The Pantry tool allows you to find and manually schedule recipes that you can cook using essential ingredients that you already have on hand. Many of these recipes are flexible enough that you can substitute out some ingredients if you don't have every single ingredient listed.
Mobile app users: The Pantry tool can only be accessed from our website at this time. You can use your preferred device's web browser to access our website at realplans.com.
FODMAP diet type: Currently, the Pantry tool is not compatible with the low FODMAP diet type.
Access the My Pantry tool
- Click Planner in the upper left corner
- Click the drop down arrow on the right side of the screen next to View Shopping List and select View your pantry
Set up your pantry
A window will open that lists the different pantry categories available. These categories align with the foods associated with your dietary settings, so if you are gluten free, you won't see foods listed that have gluten in them.
- If you would like to see a video of how the My Pantry tool works, click on the ? in the upper right corner of the Manage Pantry window
- Click on each of the categories and check off the ingredients that you have in your home pantry
- As you check off ingredients that you have on hand, you will see the number of available recipes at the bottom of the box will increase
- If you aren't sure what an ingredient includes, click the ? next to the ingredient for more information
- Click on View Available Recipes
- This will show you the recipes in your recipe box on the left side of the Planner view
- It allows you to view the recipes that you can make with the ingredients you have on hand
- The My Pantry filter in the recipe box shows how many recipes are available based on the ingredients on hand
- Drag and drop one of the available recipes to the meal time on your meal plan
Remove an ingredient from the pantry as you schedule recipes
After you schedule a recipe using your pantry settings, you are given the option to remove the ingredient from the pantry.
- If you have more of the ingredient in your home pantry than what you need for the recipe you scheduled, click Continue
- If you only have enough of that item to make that one recipe, check the circle next to the item to remove it from your Manage Pantry tool
- Click Continue
- This will remove the food from your pantry and adjust the available recipes so you don't schedule more of the same ingredient than what you have on hand
Find which ingredients you can add that will get you the most additional recipes
We have also included a function in Manage Pantry that tells you which ingredients are the most important ones that can add to your pantry that will provide you with more recipes.
- In the Manage Pantry window, click on important ingredients near the bottom of the window
- The window that opens shows you the top 4 ingredients that will provide you with the most additional recipes
- This helps you prioritize what you may need to get if you go to the store
Pro tip: If you only want to use the recipes that are available based on your Pantry settings, you may want to change to our blank calendar or calendar-free meal planning style. If you only want to remove a few recipes, click on the X on the scheduled recipe to remove it from the plan.
If you need assistance, please send us an email at support(at)realplans.com.