories
Instacart	Manual cart link	None	Generates shareable cart URL for one-click ordering
Google Sheets	Service account JSON	OAuth2	Logs weekly plans, spending history, and nutritional data
Paprika / Mealime	Recipe URL import	JSON/URL	Imports recipes from popular meal planning apps
MyFitnessPal	Manual macro entry	None	Outputs daily macro breakdown formatted for quick logging

When to Use This Skill

• Use this when you find yourself ordering takeout multiple times a week because you did not plan meals in advance
• Use this when you routinely throw away spoiled groceries and want to reduce food waste significantly
• Use this when you have specific dietary needs like keto, vegetarian, FODMAP, or allergen-free cooking
• Use this when you want to batch-prep on Sunday and have ready meals for the entire work week
• Use this when your grocery bill has crept up and you need budget-conscious weekly planning
• Use this when you are cooking for a household with different taste preferences or dietary restrictions
• Consider alternatives when you need real-time nutritional coaching during meals — use a dedicated nutrition tracking app instead
• Consider alternatives when you want restaurant or takeout recommendations — this skill is strictly for home cooking planning

Quick Start

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# ~/.claude/skills/weekly-meal-prep-planner.yaml
household_size: 2
dietary_preferences:
  - vegetarian
  - gluten-free
budget_weekly: 80
meals_to_plan:
  - breakfast
  - lunch
  - dinner
prep_day: sunday
prep_time_hours: 3
cuisine_preferences:
  - mediterranean
  - asian
  - mexican
allergies:
  - tree_nuts

First Run Example

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claude skill weekly-meal-prep-planner --week 2026-03-16

Expected Output

Weekly Meal Prep Plan — March 16-22, 2026
==========================================

Prep Day: Sunday, March 16 (Est. 2.5 hours)

BREAKFAST (batch prep)
  Mon-Fri: Overnight oats with chia seeds and seasonal berries (x5)
  Sat: Veggie scramble with bell peppers and spinach
  Sun: Banana oat pancakes (gluten-free flour)

LUNCH (prep-ahead containers)
  Mon/Tue: Mediterranean quinoa bowls with roasted chickpeas
  Wed/Thu: Thai rice noodle salad with sesame-ginger dressing
  Fri: Leftover curry repurposed in rice paper wraps

DINNER
  Mon: One-pot lentil coconut curry (yields 4 servings)
  Tue: Sheet-pan roasted vegetable tacos with corn tortillas
  Wed: Mushroom risotto with arugula side salad
  Thu: Tofu stir-fry with seasonal vegetables and jasmine rice
  Fri: Leftovers night (curry + stir-fry components)
  Sat: Homemade margherita pizza on GF crust
  Sun: Vegetable pad thai with rice noodles

Grocery List (34 items | Est. $72.50):
  Produce (14): spinach, bell peppers, mushrooms, berries ...
  Grains (5): quinoa, rice noodles, GF flour, jasmine rice ...
  Proteins (4): firm tofu x2, red lentils, canned chickpeas
  Dairy (3): feta cheese, mozzarella, oat milk
  Pantry (8): coconut milk, soy sauce, chia seeds ...

Leftover Reuse: Monday curry --> Friday lunch wraps (saves ~$8)
Food Waste Risk: Low (95% ingredient utilization across all meals)

Advanced Configuration

Platform-Specific Setup

Instacart Integration

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instacart:
  enabled: true
  preferred_store: "Trader Joe's"
  substitute_allowed: true
  delivery_day: saturday
  organic_preference: when_affordable

Google Sheets Logging

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google_sheets:
  enabled: true
  spreadsheet_id: "your-spreadsheet-id-here"
  plan_tab: "Meal Plans"
  spending_tab: "Grocery Spending"
  track_macros: true
  weekly_summary_row: true

Full Options Reference

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
household_size	int	1	Number of people to cook for
dietary_preferences	list	[]	Dietary restrictions: vegetarian, vegan, keto, paleo, etc.
budget_weekly	float	100	Weekly grocery budget in your local currency
meals_to_plan	list	all three	Which meals to include in planning
prep_day	string	sunday	Primary batch cooking and prep day
prep_time_hours	float	3	Maximum time available for meal prep session
cuisine_preferences	list	[]	Preferred cuisines for recipe variety rotation
allergies	list	[]	Strict allergen exclusions — never included in any recipe
leftovers_ok	bool	true	Allow planned leftover reuse across meals
batch_cooking	bool	true	Suggest batch-friendly recipes that scale well
seasonal_produce	bool	true	Prefer in-season ingredients for cost and quality
skill_level	string	intermediate	beginner, intermediate, or advanced recipe complexity
max_active_cooking_min	int	45	Maximum hands-on cooking time per individual recipe
pantry_file	string	~/.mealprep/pantry.json	Path to current pantry inventory file

