Share & Help Me Grow
When it comes time to make a grocery list or plan specific recipes, you need to know what you have in your refrigerator to avoid food waste by making unnecessary purchases. You could keep a hand-written inventory of food items or get more progressive using inventory apps for Android or iOS.
The prominent feature in most pantry inventory apps is the ability to track what you have on hand and help you develop weekly meal plans, avoiding quick (and often expensive) trips to the grocery store.
Most of these pantry management apps are available through iTunes for Apple users but also may be available for Android in the Google Play Store.
Pantry Check – Kitchen and Grocery Tracking and Management
Add and/or remove items from your food pantry, freezer, and refrigerator with the Pantry Check app using a barcode scanner to know exactly what you have in your home inventory.
The Pantry Check app from the Apple app store claims to be the easiest pantry inventory management application with a simple interface and “the best barcode scanner.”
This great app syncs almost instantly and can be shared with other family members so everyone can work together to waste less food.
Pantry Check helps keep track of food “best before” dates and sends automatic expiration reminders.
With smart shopping lists based on usage and inventory, Pantry Check is a great tool to manage the groceries you buy and use, saving you a lot of time. It’s never been easier to plan meals, do your grocery shopping, keep track of pantry items, avoid food waste, and stay
on top of your budget.
Plus, as a new client, you can access premium features during a trial period if desired.
Learn more about Pantry Check here.
USDA FoodKeeper
Not the typical pantry tracker, the FoodKeeper is not the best food storage app but helps manage food pantries and fridge food by answering the question, “Is this still safe to eat?”
Search for food by type or using the database and find the best way to store your food and increase the shelf life of freezer items as well as other grocery items.
Get the USDA FoodKeeper for Apple here or Android here.
My Pantry Tracker
This free app (with app purchases available) tracks what is in your kitchen so you are not buying food that you already have or ignoring food with a rapidly approaching expiration date.
My Pantry Tracker is a simple app, missing many of the upgrades available in other apps. Even so, it is a great start as a food inventory tracker, allowing you to know how much food is available in your kitchen.
When you go shopping and add new items to your pantry, simply use your device’s camera to scan any items with a barcode easily into this mobile application.
My Pantry Tracker is available for Apple, Android, and web browser use.
KitchenPal: Pantry Inventory App
Available for Apple and Android phone users, KitchenPal might be the easiest way to keep track of items on your mobile device.
Using the barcode scanner, you can manage your grocery shopping list, track your favorite store brands, and compare the nutritional value of different products all in one single place.
One of the important things about KitchenPal is how you can find smart recipes suggested based on your fridge food. Choose from the food categories and tap the ingredients on hand. Then, select new recipes. The app will then mention any missing ingredients to add to your grocery list or ask household members to pick up before coming home.
The app also watches your healthy food, automatically detecting food expiry dates, and send a daily reminder of items you might need.
Set up your profile and choose your preferred dietary style to receive personalized nutritional information. With the upgraded premium version, you can even add your own recipes.
Learn more about KitchenPal: Pantry Inventory App.
MealBoard
Available only for Apple devices, the MealBoard app combines grocery shopping, pantry management, meal planning, and delicious recipes in one amazing app.
The first step in using the app is to find your favorite recipes from the recipe app and place them into the meal planning calendar. Then, the app automatically creates your grocery shopping list based on your menu plan. As the app builds your grocery list, the smart shopping list takes your specific item and organizes it with similar items so your list is organized by the grocery store’s aisles.
As you shop and mark the items off your grocery list, the MealBoard app automatically adds the items to your pantry so there is no need to scan items when you get home.
One benefit of MealBoard that sets it apart from other pantry management apps is you can access the app through your web browser making it a good way to keep track of your meal plans and grocery lists from wherever you are.
Check out the MealBoard app here.
CozZo: All Purpose Shopping Planner
The last pantry inventory app on my list is the CozZo All Purpose Shopping Planner. Much more than a pantry app, CozZo allows you to create personal supplies catalogs for multiple stores. You can have shopping lists for different types of stores (baby, home improvement, etc.) and various holidays (Christmas, birthdays, etc.)
You can choose to keep your shopping lists private or share access to your shopping lists with up to 10 other people. It even syncs with social media messaging apps so you can send a list to friends.
Inside the CozZo app, you can meal plan, add items to your inventory by scanning your receipts, and keep track of expiration dates, including the expiry dates of your leftovers.
CozZo is only available for Apple devices but syncs with the Apple Watch for a convenient way to add items to your lists with voice search or review your shopping goals quickly.
Which pantry apps do you use?
When I originally wrote this list of best pantry inventory apps, there were more options for grocery list and pantry inventory management like fresh box, Fridge Pal, and the epicurious app, but these are no longer available in 2022.
How do you track what is in your pantry?
I would love to know if you have a favorite web app for tracking your pantry inventory. Or do you have another way of simplifying the domestic work of maximizing your grocery investment?
Leave a comment below with your ideas.
