Which tool to choose
You don't need five apps. Choose based on what really blocks you.
If you just want the menu and shopping list, right away and free: use ChatGPT or Google Gemini. They converse, understand complex constraints ("one is celiac, one pregnant, budget €40") and redo everything on the fly if you change your mind. ChatGPT is used free with just registration, and the free plan lets you upload files and images and search the web. For an occasional dinner that's all you need.
If you cook often and want to manage pantry and recurring recipes: a dedicated app like Mr. Cook (mrcook.app) keeps track of the ingredients you have at home and cross-references preferences and allergies to suggest tailored recipes. It's free in the basic features; the premium ones require a subscription of about €7/month.
For next Saturday's dinner, start with ChatGPT: free, immediate and flexible. Dedicated apps only make sense if meal planning becomes a weekly habit.
How to do it
From computer or smartphone (app or browser) the path doesn't change.
- Go to chatgpt.com or open the ChatGPT app. Register with email or, faster, with your Google account. The free plan doesn't ask for payment details until you upgrade.
- Open a new chat (the button to start a conversation, usually at the top with the pencil icon).
- Paste the prompt below, replacing the data in quotes with yours.
- Read the proposal. If something's off, don't start over: write in the same thread "the dessert is too elaborate, give me one I can prepare the day before". ChatGPT corrects while accounting for everything else.
- When the menu convinces you, ask for the shopping list and the timing plan (below is how).
The operational syntax:
You need to help me design the menu for a dinner for 6 people, Saturday evening.
Constraints: one person is celiac, one doesn't eat pork, no one likes raw fish.
Maximum budget €50 total. I have 3 hours in the kitchen in the afternoon.
Cooking level: medium, I can use the oven but I don't have professional tools.
I want to make a good impression without stress.
Propose a complete menu: starter, first course, main course with side, dessert.
For each dish indicate the ingredients with quantities for 6 people.
Clearly flag which dishes are gluten-free.
Add an estimate of the total cost and tell me which dishes I can prepare in advance.
After receiving the menu, paste this:
Perfect. Now give me two things:
1) The complete shopping list, grouped by supermarket aisle (produce, butcher, dairy, pantry).
2) A timing table with what to cook and at what time, starting from the guests arriving at 8:00 PM and working backward.
Check: if you did everything right, you get a document you take to the supermarket on your phone and a schedule that tells you what to turn on at 5:30 PM and what at 7:45 PM. If the list still mixes the aisles, write "group it better, put them in the order I find them at the supermarket".
A concrete example
Real case: birthday dinner for six friends, one celiac, tight budget, little time. I pasted the first prompt into free ChatGPT. The reply: a starter of polenta crostini with stracchino (gluten-free), asparagus risotto, roast turkey with oven potatoes, coffee panna cotta as a dessert to prepare the evening before. Cost estimate: €47.
I objected: "The risotto has to be stirred at the last minute and I'd have to stay at the stove, while I want to chat with the guests". ChatGPT replaced the risotto with a gluten-free lasagna that can be assembled in the morning and baked when guests arrive. I asked for the shopping list by aisle and the timing schedule: panna cotta the evening before, lasagna assembled at 4:00 PM, in the oven at 7:30 PM, roast already done and ready to reheat. Result: dinner served without disappearing into the kitchen for more than ten minutes, and the celiac friend ate every course.
When it does NOT work (and how to fix it)
If the ingredient quantities seem wrong
It happens: the AI sometimes proposes disproportionate amounts or unrealistic costs. Don't trust the total with eyes closed. Ask "recalculate the quantities for 6 people, be precise on the grams" and compare with a recipe you know. For the budget, remember that the prices it estimates are generic averages: check the two or three most expensive ingredients at your usual supermarket.
If it tells you a "gluten-free" dish contains flour
The allergen error is the serious risk. Repeat the constraint clearly: "check every dish and tell me ingredient by ingredient why it's safe for a celiac". Then, for any packaged product (sauces, broths, cured meats), read the real label yourself: gluten contamination can't be assessed from a chat. The AI proposes, you verify on the package.
If you've reached the message limit
On the free plan this happens in long sessions. The number of messages on the best model is limited and changes over time: when you use it up, ChatGPT automatically scales down to a lighter model and you can continue, or you wait a few hours for the limit to recharge. If you're in a hurry, open Google Gemini and paste the same prompt there: it starts from scratch, but that one's free too.
If the recipes are bland or all alike
Add a creative constraint to the prompt: "I want a dish that surprises, inspired by Southern Italian cuisine, but doable by a non-expert". The more context you give (occasion, season, region, star ingredient), the less generic the proposals.
A tip from someone who actually uses it
The difference between a mediocre menu and one that works lies in telling the AI how much time you have and how good you are. Almost no one writes it, and so they get chef recipes with three things cooking in parallel. Always specify "I want dishes I can prepare in advance" and "keep me free when the guests arrive": it's the constraint that turns the evening from a marathon at the stove into a relaxed dinner. And save the chat: next year you reopen it, change the guests and you already have half the work done.
Frequently asked questions
Can I do all this for free without paying anything?
Yes. To design a menu, get the shopping list and the timing schedule, ChatGPT's free plan covers everything. The free tier includes access to advanced models and web search. You only pay if you want a dedicated app with pantry memory.
Can ChatGPT order the groceries for me?
No, it doesn't make purchases. It prepares the list organized by aisle, which you then copy into your supermarket's app or take with you. It's a planning assistant, not a delivery service.
Does it work for allergies and special diets too?
Yes, it's one of its strengths. It adapts the suggestions to intolerances, allergies and conditions, if you state the constraints clearly in the prompt. The golden rule stays: for serious allergens, always check the labels of packaged products yourself.
Will the guests realize I used AI?
It's the question that holds many back, but it's badly posed. The AI doesn't cook for you: it gives you the idea and the organization, you're the one getting your hands dirty and choosing the flavors you love. A cook uses a kitchen aide to plan without anyone accusing them of not having cooked. Here it's identical: the credit for the dish on the table stays yours.