Set up your household in five minutes
Updated October 2026 · 2 min read
Quick answer
Add who is eating, what they avoid and your weekly food budget once. Every plan and list after that uses it, so you do not retype anything.
Start with people
Add each person who eats at your table. Include children and anyone with their own food rules. Roommates can have their own preferences too.
Add what to avoid
Allergies, dislikes and foods you do not eat go in once. They carry across every plan.
Set a budget
A rough weekly number is enough. You can change it any time, and Plenishly shows what the week costs in dollars before you shop.
Pick a mode
Family, Individual or Household. You can switch later without losing anything.
Check it
Open your first plan. If a meal looks wrong, swap it. The list updates by itself.
Who counts as part of the household?
Anyone who eats at your table most weeks. That means children, grandparents, roommates and the person who works nights and eats later. If someone eats with you only on weekends, you can leave them off and add them when they visit.
Why does the number of people matter so much?
Cost and quantity both scale with the number of plates. A recipe for four that you cook for six needs half again as much food. A plan that knows who is eating gets the shopping list right the first time.
What should you enter about food rules?
Enter only real rules, not preferences you could live with.
| Type | Examples | How to treat it |
|---|---|---|
| Allergy | Peanuts, shellfish, eggs | Never include it. Read every label. |
| Medical diet | Low sodium, diabetes meals | Follow your clinician's advice. |
| Belief or religion | Halal, kosher, vegetarian | Always honor it. |
| Dislike | Mushrooms, cilantro | Avoid when you can, and say so once. |
| Allergy | Peanuts, shellfish, eggs | Never include it. Read every label. |
| Medical diet | Low sodium, diabetes meals | Follow your clinician's advice. |
| Belief or religion | Halal, kosher, vegetarian | Always honor it. |
| Dislike | Mushrooms, cilantro | Avoid when you can, and say so once. |
How big should the budget be?
Look at three months of grocery receipts or card statements and take the average week. Start there. If it feels tight, lower it by about 5 percent and see how it goes. A budget you can keep beats a perfect one you break by Tuesday.
What about households with different needs?
Plan one base dish and adjust at the plate. Rice, pasta or potatoes can be plain for a toddler and dressed up for the adults. The sauce, the spice and the toppings do the rest. That is easier than cooking three dinners.
When should you change the setup?
Update it when something real changes: a new baby, a roommate moving out, a new allergy, a job with different hours. Do not fiddle with it every week. Calm kitchens run on defaults.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Add or remove people, change rules and switch modes from your profile.
No. Start with people and what to avoid. The rest is optional.
Yes. Small children eat less, but they still add to the shop. Count them as part of the total number of people.
Yes. Give each person their own rules and plan one meal that works for both with small changes at the table.