Free Meal Planner App For Windows 8: The Handy Pantry
The Handy Pantry is a free meal planner app for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 devices which allows you to easily manage the meals that you want to have in a day. The app has a nice interface wherein you can start logging the meals simply by opening the app, and then selecting the type of meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner or Snacks) for which you wish to plan the meal. Once that’s done, you can simply click on the add button at the bottom of the screen so that the item gets planned. You can also add photos to the meal plan so that people who don’t know what the meal will look like can see a preview of the meal.
The Handy Pantry can be downloaded for free from the Windows App Store.
Features of The Handy Pantry for Windows 8 and Windows 8.1:
When you install and launch The Handy Pantry on your Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 device, you will be presented with the main screen of the app which resembles the above screenshot.
As you can see clearly in the above screenshot, the app gives you access to various meals that you can plan. You can plan Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks or Dinner and the best part is that the app allows you to prepare your grocery list as well for shopping, and also allows you to create your very own Recipe Book where you can simply enter the name of the recipe, mention the ingredients needed to prepare the same, and so on. Suppose you wish to plan the dishes for Breakfast, all you’ve got to do is to click on the Breakfast tile, and you will then be presented with the below interface.
Simply type in the name of the main dish, the side dish, and the fruit that you feel like having/serving with the same. You can also write some details in the bigger box at the bottom of the screen. If you look closely in the bottom of the screen, you will be able to see various controls that allow you to Sync, add a photo to the meal, or to delete the entry. At the bottom right, you will see the controls that allow you to Add (click on this button after filling the text fields shown in the above screenshot to add the meal plan), Edit (allows you to edit the meal) and New item (this button allows you to add another item to the breakfast menu). Once you click on the Add button at the bottom, the meal will be added, and you will be able to see its tile at the left side of the screen.
Similarly, you can plan Lunch, Snacks or Dinner as well. Overall, the app has a very easy to understand interface which makes it a breeze to add and plan your meals on your device, and the best part is that the app is free!
Do note that this app is not a recipe book app, and only allows you to plan your meals and groceries. If you are looking for recipe book apps with instructions, you can check out the Cookie Recipes and YumvY Cooking Companion apps for Windows 8 instead.
Conclusion:
The Handy Pantry is a well designed app that makes your life easier and much more simpler by allowing you to plan meals in a neat and easy to comprehend interface. The app has a smooth interface, and makes for a great companion if you are on a strict controlled diet, or if you are planning an event where you have to cook for multiple people.
I rate this app a 4 out of 5.
Get The Handy Pantry.