Mealie meal planner with n8n: weekly dinners and a shopping list
Once a week, n8n asks your self-hosted Mealie recipe server for a random dinner for each of the next 7 days, pulls each recipe and creates a named shopping list.
Setup steps
- Run Mealie with API access
- Add Mealie Bearer credentials in n8n
- Import the template
- Set the weekly schedule
- Change entryType for lunch/breakfast if wanted
Steps summarized from the original Template source ↗. Use “Copy” to grab them with the tools and source link, or copy an AI prompt.
Try it with AI
Paste this into ChatGPT, Claude or your own agent for step-by-step help. Prompt written by AppToBot from this recipe's data, not by the original author. It keeps drafts for your review and asks before anything is sent or paid.
Help me set up this automation using n8n + Mealie (self-hosted): "Mealie meal planner with n8n: weekly dinners and a shopping list". Goal: replace Meal-planning apps and Sunday planning. How it should work: - Trigger: Once a week - Then: Asks Mealie for 7 random dinners - Then: Pulls each recipe - Result: Meal plan + shopping list Setup steps (summarized from the original source): 1. Run Mealie with API access 2. Add Mealie Bearer credentials in n8n 3. Import the template 4. Set the weekly schedule 5. Change entryType for lunch/breakfast if wanted Guide me one step at a time. Ask me for anything you need (accounts, sheet or channel names) before you start. Safety rules: - Build and test with sample data first, and show me a sample result before anything goes live. - Keep anything that goes to other people (emails, posts, replies, record updates) as drafts for my review until I say otherwise. - Never send, post, buy, pay, delete or change records without my approval. - Tell me about any cost (paid plans, API usage) before I'd incur it, and help me set a spending limit. - Keep API keys and passwords out of shared docs and chats. - Privacy: Runs entirely on your own servers; no third-party AI. Based on: https://n8n.io/workflows/13815-generate-weekly-dinner-meal-plans-and-shopping-lists-using-mealie/
Tool names link to each official site (opens in a new tab).
Running cost: Free to run Free if you already self-host Mealie and n8n. Self-hosted No-code How we sort costs
Stack: n8n
App vs bot, side by side
| Old app / habit | Bot | |
|---|---|---|
| Tool | Meal-planning apps and Sunday planning | n8n schedule + Mealie API (random dinner per day) + Mealie shopping list |
| Monthly cost | Not reported | Free if you already self-host Mealie and n8n |
| Setup | None (already in use) | Not reported · Intermediate |
| Your time | Baseline | Not reported |
| Maintenance | Handled by vendor/you as before | Keep the Mealie API token valid; extend if you want ingredient totals. |
| Privacy | Data stays with the app vendor | Runs entirely on your own servers; no third-party AI. |
Full comparison
| Replaces | Meal-planning apps and Sunday planning |
|---|---|
| Bot / agent stack | n8n schedule + Mealie API (random dinner per day) + Mealie shopping list |
| Monthly cost before | Not reported |
| Monthly cost after | Free if you already self-host Mealie and n8n |
| Setup time | Not reported |
| Time saved | Not reported |
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Reliability | 3/5: simple, deterministic automation; picks are random from your own recipes, so quality depends on your library. |
| Maintenance | Keep the Mealie API token valid; extend if you want ingredient totals. |
| Privacy & data | Runs entirely on your own servers; no third-party AI. |
| Best for | Self-hosters who already keep recipes in Mealie |
| Not for | People without a home server |
Pros and cons
Pros
- No AI costs
- Fully self-hosted
- Hands-off weekly planning
Cons
- Needs a running Mealie server
- Random picks, no preferences
Source and evidence
Published template; no AI model involved, it is a scheduled automation using Mealie’s own random meal-plan API.
Read the original Template source ↗
“Not reported” means the source doesn't say. We never fill gaps with guesses. Numbers marked “per author” or “vendor claim” are the source's own and weren't independently tested. Source last checked Oct 16, 2026.
Our rating is an editorial opinion based on the public source above, not lab testing. Spot an error? Request a correction.
Plain-text summary (for search and AI assistants)
Mealie meal planner with n8n: weekly dinners and a shopping list. Replaces Meal-planning apps and Sunday planning with n8n schedule + Mealie API (random dinner per day) + Mealie shopping list. Cost before: Not reported. Cost after: Free if you already self-host Mealie and n8n. Setup: Not reported, Intermediate. Time saved: Not reported. Reliability 3/5: 3/5: simple, deterministic automation; picks are random from your own recipes, so quality depends on your library. Best for: Self-hosters who already keep recipes in Mealie. Not for: People without a home server. Source: https://n8n.io/workflows/13815-generate-weekly-dinner-meal-plans-and-shopping-lists-using-mealie/
Related recipes
More: all Home & Food recipes · Best AI agents to replace Zapier · n8n vs Make: AI agent recipes compared
Questions, corrections or ideas?
Spotted an error, want a recipe covered, or have a partnership idea? Send us a message and we'll get back to you.
Starting your own newsletter? Try beehiiv ↗
What is beehiiv?
beehiiv is a newsletter platform: you write and send emails, host a newsletter website, and grow and monetize a list from one place. We've used it for our own newsletter.
beehiiv says (vendor claims, not tested by us):
- Free plan with up to 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends
- Built-in website, recommendation network and analytics
- 0% cut of paid subscription revenue (Stripe fees apply)
Good for: starting or growing an email newsletter. Not ideal for: email automations or removing beehiiv branding on a $0 budget (those need Lite or Pro).
Free plan: $0, no card needed. Paid plans from $49/mo billed annually (Lite, up to 1,000 subscribers). People who sign up through our link get a 14-day trial plus 20% off their first 3 months, per beehiiv's partner page. Facts as of Oct 2026, from beehiiv's own website. More about beehiiv →