Core Concepts

Concept	Purpose	How It Works
Ingredient Overlap	Reduces waste and cost	Selects recipes sharing common ingredients so bell peppers appear in 3 meals
Leftover Chaining	Eliminates food waste entirely	Monday's big-batch curry becomes Wednesday's lunch in a new format
Budget Guardrails	Keeps weekly spending on target	Estimates prices from regional grocery averages and warns when plan exceeds limit
Macro Balancing	Ensures nutritional completeness	Checks that daily plans meet reasonable protein, carb, fat, and fiber targets
Prep Time Batching	Saves weeknight cooking time	Groups prep tasks — chop all vegetables, cook all grains — into one efficient session

Architecture

User Preferences + Pantry Inventory
              |
              v
     +-------------------+
     | Recipe Selector    |----> Filters by diet, allergies, budget, skill
     +-------------------+
              |
              v
     +-------------------+
     | Ingredient Overlap |----> Maximizes shared ingredients
     | Optimizer          |      across the full week
     +-------------------+
              |
              v
     +-------------------+     +------------------+
     | Meal Schedule      |---->| Grocery List     |
     | Builder            |     | Generator        |
     +-------------------+     +------------------+
              |                        |
              v                        v
     +-------------------+     +------------------+
     | Prep Day Timeline  |     | Store Section    |
     | (timed steps)      |     | Grouper          |
     +-------------------+     +------------------+

Workflow Examples

Scenario 1: Budget-Tight Week

Input: Budget reduced to $50 for the week, household of 2

Processing:
  - Switches to cost-optimized staple recipes (rice, beans, lentils, eggs)
  - Replaces premium ingredients: fresh herbs to dried, specialty cheese to basic
  - Increases batch cooking portions to reduce per-serving cost
  - Cross-references store sale flyers if integration is active

Output:
  7-day plan estimated at $47.20
  Average cost per meal: $2.25/person
  Protein sources: eggs, black beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu
  One splurge meal: Saturday homemade pizza ($6.50 for two)
  All recipes under 30 minutes active cooking time

Scenario 2: Dinner Party for Guests

Input: Saturday dinner for 6, two guests are vegan, one is gluten-free

Processing:
  - Selects recipes satisfying all dietary constraints simultaneously
  - Scales portions from household of 2 to 6 servings
  - Adds appetizer and dessert course to the regular weekly plan
  - Separates party-specific grocery items from weekly staples

Output:
  Saturday Dinner Party Menu:
    Appetizer: Roasted red pepper hummus with GF crackers and crudites
    Main: Coconut vegetable curry over jasmine rice (vegan + GF)
    Side: Roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic reduction
    Dessert: Coconut milk panna cotta with fresh mango
  Additional grocery cost for party: $22.40
  Prep timeline: Start appetizer at 4pm, main at 5pm, serve at 7pm

Scenario 3: Pantry Cleanout Week

Input: Pantry inventory shows canned coconut milk x2, dried pasta, canned
       tomatoes, jasmine rice, frozen spinach, onions, garlic — nearing dates

Processing:
  - Prioritizes recipes built around existing pantry ingredients
  - Minimizes new purchases to only fresh produce and dairy
  - Flags items expiring within 7 days for immediate use in early-week meals

Output:
  Pantry-first plan using 85% of existing inventory
  New purchases needed: 8 items totaling $18.30
  Meals: coconut curry, pasta arrabbiata, fried rice, spinach dal, tomato soup
  Items saved from waste: 6 pantry items (estimated value $14)
  Grocery list is the shortest of the year

Best Practices

1. Update your pantry inventory before each plan — Spend two minutes noting what you already have before generating the week. This prevents duplicate purchases and lets the planner build recipes around existing stock.

2. Always include a leftovers night — Planning seven unique dinners from scratch leads to burnout and waste. Designate one evening as leftovers night to save money and clear the fridge before the weekend.

3. Start with three planned days, not seven — If meal prepping is new to you, plan Monday through Wednesday first. Add more days as the habit becomes comfortable rather than overwhelming yourself with a full week.

4. Keep a running favorites list — When a recipe works well for your household, add it to ~/.mealprep/favorites.json. The planner will rotate proven winners back into future weeks automatically.

5. Adjust portion sizes after your first week — Default multipliers are approximate. After week one, note whether portions were too large or too small and tune the portion_scale parameter for accuracy.

Common Issues

1. Grocery cost estimate seems too high for your area — Prices use national averages by default. Set price_region to your metro area or manually adjust the price_multiplier parameter downward for more accurate local estimates.

2. Too many complex recipes landing on weeknights — Lower max_active_cooking_min to 20 for weekday dinners. The planner will then favor sheet-pan meals, one-pot dishes, and recipes under 15 minutes of active work.

3. Pantry file not found on first run — Run claude skill weekly-meal-prep-planner --init-pantry to create the inventory template. Fill in what you currently have on hand and the planner will reference it each week.

Privacy & Data Handling

All meal plans, grocery lists, and dietary preference data are generated and stored locally in ~/.mealprep/. No health information or dietary restrictions are transmitted to external services. If Instacart integration is enabled, only the grocery item names and quantities are sent to create a shopping cart — no personal health or allergy data is shared. Google Sheets integration writes exclusively to your own spreadsheet using your own service account credentials. Recipe suggestions come from the language model's training knowledge and no external recipe APIs are called unless you explicitly configure a recipe source URL.