You carefully planned your diet meals, but when you get to the mart...

"Wait, what did I need to buy?" "How much should I buy?" "Did I have this or not..."

Just show ChatGPT or Claude your meal plan and it'll organize needed ingredients and quantities!

Today, I'll show you how to automatically convert meal plans into shopping lists using AI.

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Why AI Shopping Lists are Useful

Planning a diet meal plan is fine. "Monday chicken breast salad, Tuesday grilled salmon..." You've planned the whole week. But when you actually go to the mart, problems arise. "How many grams of chicken breast?", "1 or 2 salmon fillets?", "What vegetables did I need?"

You end up buying randomly, buying too much and wasting, or buying too little and going back... This repeats. Shopping becomes annoying, so you end up ordering delivery, and the diet plan falls apart.

The bigger problem is extracting ingredients from a meal plan is more complex than it seems. Even one menu item like "chicken breast salad" needs lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, bell peppers, dressing... When you combine a week's worth, calculating how many of each ingredient is really difficult.

AI automates all of this. Just input your meal plan and a perfect shopping list appears in 5 seconds.

Benefits

1. Time Saving - Zero Calculation Labor No need to manually calculate ingredients from meal plan. What takes a person 30 minutes, AI finishes in 5 seconds. "Monday salad needs 2 tomatoes, Tuesday pasta needs 3 tomatoes... so 5 total" - AI automatically does this calculation for every ingredient.

2. Accurate Quantities - Minimize Waste Automatically calculates for 1 or 2 servings. Nothing's as wasteful as buying too much and throwing away. When AI calculates precisely like "2 onions (1 for Monday, 1 for Thursday)," you can buy exactly what you need. Reduce food waste and save money.

3. Category Organization - Optimize Shopping Route Organized by vegetables, meat, dairy, etc. for easy finding at mart. Marts are usually arranged "Vegetables → Fruits → Meat → Seafood → Dairy," so if your list is organized in this order, you only need one lap without going back and forth. Shopping time cut in half.

4. Budget Management - Know Costs Beforehand Estimates approximate costs. Knowing "This week's shopping: about 80,000 won" before going to the mart lets you prepare budget in advance. Useful when worried about card limit or need to prepare cash. If over budget, you can ask "Reduce to 50,000 won."

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Step 1: Weekly Meal Plan → Shopping List

Bad Example

Just the meal plan:

Mon: Chicken breast salad
Tue: Grilled salmon
Wed: Tofu steak

AI will only list ingredients.

Good Example

Specific request:

Create a shopping list from this 1-week meal plan.

Basic Info:
- Servings: 1 person
- Period: Mon-Fri (weekdays only, eat out on weekends)
- Already have: Soy sauce, salt, pepper, olive oil, sesame oil

Meal Plan:

**Monday**
Breakfast: Greek yogurt + granola + blueberries
Lunch: Chicken breast salad (lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, balsamic dressing)
Dinner: Grilled salmon + broccoli + sweet potato

**Tuesday**
Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (2 eggs) + whole grain bread + avocado
Lunch: Tofu steak + stir-fried vegetables (bell pepper, onion, mushroom)
Dinner: Chicken breast tomato stew + brown rice

**Wednesday**
Breakfast: Oatmeal + banana + almonds
Lunch: Tuna salad (lettuce, corn, egg)
Dinner: Beef vegetable stir-fry + brown rice

**Thursday**
Breakfast: Greek yogurt + strawberries + chia seeds
Lunch: Chicken breast sandwich (whole grain bread, lettuce, tomato, cheese)
Dinner: Grilled mackerel + spinach namul + miso soup

**Friday**
Breakfast: Fried eggs (2) + tomato + whole grain bread
Lunch: Tofu salad
Dinner: Beef steak + potato + salad

Requirements:
1. Organize by category (vegetables, meat, dairy, grains, etc.)
2. Specify quantities (g, pieces, etc.)
3. Approximate cost (Korean mart basis)
4. Where to buy (large mart, vegetable shop, etc.)

AI Response Example

🛒 1-Week Shopping List (Weekdays 5 days, 1 serving)

---

## 📊 Summary

- **Total Estimated Cost:** About 45,000 won
- **Shopping Time:** 30-40 min
- **Recommended Place:** 1 large mart visit

---

## 🥬 Vegetables (Produce Section)

| Item | Quantity | Estimated Price | Storage |
|------|------|---------|------|
| Lettuce | 1 head | 2,500 won | Fridge (3 days) |
| Cherry tomatoes | 1 pack (15 pcs) | 3,500 won | Fridge (5 days) |
| Cucumber | 2 pcs | 2,000 won | Fridge (5 days) |
| Broccoli | 1 head | 3,000 won | Fridge (4 days) |
| Bell pepper (red/yellow) | 1 each | 4,000 won | Fridge (5 days) |
| Onion | 2 pcs | 1,500 won | Room temp (2 weeks) |
| Mushroom (button) | 1 pack | 2,500 won | Fridge (3 days) |
| Spinach | 1 bunch | 2,000 won | Fridge (2 days, use soon) |
| Sweet potato | 2 pcs (300g) | 2,000 won | Room temp (1 week) |
| Potato | 2 pcs | 1,500 won | Room temp (1 week) |

