Using ChatGPT for meal planning

[Anonymous]

I just gave ChatGPT a command to 'make me a meal plan for the week for a woman trying to eat more fruits and vegetables and lose weight.' I then asked for a shopping list, and then I asked for portions and calorie counts. I also listed what I didn't like and told it not to include those things.
I asked for a couple of recipes too.
I was really pleased with the results and am eager to try this starting next week.
Wondering if anyone else is doing this?
I am REALLY HOPING that this will help us eliminate food waste, by finally planning our meals.
It's so easy now!

[Anonymous]

...chatgpt is documented terrible at basic math so make sure you're double checking its addition. Hope it works well for you, though!

[Anonymous]

Post what it "wrote"!

[Anonymous]

you know it just threw some numbers in there right? It is not refined enough to be dialing in your nutrition and eliminating food waste

[Anonymous]

I'm trying to save money this month and not shop until Feb 1, or shop very minimally.

I did a pantry inventory of everything I have on hand already and gave it this prompt:

Create a meal plan for 11 days of dinners for three people. I have these ingredients already: 1 pound ground turkey; 1 pound ground beef; 4 pork chops; 2 pounds penne pasta; 1 pound spaghetti, 5 pounds white rice; 5 pounds red potatoes, 3 pounds white potatoes, 2 pounds yellow onions; 1/2 pound mushrooms; 1 pound red peppers; 3 pounds apples; 2 jars pumpkin pasta sauce; 1 jar spaghetti sauce; 2 canned whole tomatoes; 1 pound egg noodles; 1 pound raw cashews; i pound dried chickpeas; 1 pound raw walnuts; 2 cans coconut milk; 2 bags fresh leaf spinach; 1 pound frozen butternut squash puree; cilantro, parsley, scallions, chicken broth; 2 dozen eggs; 1 pack polenta; 8 oz. cheddar cheese; 1 gallon milk; 1 box pancake mix; olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, curry powder, taco seasoning, Italian herbs; herbs de Provence, garlic, maple syrup, plain yogurt, oranges. I have $25 to buy more ingredients. Create a meal plan for 11 dinners and include links to recipes and a shopping list for other things I should buy.

this was the response:

Here is a meal plan for 11 dinners for three people, using the ingredients you have provided:

Spaghetti and Meatballs: Serve spaghetti with meatballs made from a mixture of ground turkey and beef. Season the meatballs with Italian herbs and garlic. Serve with a side of garlic bread made with butter and herbs de Provence and a salad dressed with olive oil and orange juice.

Pork Chops with Applesauce: Pan-sear pork chops seasoned with herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Serve with homemade applesauce made with butter, cinnamon, and maple syrup. Serve with a side of mashed potatoes made with butter and milk and green beans sautéed with garlic and olive oil.

Chicken and Mushroom Penne Pasta: Cook penne pasta and sauté mushrooms, onions, and red peppers with olive oil, garlic, and Italian herbs. Add canned tomatoes and cooked ground turkey or chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a side of garlic bread made with butter and herbs de Provence.

Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry: Make a curry using coconut milk, canned tomatoes, butternut squash puree, and chickpeas. Season with curry powder, salt, and pepper. Serve with a side of white rice.

Cashew and Mushroom Stir Fry: Stir fry mushrooms, onions, red peppers, and cashews with olive oil, garlic, and Italian herbs. Serve over white rice.

Egg Fried Rice: Cook white rice and stir fry with onions, eggs, and frozen vegetables. Season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper.

Spinach and Walnut Stuffed Pork Chops: Stuff pork chops with a mixture of spinach and walnuts. Season with herbs de Provence, salt, and pepper. Serve with a side of roasted potatoes seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.

Pumpkin Pasta: Cook spaghetti and toss with pumpkin pasta sauce. Season with Italian herbs and garlic. Serve with a side of garlic bread made with butter and herbs de Provence and a salad dressed with olive oil and orange juice.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry: Make a curry using coconut milk, canned tomatoes, chickpeas, and spinach. Season with curry powder, salt, and pepper. Serve with a side of white rice.

