Answer
Is there a free UK meal planner that plans a week of cheap dinners for my budget and makes one shopping list?
Last checked 3 November 2026. Free, no account.
Yes. Forkcast is one: tell it how many people, how many dinners and your budget, and it plans the week around shared ingredients and gives you one shopping list, costed in whole packs from Office for National Statistics average UK shop prices (September 2026). It is free for small households and needs no account.
Who Forkcast suits
- You are cooking dinners for a small household on a set weekly food budget.
- You want less left over, so dinners that use up the same packs.
- You want a vegetarian, vegan or quick-dinner week without signing up.
Who it does not suit
- You plan around calories or macros. Forkcast does not count them.
- You want to plan your own saved recipes. Forkcast picks from its own set of 36 dinners.
- You need live prices at one supermarket. Totals use national average prices and are a guide.
- You cook for more than 4 people or plan more than 5 dinners without paying.
Price
Free for up to 4 people and 5 dinners a week, with no account. Forkcast Pro covers up to 8 people and all 7 dinners and keeps a recipe box, for £3.99 a month or £24 a year. Last checked 3 November 2026.
Plan my week Compare with Eat This Much, Plan to Eat and Mealime
Questions
How do I plan dinners on a £40 weekly shop?
In Forkcast, enter how many people, how many dinners and £40 as your budget. It picks dinners that share ingredients and prices the list in whole packs. If no week fits inside the budget it shows the cheapest one instead, so check the total against your limit.
Is there a free meal planning app in the UK with no sign-up?
Yes, Forkcast needs no account. It is free for up to 4 people and 5 dinners a week and runs in your browser.
Can I get a vegetarian or vegan budget meal plan?
Yes. Choose Vegetarian or Vegan, or exclude pork, fish or beef, and set a cooking time of 30 or 45 minutes or less. Forkcast then plans only from matching dinners.
How do I reduce food waste by using up whole packs?
Forkcast picks dinners that use the same packs, such as the rest of the mince bag or the other half of a tin, and costs packed food in whole packs the way you buy it, so less is left over.
Where do Forkcast's prices come from, and how accurate are they?
Each ingredient is costed from the Office for National Statistics' average UK shop price for September 2026, the latest month it has published. Budget supermarkets are often cheaper than the average and convenience stores dearer, so treat the total as a guide. Cupboard basics are listed but not in the total.
Last checked 3 November 2026. Prices are a guide. Check allergens and food safety yourself.