Grocerplan is a free web meal planner that works with a SNAP or EBT budget, and it shows an estimated cost per serving on all 137 of its recipes. Type your household's monthly SNAP amount once: Plan my week then leans toward dinners that fit it, and the Plan tab shows the week's estimated cost next to a quarter of that amount. You check out on Instacart, where EBT pays for eligible food at participating stores and a separate card covers Instacart's fees and tips.
Free meal plan
Try it: seven dinners for your household, by email.
Tell us a little about your household and we'll email you seven dinners picked for it, each with its recipe. Free.
How SNAP planning works in Grocerplan
Turn on SNAP/EBT in your profile and type your household's monthly SNAP amount. When you tap Plan my week, Grocerplan picks seven dinners sized to your household and favors the ones whose estimated cost fits a per-meal share of that amount. That share assumes three meals a day, so breakfast and lunch keep theirs. It still fills every night, so a dinner can run over; swap it from the plan.
Type your monthly SNAP amount once; Plan my week leans toward dinners that fit it
An estimated cost per serving on every Grocerplan recipe, and SNAP-friendly picks sorted by it
The week's estimated cost next to a quarter of your monthly amount, on the Plan tab
One grocery list for the week: Shop on Instacart, or print it for any store
A quick eligibility estimate, with links to apply in your state
Set it up
1.
Sign up free. Tell Grocerplan what you eat, any allergies, and how many people you feed.
2.
In Profile, open SNAP / EBT Benefits, turn on "I use SNAP/EBT benefits", type your household's monthly SNAP amount and save.
3.
Tap Plan my week. You get seven dinners sized to your household, leaning toward ones that fit your SNAP amount.
4.
On the Plan tab, check the SNAP budget line and the SNAP-friendly picks under it. Swap any dinner that runs high.
5.
Open your grocery list and tap Shop on Instacart. Choose a store that takes EBT SNAP, then check out on Instacart.
Paying with EBT on Instacart
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Where: Instacart says EBT SNAP works at participating stores in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., as long as the state that issued your card takes part in SNAP online purchasing. USDA says SNAP online is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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What it pays for: eligible items, which Instacart marks with an EBT label. You can pay for them with EBT in full or in part.
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What it doesn't: a separate credit or debit card covers Instacart's fees, tips, taxes, bottle deposits and anything that isn't SNAP-eligible. USDA says SNAP benefits "cannot be used to pay for fees of any type."
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How: add your EBT card in Instacart's account settings, choose EBT SNAP at checkout, and pick how much it pays.
Honest limits
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A small catalog: 137 recipes, 78 of them dinners.
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A website, not an App Store or Google Play app. It works in your phone's browser.
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Instacart is the only store handoff on the web today. You can also print the list and shop anywhere.
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Costs are estimates from our recipe data, not your store's prices.
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SNAP mode leans toward cheaper dinners but never refuses one: every night still gets a dinner, so check the budget line and swap.
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The budget line counts only the meals you planned (seven dinners by default) against a quarter of your monthly amount. Leave room for breakfasts and lunches.
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SNAP pays for food, not fees or tips. USDA lists what it can't buy, such as alcohol, vitamins, hot foods and household supplies. Grocerplan doesn't mark which list items SNAP covers; on Instacart, eligible items carry an EBT label.
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Grocerplan never sees your EBT card or balance and never takes payment. It plans from the amount you type in.
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The eligibility estimate is not an application or a decision. Only your state can decide.
Questions
Is there a meal planning app that works with a SNAP or EBT budget?
Yes. Grocerplan is a free web meal planner with a SNAP/EBT setting. Type your household's monthly SNAP amount once; Plan my week then leans toward dinners that fit it, and the Plan tab shows the week's estimated cost next to your weekly share. You check out on Instacart, which accepts EBT SNAP at participating stores.
What's a good meal plan app for SNAP recipients?
One that shows what meals cost and plans around a fixed monthly amount. Grocerplan is free, shows an estimated cost per serving on every Grocerplan recipe and leans toward dinners that fit your SNAP amount; 54 of its 78 dinners are estimated under $3 a serving. Its catalog is small (137 recipes), and you check out on Instacart.
Is there an app for meal planning on a SNAP budget that shows cost per serving?
Yes. Every Grocerplan recipe shows an estimated cost per serving, on its card and its recipe page, and SNAP-friendly picks are sorted by it. Its 78 dinners run from an estimated $0.70 to $7.09 a serving, with a median of $2.49. These are estimates from our recipe data; your store's prices will differ.
Can I use EBT on Instacart?
Yes. Instacart says EBT SNAP customers can pay for eligible items, in full or in part, at participating stores in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Eligible items carry an EBT label. Add your EBT card in Instacart's account settings and choose EBT SNAP at checkout; a separate card covers fees, tips, taxes and ineligible items.
Do SNAP benefits pay for Instacart fees?
No. USDA says SNAP benefits "cannot be used to pay for fees of any type"; they pay for eligible food only. Instacart asks for a separate credit or debit card to cover its fees, tips, taxes, bottle deposits and anything that isn't SNAP-eligible.
Is Grocerplan free?
Yes. It never takes payment or sees your EBT card; you pay on Instacart. Grocerplan may earn a commission when you check out on Instacart.