Feature Suggestion: Auto-select Ingredients from Logged Meals for Easy Copying or Saving as Recipe

eef1087

I often prepare meals that I eat over multiple days. When logging a meal (for example, lunch), I scan barcodes and weigh all the ingredients, which then get saved in my food diary for that specific day and meal.

However, if I want to eat the exact same meal the next day or save it as a reusable recipe after I’ve already eaten and logged it, I currently need to re-enter or re-scan everything manually. There’s no way to select the ingredients from a completed meal and reuse them in another context.

This often happens when I’ve made a meal that turns out really tasty and I want to repeat it, or when I’ve made too much and plan to eat the same thing again the next day. For example, I might want to save it as a recipe and log it with a portion size of 0.5. But since the meal is already logged, I’d like to be able to reuse it directly from the diary entry.

Suggested Feature
Add an option to automatically select all ingredients from a logged meal so users can:

• Copy the meal (with all its ingredients) to another date or meal
• Save the meal directly as a recipe for future use

Why This Would Be Useful
This would save time and reduce friction for users who meal prep or regularly repeat meals. Many people but especially those who cook in bulk or follow meal plans would benefit from quickly reusing meals without having to re-scan or re-enter every ingredient manually.

Optional Enhancements

• Add a “Save as Recipe” button within the logged meal view
• Add a “Copy to Tomorrow” or “Copy to Another Date” option, accessible after logging the meal

This feature would significantly improve usability and efficiency for users with consistent eating habits or those looking to simplify their tracking process.

eef1087

fyi, I use MFP on mobile only.

NotForJustNowForever

That should be an option that's already available if I'm not mistaken.

You select edit on top (left upper corner).

Then you can either save the meal to add it easily later, or copy it. If you copy, you have the following option:

I do have the premium plan, but I feel this option should be available regardless.

springlering62

there’s many ways you can do this, and you can do it via free or premium.

Just go to the meal you want to save and scroll down to the three dots:

Select what you want to do with it:

you can save it as a meal, and find it again any time you want it.

You can copy it to another date, like Friday.

OR you can go to Friday, select the three dots and copy it from today (or any other date).

For example, I make an elaborate chocolate protein pancake batch that makes eight servings. I have it saved as Protein Pancakes in “meals”. When I’m prelogging a week out I just go to breakfast, add meal, find my pancakes, and add .125% of the meal for Monday breakfast. Then I add my daily apple, coffee, collagen powder and pancake spread.

I then go to Tuesday, use the three dots and copy Monday. Ditto Wednesday, Thursday and so on.

Fast and easy for an ingredient heavy breakfast, as many times as I want.

springlering62

btw if you have a spouse or friend who you share your diary with, or if you see theirs, you can use the three dots to save a meal or copy a meal from their account, and vice versa

That’s how I was sharing with my husband, when he was logging. He’d simply look at what I’d recorded for dinner, copy it to his diary, and then simply adjust the meat portion (I eat higher protein than him).

Lietchi

Just to complete Springlering's post: the precise options do vary depending on the app version.

The options are more limited on mine, but it's still possible to copy to another date (within 5 days, day before yesterday up to the day after tomorrow) and to save a meal.

springlering62

I use the iOS app. @Lietchi uses (presumably) the android version.

I’m curious though. What function does reminders serve?

Lietchi

Yes, I'm using the android app. Reminder = to remind us about logging our food 🙂