What PlateJoy got right
PlateJoy is gone. The domain doesn't resolve, the app was pulled from the Play Store, and customer support has been a dial tone since 2023. But before it collapsed, PlateJoy was one of the better meal planning services available.
Founded in 2012 by Christina Bognet, an MIT neuroscience graduate and Y Combinator alum, PlateJoy had the most detailed onboarding quiz in the category. Over 50 data points covering dietary restrictions, medical conditions, family size, cooking skill, kitchen appliances, and time constraints. It supported 14+ diets (vegan, keto, paleo, Mediterranean, low-FODMAP, diabetic-friendly) and generated weekly plans with automatic grocery lists connected to Instacart and Amazon Fresh.
The standout achievement was getting CDC recognition for its Diabetes Prevention Program. Over 20,000 people with prediabetes used the platform, and some Blue Cross Blue Shield plans covered subscriptions.
Users who stuck with it praised the time savings and reduced food waste. One Trustpilot reviewer reported spending under $30 weekly on groceries for two people. Others described learning "food management" and eating healthier without having to think about it.
But there were problems. And then the acquisition happened.
What went wrong with PlateJoy
RVO Health (the company behind Healthline) acquired PlateJoy in 2021. Then everything fell apart.
| Date | What Happened |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Acquired by RVO Health (Red Ventures / Healthline Media) |
| 2022 | Social media accounts went silent |
| 2022-2023 | Founder Christina Bognet departed |
| Post-acquisition | Website stripped down to "essentially a survey" |
| September 2024 | Last Android app update |
| March 2025 | App removed from Google Play Store |
| July 2025 | Service officially discontinued |
| 2026 | Domain no longer resolves |
This is a textbook acquisition death. A bigger company buys a smaller product, strips it for parts, and abandons the original users.
The billing nightmare
PlateJoy's worst reviews are almost entirely about billing. Users report being charged after cancellation with no way to reach anyone.
One Trustpilot reviewer wrote: "I received a warning that I was going to be charged...and so I reached out and canceled...imagine my shock when I am charged $99." She sent over 20 messages. Zero responses. The phone number went to a dial tone.
Another: "They charged me for year. So 'cancel anytime' means that once I cancelled, I have to pay for another 363 days."
A third: "My account has been CANCELLED for MONTHS, but yet tonight I was in line to buy WATER and my card was declined. PlateJoy charged me $69 for an account that still shows inactive on their site."
The recipe problem
Even before the shutdown, users complained about recipe quality. The database was finite. Filter for your specific dietary restrictions and you'd cycle through the same meals within weeks. Trustpilot reviewers called recipes "really really boring" and noted a lack of variety. One user said: "Quality dropped fast...regret buying year of service."
PlateJoy's grocery lists also had a persistent bug: recipes called for one ingredient while the shopping list showed something completely different. When your meal planner causes food waste instead of preventing it, you've got a fundamental problem.
How MealThinker compares to what PlateJoy offered
PlateJoy and MealThinker solve the same core problem (what should I cook this week?) in fundamentally different ways. PlateJoy matched you with recipes from a static database based on a quiz. MealThinker generates personalized meals through AI conversation.
| Feature | PlateJoy (before shutdown) | MealThinker |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | 50-question quiz, then filtered recipe database | Ongoing AI conversation that learns over time |
| Recipe source | Fixed database of nutritionist-designed recipes | AI-generated meals tailored to your exact situation |
| Dietary support | 14+ preset diets (some combinations unavailable) | Any restriction, described in your own words |
| Kitchen awareness | Basic digital pantry (inventory list) | Conversational pantry tracking (mention what you have as you go) |
| Adaptability | Quiz answers could be edited; recipes marked as "not used" | Learns from every conversation. Improves over time. See all features. |
| Grocery lists | Auto-generated (sometimes mismatched with recipes) | Generated from the gap between what you have and what you need |
| Leftovers | Not handled | Tell it what's left over. It builds the next meal around it. |
| Best for | People who wanted a structured plan handed to them | People who want flexible, ongoing help with food |
| Price | Was $8.25-12.99/mo (no longer available) | $15/mo or $150/year |
| Free option | 10-day trial (aggressive billing after) | 7-day trial, no credit card required |
When PlateJoy was the better choice
If you wanted a structured weekly plan with zero input beyond the initial quiz, PlateJoy worked. Answer questions once, get a plan. No conversation needed. For people who found that approach comforting, it was a solid product.
