Problems to be solved – Meal Planning
This is the first post in a series where I’ll explore topics that many people assume are already solved—but in reality, they’re still wide open for innovation.
Meal planning is a great example. On the surface, it seems like a straightforward problem: decide what to eat, shop for ingredients, and cook. But in practice, it’s a massive challenge for many people. There are countless goals, constraints, and approaches involved, which makes it a surprisingly unsolved space. In fact, if someone could truly crack it, they’d be sitting on a gold mine. Despite dozens of apps and systems out there, there’s still no “killer” solution.
One of the reasons meal planning is so hard to solve is because the problem space is too broad for any one-size-fits-all approach. People have different goals—some want to eat healthier, others want to save money, or save time, or all of the above. And they all live within different sets of constraints.
Let’s start by outlining some of the real-world issues people run into when trying to meal plan:
Pain Points
- Time
Most of us are time-poor during the workweek. Meal planning often assumes that we’ll prep meals ahead of time—usually on Sunday. This “front-loading” of effort is supposed to save us stress later in the week. But what if we’re already exhausted by Sunday?
- Stress, Health, and Cost
At its best, a good meal plan reduces decision fatigue, supports healthier eating, and saves money. But those benefits depend on sticking to the plan—and that’s not easy.
- Variety and Taste Fatigue
If everyone were fine eating the same meal every day, meal planning would be trivial. But most people want variety, and cooking different meals takes more time and mental energy.
- Family Size and Preferences
Are you cooking for one or five? Are there picky eaters involved? Dietary restrictions? More mouths = more complexity.
- Grocery Logistics and Cost of Convenience
How often are you willing to go to the store? Do you have the budget to outsource some prep (pre-cut veggies, meal kits, etc.)? This varies a lot from person to person.
- Cooking Ability and Equipment
Not everyone has the skills—or the tools—to whip up a new recipe on the fly. Simpler meals require less experience, but might not satisfy everyone.
- Energy Levels and Burnout
Even with the best plan, there are days when you just don’t have the energy to follow through. What’s your backup? This is one of the most underrated challenges.
This idea could be expanded upon. What if this problem was solved, what benefits will we reap? What apps are currently trying to tackle this problem? What are their shortcomings? How do meal planning services play into this arena? What are some standard approaches people use to plan meals? How does technology help and hinder? What are some ideas to solve this?