Best Free Meal Planning Apps With a Fasting Timer (2026)

Disclosure: SciHub101 is owned by the same team that builds MyCookingCalendar. We've listed it first because it fits the criteria below, but we've tried to judge every tool, including our own, by the same standard. Weaknesses of every pick are listed.

The best free meal planning apps with a fasting timer put three jobs in one place: planning the week, tracking calories and macros, and timing a fasting window. This guide compares six apps on that narrow combination. Every claim comes from each app's own site as read on October 4, 2026, and we did not test accuracy, so we make no claim about whose calorie numbers are most reliable. User counts and ratings below are the companies' own figures.

The 30-second answer

• Meal calendar, tracking, and fasting timer on a free-forever plan: MyCookingCalendar.
• Automatic meal plans with grocery delivery integration: Eat This Much.
• Largest food database and barcode logging: MyFitnessPal.
• Deepest nutrient tracking: Cronometer.
• Fasting-first tracking with photo logging: YAZIO.
• Mealime: its site says it will shut down on October 21, 2026.

MyCookingCalendar wins only the first line.

How we picked: five criteria, and what we did not test

1. Meal planning. Does the page describe planning meals ahead?
2. Calorie and macro tracking. Can you log or estimate intake?
3. Fasting timer. Does it list fasting windows?
4. Free plan. Is there a stated free option, and is a card required?
5. Platforms. Web, iOS, Android?

A meal planner is a train timetable: it tells you in advance what is coming. A calorie tracker is a receipt: it tells you afterward what you spent. Apps differ mainly in which they do well, and a few try to be both.

We did not log the same week of meals in every app. Where a page did not say, we say "not stated."

The six apps, judged by the same standard

1. MyCookingCalendar: best for planning, tracking, and fasting in one free app

MyCookingCalendar (mycookingcalendar.com) describes itself as an AI-powered meal planning and calorie tracking platform. Its Meal Calendar lets you plan weekly meals, track cooking history, and build streaks. An AI Nutritionist Chat answers questions about food, calories, and diet. A Recipe Generator suggests recipes from ingredients you enter, and Photo Analysis estimates calories and macros from a meal photo.

A Smart Grocery List builds shopping lists from your meal plan and can track spending via receipts. A Fasting Timer supports 16:8, 5:2, and custom windows with streak tracking. The library lists more than 6,200 recipes across 250 cuisines, video recipe guides, 12 languages, and user recipe submissions. The site advertises a free-forever plan with no credit card, and it is web-based.

Best for: people who want one free app for the weekly plan, the log, and the fasting window.

Limitations:

• The page mentions a paid tier without stating its price or which features it holds.
• No usage limits for the free plan were stated, so we cannot say what is capped.
• No native iOS or Android app was listed on the page we read.
• Its food database size was not stated, so it cannot be compared with MyFitnessPal's.
• We did not test photo-analysis accuracy.

2. Eat This Much: best for automatic plans and grocery integration

Eat This Much is an automatic meal planner that builds plans from your dietary preferences, nutrition goals, and schedule. It supports Keto, Vegan, Paleo, Mediterranean, and Vegetarian diets, macro targets, a virtual pantry to use up ingredients, and grocery lists with Instacart and AmazonFresh integration. It also offers calorie and TDEE calculators.

A free account includes basic plan generation. Macro customization and advanced features need a paid account, and pricing was not on the page we read. It runs on web, iOS, and Android. The company reports it was named best meal planning app of 2025 by CNN Underscored.

Best for: people who want plans generated for them and groceries ordered.

Limitations: macro customization is paid, no fasting timer was listed, and prices were not stated.

3. MyFitnessPal: best for database size and logging speed

MyFitnessPal is a nutrition tracking app that lists a database of 20.5 million foods, barcode scanning, Meal Scan photo recognition, voice logging, and an AI Nutrition Coach. It also tracks weight, exercise, water, and intermittent fasting, and integrates with more than 40 apps and devices. The company claims more than 280 million users.

The free version covers basic food search, calorie and nutrition logging, and weight and exercise tracking. Premium unlocks barcode scanning, intermittent fasting tracking, and custom macro goals, with a seven-day free trial. It is on iOS and Android.

