How technology is transforming meal planning

With our lives getting busier than ever, many households are turning to meal planning to manage their time whilst staying healthy. Luckily there are now a range of different technologies available to help us master the art of preparing meals in advance.

Here is a round up of the best technology solutions transforming meal planning and saving us time.

Guided cooking: In case you haven’t heard of it, guided cooking is a new trend that’s been gaining momentum over the past couple of years. Appliance makers and tech companies alike are jumping on the bandwagon, helping homecooks save time with a step-by-step cooking experience. The Thermomix TM6 has a guided cooking function and built-in Wi-Fi, giving users access to over 50,000 recipes. You can plan your meals on the platform and send yourself (or your significant other) a shopping list that is organised by supermarket aisle to make shopping as efficient as possible. Your meal plan then connects to the Thermomix which guides you through each recipe step-by-step.

Smart food scales: A scale might not seem like the most exciting item, but with the help of technology, it can be your new meal prepping best friend. Smart scales like the Smart Chef Smart Food Scale can not only weigh your food, but also record the nutritional value of different ingredients. These also link to both Apple and Android devices as well as Fitbits so you can keep track of your meals. This function is especially useful for those meal-prepping for weight-loss.

Why read recipes, when they can be spoken to you: Smart assistants like the Google Home Hub and Amazon’s Alexa are fast becoming must-haves for the family kitchen. They can help you plan meals for the week, give you ideas the best recipes to prepare ahead of time and read out the chosen recipes when you’re ready to cook. You can also set up reminders to take your meals to work in the morning, to buy the groceries you need and more.

Never forget what’s in your fridge again: New technology is making fridges smarter than ever. The Samsung Family Hub fridge helps meal preppers ensure they never double up on groceries, with three internal cameras to clearly show what is in your fridge in real-time. You can create shopping lists and even shop online with this fridge. The LG InstaView Door-in-Door allows users to take a look inside their fridge with a simple knock, making it ideal for the time-poor. This allows you to spend less time searching for the items you need and can easily identify which need re-stocking.

Vacuum seal that freshness: Meal prepping means you need to be able to keep food fresher for longer. Vacuum sealers make this easy by taking all the air out of containers or zipper bags to make food last longer. This can help save fresh vegetables, fruits and deli meats for twice as long. The FoodSaver unit is a great vacuum sealer option as it’s slim line and can live on the kitchen counter for easy access. This appliance is not only perfect for meal prepping but also those who have little time to go shopping every few days for fresh produce.