Getting Started

Meal planning does not have to happen all at once.

The easiest way to use Dine In Time is to collect meal ideas throughout the week and let the app organize everything when you are ready.

The Dine In Time routine infographic showing how to save recipes, build a meal plan, get groceries, prep ahead, and cook with less stress

Tip: Most people don't create a meal plan all at once. Just add recipes whenever you find them. When you're ready, Dine In Time turns them into a complete meal plan, grocery list, prep plan, and daily cooking guide.

The Dine In Time Routine

Dine In Time is designed around real life. You do not need to sit down and plan your whole week in one session. You can save meal ideas as you find them, then build your plan when you have enough dinners ready to go.

1

Save meals as you discover them

Find a recipe you want to make. Maybe it is from your favorite cooking website, a Google search, a link a friend sent you, or a recipe creator's website.

  • Your favorite cooking website
  • A Google search
  • A link a friend sent you
  • A recipe creator's website

When you find something that looks good, do not worry about planning your whole week. Just save it to Dine In Time. Think of it as building a collection of dinners you would like to make.

2

Keep adding recipes whenever you have a minute

Maybe you save one recipe on Monday, another on Wednesday, and two more over the weekend. There is no rush. Your meal plan is saved automatically, so you can come back anytime.

3

Ready for next week? Build your plan

Once you have collected enough meals, choose the days you would like to cook and let Dine In Time do the hard work.

The app automatically creates your grocery list, Prep Ahead tasks, and daily cooking instructions.

4

Get groceries

Review your grocery list and send it to Instacart or use it while shopping yourself. No more juggling multiple recipe websites trying to remember ingredients.

5

Prep ahead

This is where many users save the most time. The Prep Ahead section groups everything you can do before the busy week begins.

Chop vegetables. Mix sauces. Prepare ingredients. A little work now means much easier weeknight dinners.

6

Cook with confidence

When it is time to make dinner, open the Daily Cooking guide. You will only see the steps you need for that meal because the prep work is already done. Dinner becomes much less stressful.

How do I save a recipe?

When you find a recipe you would like to make, use the recipe page's share option to copy the link, then add it to Dine In Time.

  1. Open the recipe on a website.
  2. Tap the Share button on your phone.
  3. Choose Copy Link.
  4. Open Dine In Time.
  5. Tap the Paste button for the day you want to add the recipe.

That is it. You can repeat this whenever you discover a new meal you want to try.

Tips for Your First Week

✓ Start with 3–5 dinners.
✓ Use recipes from websites you already trust.
✓ You do not have to finish planning in one sitting.
✓ Keep adding recipes whenever inspiration strikes.
✓ The Prep Ahead section is where the biggest time savings happen.

A Different Way to Think About Meal Planning

The easiest way to use Dine In Time is to change how you think about meal planning.

Don't think

"I need to plan all my meals for next week."

Think

"I found a recipe I want to make."

Save enough of those moments, and Dine In Time takes care of the rest.

Find recipes Build your plan Get groceries Prep ahead Enjoy dinner