A planner answers what you intend to eat. A tracker records what you actually ate. Both can help, but a subscription bought before identifying the missing step may add work without improving your routine.
Choose the decision
If evenings are difficult because you lack ingredients or ideas, start with a menu and grocery list. If you cook predictably but want to review actual portions, a tracker may fit better. Protein & Prep is a free planner with a small recipe catalog and ingredient estimates. It does not scan barcodes or provide a complete personal food diary. Choose by the decision you need help making each day.
Check data and exports
A larger database helps only when you can identify matching foods and preparation states. For paid apps, inspect entry sources, custom recipes, and export options before a subscription ends. In this planner, download JSON to preserve editable menus and CSV for groceries. Browser saving is convenient but is not cloud synchronization. A downloaded backup also makes it easier to preserve a shopping version while experimenting with changes.
Try one complete week
Generate a menu, shop from it, and note what changed in practice. Were the problems variety, portions, missing ingredients, or remembering to log food? Those observations are better buying criteria than feature counts. If using both tools, keep their roles clear: planned totals describe a proposed menu, while logged totals depend on what you actually recorded and ate. Compare preparation states before interpreting differences between their numbers.
Use the free planner for one week and identify a specific missing feature before paying for another tool.
Plan my weekFurther reading
Our guides offer general planning advice. Nutrition is estimated from ingredient weights and selected USDA reference foods, not laboratory analysis of a finished recipe. Cooking, brands, and serving sizes change values. You choose your targets; example targets are not individualized dietary advice. Ingredient filters are planning aids, not an allergy safety certification. Check packaging and cross-contact. We do not claim hands-on tests of products mentioned in buying guides.