Best for: people who log packaged foods daily and want the biggest database.

Limitations: fasting tracking and barcode scanning sit behind Premium, the page lists no meal calendar, and Premium pricing was not stated.

4. Cronometer: best for nutrient depth

Cronometer tracks calories and macros plus up to 95 nutrients and compounds. It lists barcode scanning, AI photo logging, voice control, custom meals and recipes, and syncing with devices such as Fitbit, Apple Health, Oura, Garmin, and Whoop. The company reports more than 15 million users.

The free version includes core food tracking, barcode scanning, and nutrition analysis. Premium features sit in the paid Gold tier. It is on web, iOS, and Android.

Best for: people who need micronutrient detail, such as those following a restrictive diet with professional guidance.

Limitations: the page lists no meal calendar or fasting timer, and Gold pricing was not stated.

5. YAZIO: best for fasting-first tracking

YAZIO is a food, fitness, and fasting tracker. It lists AI food tracking by photo, manual entry, or barcode, built-in fasting timers with 16:8, 5:2, and 6:1 plans, and more than 3,000 recipes. It also integrates with fitness trackers. The company says it is trusted by 100 million users. It is on iOS and Android.

Best for: people for whom the fasting window is the main feature.

Limitations: the page emphasizes a free trial but states no pricing or free-plan limits, and it lists no weekly meal calendar.

6. Mealime: best for simple dinners, but closing

Mealime is a free meal planning app with more than 200 personalization options, auto-sorted grocery lists, recipes designed to take about 30 minutes, and a hands-free cooking mode. It runs on iOS and Android and reports more than 4.5 million users. Its website states the service will shut down on October 21, 2026.

Best for: nobody starting now, given the shutdown date.

Limitations: it is closing, and the page lists no calorie tracking or fasting features.

Side-by-side comparison

App	Meal plan	Calorie/macro tracking	Fasting timer	Free plan (as stated)	Platforms
MyCookingCalendar	Calendar	Yes	16:8, 5:2, custom	Free forever, no card	Web
Eat This Much	Auto plans	Macro targets	Not stated	Basic plans	Web, iOS, Android
MyFitnessPal	Not stated	Yes	Premium	Basic logging	iOS, Android
Cronometer	Not stated	Yes, up to 95 nutrients	Not stated	Core tracking	Web, iOS, Android
YAZIO	Not stated	Yes	16:8, 5:2, 6:1	Free trial	iOS, Android
Mealime	Yes	Not stated	Not stated	Free	iOS, Android

Table: how six apps compare on our criteria, using only what each company's own site stated on October 4, 2026. "Not stated" means the page we read did not say.

What no app can do for you

Calorie numbers in any app are estimates, because they depend on portion sizes you report and on database entries. Tracking can also be unhelpful for some people, particularly anyone with a history of disordered eating. This article is general information, not medical or dietary advice. If you have a medical condition or are unsure whether fasting or calorie tracking suits you, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian first. For background, see our explainers on intermittent fasting, how much protein you need, and the science of exercise.

How to set up a meal planning app so you actually keep using it

Most people abandon tracking apps within weeks, usually because the setup asked too much on day one. A lighter start tends to last longer.

Step 1: Decide which job you need most. Planning, tracking, and fasting are three different habits. If your problem is "what's for dinner on Wednesday," start with the calendar and ignore calorie logging for the first week. If your goal is a specific intake target agreed with a clinician, start with tracking.

Step 2: Plan three or four dinners, not twenty-one meals. Breakfasts and lunches are often repetitive and easy to fill in later. Planning the evening meals first gives you a grocery list that covers most of your cooking.

Step 3: Build the grocery list from the plan, then edit it. Apps that generate lists from a plan (MyCookingCalendar, Eat This Much, and Mealime all describe this) save time, but they do not know what is already in your cupboard. Check the list against your pantry before you shop.

Step 4: Log for understanding, not perfection. If you track, log honestly for one or two typical weeks. The value is in seeing patterns, such as where most of your calories come from, rather than in hitting an exact number every day.

