Sophie Jorge, daughter of Dr. Carlos and Nathalie Jorge, is a sophomore in college. And, like many other young adults, she’s navigating the college life many of us are familiar with: uber late nights, waking right before class, friend get-togethers, etc. This lifestyle typically doesn’t focus on healthy eating, but in Sophie’s case, she’s had a solid education in this area from the homefront.

Dr. and Nathalie Jorge are CMO and CEO respectively of Companion Health, a membership-based functional medicine practice which explores all areas of lifestyle in their multi-modal effort to help clients reach optimal wellness. As Nathalie often says, they walk the walk, including making most of their own meals from high-quality ingredients at home, something Sophie has been privy to. Because of her family’s emphasis on eating whole foods (including lots of plants), she has not bought into the diet culture so popular with her college peers, but has instead been on a quest to find a way to eat better. The solution? An app.

“Overall, I was hoping to shift my diet and be able to work in more healthy foods while also not spending too much time on cooking/shopping,” says Sophie. “In college it gets hard to dedicate that much time to preparing your own meals, especially as a STEM major, so I was looking for a way to work more home cooked meals into my diet so that I can make sure I’m getting the right nutrients I need.”

Sophie discovered an app called Mealime, and claims that it’s “super easy to use”.

“There is a free version and a pro version which costs $2.99 a month; I went ahead and just purchased the pro in order to see everything the app has to offer,” she continues. “It’s really great because you can select your dietary concerns/foods you dislike, so I only see dairy-free meals. You can also customize meals based on cooking time and grocery prices, which is really helpful. My favorite feature is probably that after I add a meal to my plan, the app automatically makes a grocery list and tells me how much I need of an ingredient, so it saves me from having to figure out the list and the quantities myself.” (Even non-college-aged individuals can appreciate this feature!)

Obviously we know from the title of this piece that this has been a game changer. But just how has it helped?

“I’d say it’s helped me a lot, especially because I’m able to make food I really enjoy while also knowing that I’m using clean and healthy ingredients to make them,” she continues. “It’s a nice balance since I don’t want to restrict myself from eating things I enjoy, but instead I want to weave more of the healthy stuff into my diet. I think it’s helped a lot in doing that, and I’ve made some pretty delicious meals too.”

“My meals have definitely become a lot more filling and well-balanced. (Before using the app) I was eating out at restaurants a lot more and also buying some prepared meals from stores like Trader Joe’s because of convenience. I also find myself snacking a lot less because I actually cook food that fills me up during the day. I still enjoy a snack or a sweet treat, but I find myself reaching for snacks and sweets less and having a healthier balance of food during the day.”

You, too want to improve eating with an app? More to check out:

While Mealime has been helpful for meal planning and cooking, some other apps to also consider:

Gluten-free apps:

Find Me Gluten-free– Find great gluten-free friendly restaurants, anywhere you go.

The Gluten-free Scanner–The Gluten Free Scanner works simply and fast; simply use your phone to scan the barcodes already found on the products you buy.

Vegan app:

21-Day Vegan Kickstart–A complete 21-day meal plan, extensive recipe library, and tips and tricks from nutrition experts.

Habit apps:

Habit Tracker–Build good habits, break bad habits with this app.

Reframe App–Designed to help you create better drinking habits.

Atoms–App from the popular James Clear that is a habit tracker and a guide filled with bite-sized lessons.