Turn what is in your fridge into tonight's dinner

Snap a photo of your fridge and pantry and get three dinner ideas you can make without another trip to the store.

The problem

It is 5:30 PM, the fridge is half full, and nothing looks like a meal. You end up ordering takeout while good food goes bad in the crisper drawer.

Step by step

1. 1Open the fridge and pantry and take one or two clear photos, or type a quick list of what you have, including leftovers and anything that needs to be used up soon.
2. 2Open ChatGPT or Gemini on your phone, attach the photos, and paste the prompt below. Fill in how many people, how much time you have, and any allergies.
3. 3Read the list of ingredients the AI says it sees and correct anything it got wrong before you pick a recipe. Photos are easy to misread.
4. 4Pick one of the three ideas and ask for step-by-step instructions with times and pan sizes. Ask "what can I swap for X?" if you are missing something small.
5. 5Cook to safe temperatures (a cheap instant-read thermometer helps) and toss anything that smells or looks off. Save the dinners your family liked in a phone note so you can repeat them.

Copy-paste prompt

Here is what is in my fridge and pantry: [attach photos or list items, including leftovers]. Things that need to be used up soon: [list]. People eating: [number]. Time I have: [e.g. 30 minutes]. Allergies or foods to avoid: [list or "none"]. Kitchen gear: [e.g. oven, stovetop, air fryer, slow cooker]. First, list the ingredients you can see so I can correct mistakes. Then suggest 3 dinners I can make with what I have (assume I have salt, pepper, oil and basic spices). For each, give: a one-line description, total time, and any missing item with a swap. Then give full steps for the one I pick. Keep it simple for a home cook.

Tips and watch-outs

• Correct the ingredient list before you cook; AI misreads photos, especially labels and leftovers in containers.
• When in doubt, throw it out. Smell, look and check dates yourself; AI cannot tell if food is spoiled.
• Tell it about allergies every time, and still read labels yourself.

Review AI output before using it. Don’t paste confidential, customer or patient data into tools your company hasn’t approved.