When MealThinker is the better choice
If you want a meal planner that knows what's in your fridge, learns your taste over time, and generates fresh ideas instead of recycling the same database, MealThinker is built for that. You can say "I have leftover rice and some vegetables going soft" and get a specific dinner plan. PlateJoy couldn't do that.
Plan tonight's dinner in 30 seconds
AI meal planning that remembers your kitchen and preferences.
Why quiz-based meal planning hit a ceiling
PlateJoy's 50-question quiz was state of the art in 2012. You answered once, the algorithm filtered its recipe database, and you got a personalized plan. The problem: "personalized" had a ceiling.
A fixed recipe database can only contain so many options. Filter for vegan + nut-free + low-FODMAP + quick meals and you might have 30 recipes left. Those 30 get repetitive fast. Users noticed. The quiz captured your preferences on day one but couldn't keep up as your tastes evolved or your pantry changed.
This is the structural problem with every quiz-based meal planner, not just PlateJoy. Eat This Much, Mealime, and Plan to Eat all hit the same wall. A database can be large, but it's still finite. An AI that generates meals in response to your specific situation doesn't have that constraint.
The other missing piece: PlateJoy had no real idea what was in your kitchen. It generated plans assuming an empty pantry every week. Cooking from what you already have is the single biggest way to reduce food waste and grocery spending. PlateJoy missed this entirely.
The acquisition made everything worse. When RVO Health bought PlateJoy, they had no incentive to invest in a small meal planning product. The founder left. Development stopped. Support evaporated. The recipe database froze in time. It's the same pattern that killed Yummly after Whirlpool's acquisition.
If you're looking for what PlateJoy promised but never fully delivered, try MealThinker free for 7 days. No credit card required.
Frequently asked questions
Is PlateJoy still available?
No. PlateJoy shut down in July 2025 after being acquired by RVO Health (Healthline Media) in 2021. The app was removed from the Google Play Store in March 2025, and the domain no longer resolves as of 2026. Customer support has been unresponsive since at least 2023.
What happened to PlateJoy?
PlateJoy was acquired by RVO Health in 2021. After the acquisition, the founder departed, social media went silent, and the website was stripped down. Development stopped, support disappeared, and the service was officially discontinued in mid-2025. This is a common pattern when large media companies acquire small product startups.
What's the best free PlateJoy alternative?
MealThinker offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. Unlike PlateJoy's quiz-based approach, MealThinker uses AI conversation to learn your preferences, track your kitchen inventory, and generate personalized meal plans that improve over time. For a full breakdown of how AI meal planning compares to traditional apps, see this comparison.
Can AI meal planning do what PlateJoy did?
Yes, and more. PlateJoy's core value was personalized weekly meal plans with grocery lists. AI meal planners do the same thing but also track your kitchen inventory, learn from ongoing conversations, generate unlimited recipe variety, and adapt in real time. The key differences between AI and traditional meal planning go well beyond what any quiz-based app could offer.
What about PlateJoy's diabetes prevention program?
PlateJoy's CDC-recognized Diabetes Prevention Program helped over 20,000 people manage prediabetes. That program is no longer available. If you need meal planning that supports specific health conditions, MealThinker lets you describe any dietary need in your own words (diabetic-friendly, low-glycemic, anti-inflammatory) and generates plans accordingly. For medical nutrition advice, consult a registered dietitian.