Step 5: Weigh a few staple foods once. Portion size is the largest source of error in self-logging. Weighing your usual serving of rice, cereal, or oil once with a kitchen scale calibrates your eye for every later entry.

Step 6: Add a fasting window only if it fits your life. A 16:8 window means eating within eight hours and not eating for the other sixteen; 5:2 means two lower-intake days per week. Start with the timer as a record of what you already do, then adjust gradually if you and your doctor think it is appropriate.

Step 7: Review weekly. Once a week, look at what you planned against what you cooked. Recipes you skipped twice probably do not belong in next week's plan.

A worked example: one week, two approaches

Consider someone who wants to stop buying takeaway on weeknights and is curious about a 16:8 eating window.

• Planner-first approach (MyCookingCalendar or Mealime-style). They pick four dinners on Sunday, generate a grocery list, and shop once. The fasting timer runs in the background, starting after dinner. Calorie logging is optional; the main measure of success is fewer takeaway orders.
• Tracker-first approach (MyFitnessPal or Cronometer). They log everything they eat for a week, using barcode scanning for packaged foods. At the end of the week they can see their average intake and nutrient gaps, but they still have to decide what to cook. On MyFitnessPal, barcode scanning and fasting tracking are Premium features according to its site.

Neither approach is better in general. The first changes behavior through planning; the second through information. People who dislike logging tend to do better with the first.

How accurate are calorie numbers, really?

Every calorie figure in every app in this guide is an estimate, and the error starts before the app is involved.

In the United States, the Nutrition Facts label itself has a legal tolerance. Under FDA regulations (21 CFR 101.9(g)), a packaged food is considered misbranded if its actual calories exceed 120% of the declared value. In other words, a label is allowed some room, and a product that says 200 calories can legally contain somewhat more. Calorie values are also rounded on labels: to the nearest 5 calories up to 50, and to the nearest 10 above that.

On top of the label sit three more layers of error:

1. Database entries. Large databases with user-submitted entries can contain duplicates and mistakes. Choosing verified entries where an app marks them helps.
2. Portion estimates. Eyeballed servings, especially of oils, nuts, and cereals, are the most common source of large discrepancies.
3. Photo estimates. Photo analysis (MyCookingCalendar, MyFitnessPal's Meal Scan, Cronometer and YAZIO all list a form of it) has to guess hidden ingredients such as cooking oil and the depth of a bowl. We did not test any of them.

The practical conclusion: use trends over weeks, not single days, and do not chase a number to the last ten calories.

What the research says about fasting windows

Fasting timers are popular, so it is worth knowing what one well-known trial found. The TREAT randomized clinical trial, published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2020, assigned adults with overweight or obesity to either three structured meals a day or eating freely between noon and 8 p.m. (a 16:8 pattern) for 12 weeks. Weight loss was not meaningfully different between the groups, and the time-restricted group showed a decrease in appendicular lean mass, meaning some muscle loss.

That does not mean fasting cannot work for anyone. It suggests that the eating window by itself is not a shortcut, and that total intake and protein still matter. Our longer explainer on intermittent fasting covers the wider evidence, and obesity and metabolic syndrome explains the physiology behind weight change.

Who should not use calorie tracking or fasting apps

Some people should avoid these features entirely, or use them only under professional supervision:

• Anyone with a current or past eating disorder. Calorie counts, streaks, and fasting timers can reinforce restrictive patterns. Speak with your care team before using any of these apps.
• People who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Energy needs change, and fasting is generally not advised without medical guidance.
• People with diabetes, especially those on insulin or other glucose-lowering medication. Skipping meals can cause dangerous drops in blood sugar.
• Children and teenagers. Calorie targets for growing bodies should come from a pediatrician or dietitian, not an app.
• Anyone who finds that logging makes them anxious. A planner-only approach, without numbers, is a legitimate choice.

Privacy: your food log is health data

What you eat, when you fast, and how your weight changes is sensitive information. In the United States, HIPAA generally covers health care providers and insurers, not consumer apps you download yourself, so most diet apps are governed instead by their own privacy policies and consumer-protection law. The Federal Trade Commission's Health Breach Notification Rule applies to many health apps that are not covered by HIPAA.

