TechRadar Artificial Intelligence Week 2025
This article is part of NewForTech’s AI Week 2025. We’ll cover the basics of AI and show you how to get the most out of ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude, as well as detailed features, news and key talking points in the AI world.
Cooking at home seems simple in theory. You buy the ingredients, follow a recipe and enjoy the result. In practice, it is much more chaotic. You forget the plan, buy food that isn’t quite right, or stare at the fridge at 7pm. wondering what to do. For this reason, meal planning has become one of the most common uses for ChatGPT.
Instead of having to juggle recipe books, spreadsheets and grocery store offers, you can simply ask AI to solve the problem. It won’t cook for you, but it could mean never having to eat cereal for dinner again.
Open the blank page
The hardest part of meal planning is knowing what to cook. Ask ChatGPT for “five quick dinners for two for under £30” and you’ll receive a full menu of recipes. Do you want a balanced relationship between vegetarians and meat? Add it to the command prompt. Do you prefer full meals because you hate doing the dishes? Mention it and suggestions will be adjusted immediately.
I tested this by ordering “five easy-to-prepare high-fiber dinners, each under 500 calories.” The result was surprisingly practical: lentil curry, roasted chickpeas with salad and stir-fried vegetables with brown rice. Each one came with a recipe, preparation time and nutritional analysis. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to give me a starting point.
Create recipes based on what you have
One of the best ChatGPT tricks is reverse programming. Instead of starting with a recipe, start with the ingredients you already have. Tell the AI you have chicken, spinach and couscous and it will suggest different meals with those ingredients.
This is ideal for preventing food waste. I once had half a cup of ricotta in the fridge and didn’t know what to do with it. ChatGPT gave me three recipes, including pasta with spinach and ricotta, which took me twenty minutes. Instead of throwing it away, I made a proper meal.
You can also use ChatGPT during the week when you are too tired to be creative. Make a list of what’s in your pantry and fridge, and the AI will use it to create a meal plan with prep times that fit your schedule. Since I often forget what’s in the fridge, using ChatGPT to keep track of my shopping list has made my life much easier.
Balanced nutrition without headaches
Nutrition is another area where people lose motivation. Counting calories or tracking macros is boring. ChatGPT can make your work easier by creating balanced menus tailored to your goals.
Order “a week’s worth of easy-to-prepare, high-protein, 2,000-calorie-per-day vegetarian meals” and receive a complete plan with recipes and shopping lists. Then you can adapt it according to your allergies or preferences. It’s like having a dietitian available, but at a lower cost.
When I tried it, I had a plan that balanced protein-rich meals like lentil soup and stir-fried tofu with lighter lunch options. He also suggested snacks that would actually meet my 2,000 calorie goal.
Batch cooking and preparation.
Cooking once and eating several times is one of the smartest ways to save time, but planning is complicated. ChatGPT can divide the cooking into batches based on a clear schedule. Ask for “three meals I can cook in bulk on Sunday that will last the whole week” and you’ll get a plan with storage tips.
I tried it by ordering well heated dishes. The suggestions included chili, roasted vegetable dishes and deep-fried main dishes. Each package contained a recommendation for how long you should keep them in the fridge or freezer. This detail makes all the difference because you don’t have to wonder if Tuesday’s leftovers are still edible.
Substitutions and flexibility
This article was originally published as part of ChatGPT Basics Guidenow available in. ChatGPT Basics Guide is packed with great tips and advice from experts, covering everything you need to know about the world’s most popular AI, from the basics to some of the latest features.
Real life never goes as planned. You forget to buy something or the store runs out of an ingredient you really need. Instead of refilling a prescription, you can request a replacement from the AI. “What can I use in this curry instead of eggplant?” » you get a list of options with instructions on how to change the taste.
This flexibility makes prescriptions less rigid. You can adapt to what you have without skipping a meal. It is especially useful for allergies. If you need gluten-free or nut-free options, ChatGPT will quickly show you safe options.
Cooking tips on request.
ChatGPT is not just about planning what to eat. It can also teach you skills instantly. Not sure how to cut a mango or how long to roast sweet potatoes? Request and receive detailed instructions. In fact, ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode is perfect for this, as it lets you chat with the AI as if it were a sous chef in your kitchen. To enable this, simply tap the Soundwave button next to the microphone in the ChatGPT app.
I recently tried this when making a sandwich because I didn’t know how to make the bread even more crunchy. The answer was clear and practical: use mayonnaise. It was the kind of advice you get from a friend in the kitchen. I was skeptical at first, but I tried it and now I’m addicted to using mayonnaise on the outside of my toast.
Adapt your diet to your lifestyle
Everyone eats differently and ChatGPT fits your lifestyle. Want a quick meal for late nights? Recipes that take less than 20 minutes are recommended. Cooking for kids? Recipes that can be easily adapted to the most demanding palates stand out. Are you training for a marathon? On competition days, you can increase your carbohydrate intake.
When it comes to personalization, AI beats static recipe books. Instead of following a one-size-fits-all plan, buy something that fits your life.
With ChatGPT, you won’t become Gordon Ramsey
Sometimes ChatGPT recipes are a little unrealistic or use ingredients that are not common where you live. Always check your sanity before going to the store.
Nutrition facts can also be a coincidence. If you have special dietary needs, consult a professional instead of relying solely on AI.
And of course taste is subjective. ChatGPT can give you structure, but I wouldn’t trust it 100%. As with any AI application, you should use common sense in case ChatGPT hallucinates and asks you to put pineapple on a pizza.
Why AI makes meal planning easier
I’m bad at meal planning because I never think two days ahead. While ChatGPT won’t make you a boss, it will ease the burden by organizing the basics. Lists, substitutions, batch plans and nutritional goals are processed in seconds. The fun remains: cooking and eating.
For me, the biggest victory is avoiding decision fatigue. I no longer waste energy deciding what to prepare every night. I have a plan, I have the ingredients and I know it fits my goals. This simple change makes cooking at home less of a chore and more of a routine I can follow.
AI-powered meal planning isn’t glamorous, but it’s practical. It helps you figure out what to cook, generate recipes based on what you have, balance your diet and create sensible shopping lists. This won’t cut your onions, but you won’t have to look at the fridge at 7pm.
If cooking seems like a burden to you, ChatGPT can bring you some joy.