AI for custom meal plans to save costs

Feeling the pinch at the checkout counter? So are millions across the GCC. But instead of just cutting back, many UAE and Saudi shoppers are getting smarter—turning to AI and wellness tech to shop and eat more efficiently.Whether it’s asking ChatGPT for a week’s worth of meals under Dh100, using a fitness app that syncs with your grocery list, or subscribing to a personalised meal kit, technology is reshaping how the region eats, says PwC Middle East’s Voice of the Consumer 2025 report.Over 40% of regional consumers now use AI to personalise their fitness and meal plans—a trend that’s being driven by cost-consciousness, health goals, and convenience.And it’s working. Instead of blindly spending on processed or overpriced items, shoppers are now:

Planning meals ahead to avoid waste

Using apps to build low-cost, high-nutrition grocery baskets

Syncing wearable tech with calorie-counting food logs

Skipping impulsive takeout with pre-set home cooking alerts

Tuesday, 15 July 2025