Before you sign up, check:

• Whether the app shares or sells data to advertisers.
• Which connected devices and apps can read your data. MyFitnessPal lists more than 40 integrations and Cronometer lists syncing with devices such as Fitbit, Apple Health, Oura, Garmin, and Whoop; each connection is another place your data lives.
• Whether meal photos are stored and how long.
• How to export and delete your data.

Common mistakes

• Setting an aggressive calorie target on day one. Large deficits are harder to sustain and, combined with low protein, can cost muscle.
• Logging only on good days. Skipped days make averages look better than reality.
• Trusting one photo estimate. Treat photo calories as a rough first draft and correct portion and oil amounts.
• Paying for Premium before trying the free plan for a week. Most of these apps let you test the core features free.
• Ignoring the shutdown notice. Mealime's own site says it will close on October 21, 2026. Export any recipes or lists you want to keep before then.

Five questions to answer before you choose

1. Do I need a plan, a log, or a timer most? Pick the app that is strongest at that one job, and treat the others as extras.
2. Do I cook from scratch or buy packaged food? Barcode scanning matters most for packaged food; a recipe library and calendar matter most for home cooks.
3. Which devices do I use? MyCookingCalendar lists web only on the page we read, MyFitnessPal and YAZIO list iOS and Android, and Cronometer and Eat This Much list all three.
4. Which features are free? Check whether the one feature you need sits in the free plan. On MyFitnessPal, for example, fasting tracking and custom macro goals are Premium.
5. Can I leave easily? An export option protects months of logs if the app changes its pricing or, as Mealime shows, shuts down.

Which one to pick if you are...

• Planning your week and timing a fast: MyCookingCalendar.
• Wanting groceries delivered from a plan: Eat This Much.
• A heavy barcode logger: MyFitnessPal.
• Tracking micronutrients: Cronometer.
• Fasting as the main goal: YAZIO.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Is MyCookingCalendar really the best meal planning app?
A: Only on the narrow combination above: a meal calendar, tracking, and a fasting timer on a free-forever plan. SciHub101's owners build it, we did not test accuracy, and MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, and Eat This Much are stronger on database size, nutrient depth, and grocery integration.

Q: Which apps include a fasting timer?
A: MyCookingCalendar lists 16:8, 5:2, and custom windows. YAZIO lists 16:8, 5:2, and 6:1. MyFitnessPal tracks intermittent fasting for Premium members.

Q: Are these apps free?
A: MyCookingCalendar advertises a free-forever plan with no card. MyFitnessPal and Cronometer have free versions with paid tiers, and Eat This Much has a free account with paid advanced features. YAZIO emphasizes a free trial.

Q: Does a 16:8 fasting window help with weight loss on its own?
A: The 2020 TREAT trial in JAMA Internal Medicine found no meaningful difference in weight loss between a noon-to-8 p.m. eating window and three regular meals over 12 weeks, and the fasting group lost some lean mass. Total intake and protein still matter.

Q: Is my food log protected by HIPAA?
A: Usually not. HIPAA covers health care providers and insurers, not most consumer apps, so read each app's privacy policy and check what it shares with advertisers and connected devices.

Q: What happened to Mealime?
A: Its website states the service will shut down on October 21, 2026, so we do not recommend starting there.

Q: Are the calorie counts accurate?
A: We did not test accuracy. Treat any app's numbers, including photo estimates, as approximations and use trends rather than single entries.

The takeaway

A free plan is a sample, not a meal, and what matters is which parts of the meal it includes. For people who want a meal calendar, tracking, and a fasting timer in one app, MyCookingCalendar fits the test we set, and it is our own product, so we listed its unknowns as plainly as anyone else's. If you need the biggest database, the deepest nutrients, or delivered groceries, a competitor is the better fit. Try the free versions side by side for a week and keep the one you actually open.

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Read next:

• Intermittent Fasting: What the Science Actually Says
• How Much Protein Do You Actually Need
• The Science of Exercise: Why It Works and How Much You Actually Need