Truth be told, when it comes to meal planning, I’ve long taken the old-school pen-and-paper approach. In part because I’m a list maker at heart who loves a good notebook and colored pens, and also because I believed it to be the simplest approach. But turns out I might have really been missing something along the way.

Until now I’ve been resistant to move to a meal planning app (of which there are so many!), for no other reason than I’m a creature of habit. But the tide has turned, and I’ve learned that using a meal planning app might just be the easiest, most efficient and streamlined way to approach meal planning.

I’ve weeded through many of the meal planning apps out there to find the ones that are truly helpful, and for some, even worth the $5 price tag. Here are the three you should know about.

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One of the best things about Samin Nosrat (author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat and host of its follow-up Netflix series) is her low-key, down-to-earth, and joyful approach to cooking. No matter what she’s making or talking about, she makes cooking seem fun and downright accessible.

During a recent guest appearance on the Forever 35 Podcast (episode 54), Samin hopped on the phone with hosts Kate Spencer and Doree Shafrir to talk about the way she makes people feel in the kitchen. “I love that you don’t need fancy stuff to make good food. That is a message that is really important to me and I really wanted that to come across in the show,” said Samin.

They followed this up with a discussion about Samin’s top inexpensive picks for must-have kitchen gear. Here are her choices.

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We’ve all had those nights — the ones when you get home and the last thing you want to think about is what to cook for dinner. The easy answer feels like reaching for those takeout menus or heading straight to Seamless, but I know I’ll always feel better if I suck it up and pull even the simplest thing together instead. These are the low-effort recipes I always lean on when I really don’t feel like cooking.

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When we first discovered the magic of Instant Pot spaghetti, we didn’t just create one new recipe. We unlocked a formula for protein plus pasta plus jarred sauce, meaning a whole new world of quick and easy pasta dinners at our fingertips.

Instant Pot chicken Alfredo takes advantage of both the Instant Pot’s sauté function and its pressure-cooking ability, while shortcutting the sauce with a favorite jarred version. That means this creamy classic is easy to make anytime with just a few kitchen staples.

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You know when you get that craving for just a little something sweet after the dinner dishes are cleared, but don’t have anything to nibble? That can be a desperate moment. Personally, I always turn to chocolate chip cookies — I always have chocolate chips in the cupboard, so hot cookies are only 20 minutes away. When desperation hits, pantry and fridge staples like chocolate chips, oats, cream cheese, and even frozen bananas can be a total life saver.

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Just because you’re not drinking alcohol (or soda, or milky coffee drinks, or artificially sweetened juices) on Whole30 does not mean you are doomed to a monotonous month of tap water and unsweetened tea.

The world is large! The possibilities vast! While it is undeniably true that Whole30 will somewhat limit your beverage selections, it is also true that there are still tons of distinctly non-depressing options, ranging from exceedingly basic to reasonably festive.

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When it comes to what’s holding you back from making your own Crunchwrap Supreme or Doritos Locos tacos, it’s probably not the cheese. Even if you did have the deep fryer, griddle, and all the ingredients, Taco Bell is actually the fast food chain most designed for the laziest people ever and obviously not made for people who want to actually cook their wildest concoctions. But, that’s not to say someone wouldn’t want to bring those same flavors into their homes — and we don’t just mean shoving as many packets of Fire Sauce into your pockets as you can before you start getting looks — so, yes, we are excited you can now buy Taco Bell cheeses.

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When you cut open an avocado you’ve been saving for the perfect moment of ripeness and the inside starts to turn slightly brown, you might be disappointed, but there’s no reason to throw the whole thing away. Yes, it might be a little mushy. And yes, you might even be tempted to call it gross-looking. The truth is, it’s actually still safe to eat.

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Just five protein myths? We could call this “500 Protein Myths,” as there are countless myths about protein. But we don’t have all day, so let’s focus on the five most common in American culture.

Protein is a complicated topic but the basics are quite simple. Understanding the true answers to five of the most common myths out there will not only set you up for success when it comes to consuming a wholesome diet, but it will also impress your friends — and teach them something too.

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Few cuisines are better suited to Instant Pot cooking than Indian. While pressure cookers were long a staple of Indian kitchens, the added settings on the Instant Pot expand that utility even further. There is a world of Indian foods that the multi-cooker can make — and we’re not the first to notice. This fall saw the arrival of both The Complete Indian Instant Pot Cookbook and The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook.

But what should you have for dinner tonight, even before Amazon could bring you one of those cookbooks? We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite Indian Instant Pot recipes from around the blogosphere to help you out.

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