Polenta and Egg Casserole: Cook polenta and layer with eggs, cheese, and vegetables. Bake in the oven until cheese is melted. Season with Italian herbs, salt, and pepper.

Pancakes and Sausages: Make pancakes using the pancake mix and serve with sausages.
You can use yogurt and maple syrup as toppings for your pancakes, if you like.


Shopping List:

Pork sausages
Garlic bread
Salad greens
Green beans
Frozen vegetables
Soy sauce

[Anonymous]

Ha, I added this direction to the end of the above prompt:

Give specific directions about each meal in great detail.

And I got this:

Day 1:

Pork chops with apple and onion
Garlic mashed potatoes

Ingredients to buy: None

Directions:

1. Cut the apples and onions into thin slices.
2. In a pan over medium heat, sauté the apples and onions in a little bit of butter until they are tender.
3. Season the pork chops with salt, pepper, and herbs de Provence.
4. Heat some olive oil in another pan over medium-high heat.
5. Add the pork chops to the pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
6. Serve the pork chops with the apple and onion mixture on top.
7. To make the garlic mashed potatoes, peel and chop the potatoes and boil them in a pot of salted water until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes with butter, milk, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Day 2:

Spaghetti and meatballs

Ingredients to buy: 1 can of crushed tomatoes

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground turkey and beef, a beaten egg, bread crumbs, minced garlic, parsley, and Italian herbs.
3. Form the mixture into meatballs and place them on a baking sheet.
4. Bake the meatballs for about 20 minutes, or until cooked through.
5. While the meatballs are cooking, heat the spaghetti sauce and canned tomatoes in a pot over medium heat.
6. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.
7. Serve the meatballs on top of the spaghetti.

Day 3:

Ground beef and mushroom tacos
Ingredients to buy: 1 pack of corn tortillas

Directions:

In a pan over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and season with taco seasoning.
When the beef is cooked through, add sliced mushrooms and continue to cook for a few more minutes.
Heat the corn tortillas in a pan or in the oven.
Serve the beef and mushroom mixture in the tortillas, topped with chopped cilantro and scallions.

Day 4:

Cashew and chickpea curry
Ingredients to buy: 1 can of chickpeas, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of coconut milk, curry powder

Directions:

1. In a pot over medium heat, sauté diced onions in a little bit of oil until translucent.
2. Add the curry powder and cook for a minute.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, chickpeas, and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes.
4. In a separate pan, roast the cashews until golden brown.
5. Serve the curry over rice and garnish with the roasted cashews.

Day 5:

Spinach and ricotta stuffed shells
Ingredients to buy: Ricotta cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the jumbo shells according to package instructions.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, a beaten egg, garlic, and some grated cheese.
3. Once the shells are cooked and cooled, stuff each shell with the ricotta mixture.
4. Arrange the stuffed shells in a baking dish.
5. Cover the shells with spaghetti sauce and grated cheese.
6. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

I won't go through the rest... it got some of the ingredients wrong (thinks I have some that I don't, forgot that I had some. But it is an interesting exercise. Sometimes it gives me links to pretend recipes, but the links are garbage.

[Anonymous]

Wow!

[Anonymous]

Ha! I’m running all important work communication through chat GPT and asking for a specific tone depending on what I’m trying to convey. It is such a game changer.I can’t wait to see where this toll goes.

[Anonymous]

See if it will give you links to well reviewed recipes instead of making up its own. ChatGPT is built to spit out a result that looks right, not one that is right.

[Anonymous]

^^then once you choose you should be able to have it make you a shopping list by department from the recipes.

[Anonymous]

Yuck, terrible recs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yuck, terrible recs

Are you not the least bit impressed though?
This is still new and in beta. Imagine where it will be when you’re dead