How to create a custom meal on MyFitnessPal?

Over 14 million foods are in the MyFitnessPal database, but manually logging your favorite meal combination can be time-consuming. Learning how to create a custom meal on MyFitnessPal can streamline your food logging, boost accuracy, and make consistent tracking simple.

Quick Summary

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for creating and saving a custom meal in MyFitnessPal using the mobile app and web browser. It details how to assemble and save a new meal from daily logged foods or build a new one from scratch, helping users save time on recurring food entries.

Key Points

• Save time: Group common foods into a single custom meal entry to log them all at once.

• Increase accuracy: By saving exact portion sizes, custom meals provide consistent nutrition data every time you log.

• Create from your diary: Use the "Save as Meal" function after logging a meal once to instantly save it for future use.

• Build from scratch: Use the "My Meals, Recipes & Foods" menu to build a new custom meal and add ingredients.

• Understand the difference: Use custom meals for pre-portioned food groups and custom recipes for baked or mixed dishes, logging by serving size.

• Log easily: Access your saved custom meals from the "My Meals" tab in your diary for quick logging.

• Edit as needed: Update or delete saved meals if you change ingredients or portion sizes over time.

Why Use a Custom Meal Feature?

For many MyFitnessPal users, logging every single ingredient for a favorite meal or snack combination can become tedious over time. The custom meal feature addresses this by allowing you to group multiple food items into a single, saved entry. This means you can log a complex meal, like your morning smoothie or a specific takeout order, with just a few taps. Creating custom meals not only saves valuable time but also promotes better consistency in your tracking efforts, which is crucial for achieving fitness and nutrition goals.

Benefits of Saving Custom Meals

• Efficiency: Reduces the time spent logging foods, making daily tracking more manageable.
• Accuracy: Ensures consistent nutrition information for meals you eat frequently, as you've already verified the ingredients and portion sizes.
• Consistency: Encourages a more consistent tracking habit by simplifying the process, reducing the chance of skipping entries.
• Customization: Tailor meals to your exact recipes, including brands and measurements, for a truly personalized experience.
• Accountability: Having pre-logged favorite meals can help you plan your day more effectively and stay within your calorie and macro targets.

Method 1: Create a Custom Meal from Your Diary (Mobile App)

This is the fastest and easiest method if you've already logged all the ingredients for a meal you want to save.

1. Log your ingredients: First, add all the individual food items for the meal you want to save to the appropriate meal slot in your Diary.
2. Access the quick tools: Tap the three-dot menu (...) on the bottom right of the food entry section for that meal.
3. Save as a meal: Select the "Save as Meal" option from the pop-up menu.
4. Name and save: Enter a descriptive name for your custom meal (e.g., "Protein Shake," "Salmon Lunch Bowl") and tap "Save." You can also add a photo if you'd like.

Method 2: Create a New Meal from Scratch (Mobile App)

Use this method to build a new custom meal without having to log the items in your diary first.

1. Navigate to the 'More' menu: From the home screen, tap the "More" menu (three dots) in the bottom right corner.
2. Go to 'My Meals, Recipes & Foods': Select this option from the menu.
3. Choose the 'Meals' tab: At the top of the screen, select the "Meals" tab to see your saved meals.
4. Create a new meal: Tap the "Create a Meal" button.
5. Add ingredients: Give your meal a name, then tap "Add Food" to search for and add all the components of your meal.
6. Save your creation: Once you've added all the ingredients, tap "Save" to finalize the meal.

Comparison Table: Custom Meals vs. Custom Recipes

While both features save you time, they are best used in different scenarios. Here is a quick comparison to help you choose the right tool for your needs.

Feature	Custom Meal	Custom Recipe
Best For	Saving combinations of ingredients or pre-made foods that you frequently eat together (e.g., a specific yogurt bowl).	Saving the nutritional data for a multi-ingredient dish that you cook and serve in portions (e.g., chili or a casserole).
Logging Process	Logs the individual components separately, allowing for easy adjustment of one item's portion size later.	Logs the recipe as a single item with a specified serving size, automatically calculating macros for that portion.
Portion Adjustments	You can quickly edit the serving size of each ingredient within the logged meal entry.	The entire recipe is logged in a single serving, which you can adjust (e.g., from 1 serving to 1.5 servings), and the app will scale the nutrition automatically.
Complexity	Simple for mixed items or consistent pre-packaged food combinations.	Ideal for more complex dishes where ingredients are combined and you only log a single serving.

How to Log Your Custom Meal

Once your custom meal is saved, logging it is incredibly easy.

1. Go to your Diary: Tap the Diary tab and select the meal slot you want to log.
2. Access 'My Meals': Tap "Add Food" and then select the "My Meals" tab at the top of the screen.
3. Select and log: Find your saved meal from the list, tap it, and then log it to your diary. You can also adjust individual ingredients or portion sizes as needed after logging.

Troubleshooting and Tips

• Check for premium features: Some advanced features, like saving meals from the diary with a simple swipe, were once part of the free app but may be now included in the premium subscription. Basic meal creation from the "My Meals" section is typically available for all users.
• Edit or delete saved meals: If your recipe or ingredients change, you can easily edit or delete saved meals. On iOS, you can swipe left on the meal in your "My Meals" list. On Android, find the meal, tap the three vertical dots, and choose to edit or delete.
• Utilize the copy function: If you eat the same meal on different days, use the "Copy from Date" feature to copy an entire day's meal entries to a new day. This is a powerful timesaver for routine eaters.

Conclusion

Creating and saving a custom meal in MyFitnessPal is a simple yet powerful hack to supercharge your nutrition tracking. By consolidating frequently consumed food items into a single entry, you can significantly reduce the time and effort spent on daily logging. Whether you save meals from your daily entries or build them from scratch, mastering this feature allows for more accurate, consistent, and effortless tracking on your health and fitness journey. This improved efficiency makes it easier to stay accountable and achieve your long-term goals without the frustration of manual data entry every time you eat a favorite dish. For further reading on other app features, you can check out the MyFitnessPal Blog for comprehensive guides on topics like creating recipes and setting goals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main benefit of creating a custom meal in MyFitnessPal?

The main benefit is saving time. Instead of logging individual ingredients every time, you can log a frequently eaten combination of foods with just a few taps.

Can I edit a custom meal after I've saved it?

Yes, you can easily edit a saved meal. On iOS, swipe left on the meal in your 'My Meals' list and tap the edit button. On Android, tap the meal and then the three vertical dots to find the edit option.

Is there a difference between a custom meal and a custom recipe?

Yes, a custom meal logs ingredients individually within the meal entry, allowing for easy adjustment of single item portions. A custom recipe is for a complex dish and is logged as a single entry, with the app scaling nutrition for a specified serving size.

How do I save a meal I've already logged in my diary?

In the mobile app, go to your Diary, and once the items are logged, tap the three-dot menu (...) at the bottom of that meal entry. Select "Save as Meal" from the options.

Can I add a photo to my custom meal?

Yes, when creating or editing a custom meal, you can add a photo to make it easier to identify and find in your saved meals list.

Do I need the premium version to create custom meals?

No, creating and saving custom meals is a feature available on the free version of MyFitnessPal. However, some related features might be premium.

What if my custom meal includes items without a barcode?

For fresh foods or items without a barcode, you can manually enter them by searching the database or creating a custom food entry. Once added, you can then include them in your custom meal.