Set Up MyFitnessPal for Meal Sharing
Before you can begin sharing meals, you need to connect with your friends on the platform and adjust your privacy settings. MyFitnessPal, by default, keeps all food diary information private. This means you must explicitly allow friends to view your logs before they can see or copy your meals.
Add Friends to Your MyFitnessPal Account
To start, you'll need to add your friends using the app's built-in functionality.
- Navigate to the 'More' Menu: Open the MyFitnessPal app and tap the 'More' menu icon, usually located at the bottom right of the screen.
- Access the 'Friends' Section: Tap on the 'Friends' option.
- Add a Friend: Use the '+' icon or 'Add Friends' button. You can search for friends by their MyFitnessPal username or by entering their email address. You also have the option to invite friends from your phone's contacts or connect via Facebook.
- Send the Request: Once you find your friend, send them a friend request. They must accept this request before you can move to the next step.
Adjust Your Diary Sharing Settings
Once you are friends, you must change your privacy settings to allow your friends to see your food diary.
- Return to Settings: Go back to the 'More' menu and select 'Settings'.
- Find Diary Sharing Settings: Tap 'Privacy Center' or 'Sharing & Privacy' and then 'Diary Sharing'.
- Change Visibility to 'Friends Only': Select the 'Friends Only' option. This makes your daily food logs, including all meals, visible to your MyFitnessPal friends. Note: Your weight and other personal details remain private.
- Save Your Changes: Tap the checkmark or 'Done' button to save your new settings. Your friend can now view your food diary, which is the key to sharing meals.
How to Copy a Friend's Meal
If you and a friend eat the same meal, this feature saves you the time of logging each ingredient individually.
Step-by-Step Instructions on the Mobile App
- Go to the 'Friends' Screen: From the 'More' menu, tap on 'Friends'.
- View Your Friend's Diary: Find your friend's name on the list and tap the 'Diary' icon next to their name. It looks like an open book.
- Navigate to the Correct Date: If necessary, navigate to the specific date your friend logged the meal.
- Copy the Meal: Locate the meal you want to copy (e.g., Dinner). Tap the three dots (ellipsis) next to the meal entry.
- Select a Destination: Tap 'Copy to Date' and choose the date and meal slot (e.g., 'Dinner') for your diary.
Other Methods and Features
Beyond directly copying from a friend's diary, MyFitnessPal offers other ways to share meals and recipes.
Saving and Reusing Your Own Meals
If you frequently cook the same meals, saving them as a custom 'Meal' can be a huge time-saver. Your friends can then copy this pre-saved meal from your log.
- Log a Meal: Add all the ingredients for a meal, like your favorite chili recipe.
- Save as a Meal: When viewing the meal in your diary, use the 'Quick Tools' or three dots menu to select 'Save as Meal'.
- Name and Save: Give the meal a name like 'Hearty Turkey Chili' and save it. It will now be accessible under the 'Meals' tab for future use.
Sharing a Recipe with Your Community
While direct recipe sharing is not a standard feature, you can make a created recipe public. This makes it discoverable by the entire MyFitnessPal community, not just your friends. It requires creating a new custom 'Food' entry, but it allows for broader sharing.
- Create Custom Food: On the website, go to 'Food' -> 'My Foods' -> 'Create Food'.
- Make Public: While filling out the nutrition information, you can choose to make the food 'Public'. This makes it searchable by others.
Comparison: Copying Meals vs. Sharing Recipes
| Feature | Direct Meal Copying (Friend's Diary) | Creating a Public Recipe (Custom Food) |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Limited to your MyFitnessPal friends with whom you have shared your diary. | The entire MyFitnessPal community can search for and use it. |
| Efficiency | Very fast for one-time or spontaneous meal sharing, especially if you ate together. | Efficient for sharing repeatable, go-to recipes that you and others will use often. |
| Steps | Requires friend connection and diary sharing; easy copy with a few taps. | Requires creating a new 'Food' entry on the website, more steps involved. |
| Privacy | High privacy, as you control who sees your diary; limited sharing scope. | Lower privacy; anyone can see and use the recipe you make public. |
Conclusion
Sharing meals on MyFitnessPal is an excellent way to maintain motivation and accountability with friends or family. By simply becoming friends and adjusting your diary settings, you can easily copy and log meals from each other, saving time and keeping your nutrition goals on track. For more complex or frequently made dishes, using the 'Save as Meal' feature or even creating a public recipe allows for even greater convenience. Whether you're working with a partner or tracking a meal with friends, MyFitnessPal offers the tools to streamline the process and foster a sense of community around your health and fitness journey.
Other Tips for Social Nutrition Tracking
- Stay In Sync: For accurate copying, both parties should log their meals as soon as they eat to ensure the most up-to-date information is available.
- Communicate: If you and a friend had a meal together but they made a substitution, make a quick note or comment in the app to keep things accurate.
- Leverage Your Feed: Keep an eye on your friends' progress and milestones in your activity feed. Liking or commenting on their updates can provide a great source of mutual motivation.
For more detailed instructions and troubleshooting, visit the official MyFitnessPal Help Center for the most current information available.