**Vegetables Subtotal: 24,500 won**

💡 **Tips:**
- Lettuce may wilt by Wednesday, use Mon-Tue first
- Buy spinach Thursday morning alternatively

---

## 🍖 Meat/Seafood (Butcher/Seafood Section)

| Item | Quantity | Estimated Price | Storage |
|------|------|---------|------|
| Chicken breast | 600g (3 pieces) | 7,500 won | Freeze (use Mon, Tue, Thu) |
| Salmon | 150g (1 fillet) | 6,000 won | Fridge (1 day, buy Monday) |
| Tofu | 2 blocks | 3,000 won | Fridge (4 days) |
| Beef (bulgogi cut) | 150g | 5,500 won | Freeze (use Wednesday) |
| Mackerel | 1 fillet (150g) | 4,500 won | Fridge (1 day, buy Thursday) |
| Beef (steak cut) | 150g | 7,000 won | Fridge (1 day, buy Friday) |
| Eggs | 10 pcs | 3,500 won | Fridge (2 weeks) |

**Meat/Seafood Subtotal: 37,000 won**

💡 **Tips:**
- Buy seafood (salmon, mackerel, beef steak) day before use (freshness)
- Chicken breast, beef can freeze (OK to buy early)

---

## 🥛 Dairy (Dairy Section)

| Item | Quantity | Estimated Price |
|------|------|---------|
| Greek yogurt (plain) | 2 packs (400g) | 7,000 won |
| Cheddar cheese slices | 1 pack (10 slices) | 4,500 won |
| Avocado | 2 pcs | 5,000 won |

**Dairy Subtotal: 16,500 won**

💡 **Tips:**
- Choose firm avocados (ripen 2-3 days)

---

## 🌾 Grains/Bread (Bakery/Grain Section)

| Item | Quantity | Estimated Price |
|------|------|---------|
| Whole grain bread | 1 loaf (10 slices) | 4,500 won |
| Brown rice | 1kg (or exclude if have) | 5,000 won |
| Oatmeal | 1 container (500g) | 4,500 won |

**Grains Subtotal: 14,000 won**

💡 **Tips:**
- Whole grain bread can freeze (2 weeks)

---

## 🍇 Fruits/Nuts

| Item | Quantity | Estimated Price |
|------|------|---------|
| Blueberries | 1 pack (125g) | 4,500 won |
| Banana | 3 pcs | 2,000 won |
| Strawberries | 1 pack (300g) | 5,000 won |
| Almonds | 1 bag (200g) | 6,000 won |

**Fruits/Nuts Subtotal: 17,500 won**

---

## 🥫 Processed Foods/Others

| Item | Quantity | Estimated Price |
|------|------|---------|
| Granola | 1 bag (400g) | 5,000 won |
| Tuna can | 2 cans | 3,000 won |
| Corn can | 1 can | 1,500 won |
| Balsamic dressing | 1 bottle | 4,000 won |
| Miso paste | 1 container (500g) | 3,500 won |
| Chia seeds | 1 bag (100g) | 4,000 won |

**Others Subtotal: 21,000 won**

---

## 📋 Total Summary

| Category | Estimated Cost |
|----------|----------|
| Vegetables | 24,500 won |
| Meat/Seafood | 37,000 won |
| Dairy | 16,500 won |
| Grains/Bread | 14,000 won |
| Fruits/Nuts | 17,500 won |
| Processed/Others | 21,000 won |
| **Grand Total** | **130,500 won** |

💡 **Cost Reduction Tips:**
- Replace with seasonal fruits (instead of strawberries/blueberries, use banana/apple)
- Use frozen fish (instead of salmon, mackerel)
- → Expected savings: 20,000 won (total 110,000 won)

---

## 🗓️ Shopping Strategy

### Option A: 1 Visit (Recommended)

**Monday Evening Large Mart:**
- Buy everything (except seafood)
- Time needed: 40 min
- Pros: Solved at once

**Additional Seafood Purchases:**
- Salmon: Monday morning (before work or day before)
- Mackerel: Thursday morning
- Beef steak: Friday morning

### Option B: 2 Visits

**1st: Monday (vegetables, meat, dairy, grains)**
- Cost: About 90,000 won

**2nd: Thursday (seafood, needed vegetables)**
- Cost: About 15,000 won

---

## 🏪 Recommended Retailers

| Item | Recommended Place | Reason |
|------|----------|------|
| Vegetables | Local shop or mart | Value (shop 20% cheaper) |
| Meat | Large mart butcher | Freshness, variety |
| Seafood | Fish market or mart | Fish market 20-30% cheaper |
| Dairy | Large mart | Many sale events |
| Grains/Processed | Large mart or Coupang | Bulk cheaper |

---

## 📱 Printable Simple List

✅ Vegetables □ Lettuce 1 head □ Cherry tomatoes 1 pack □ Cucumber 2 pcs □ Broccoli 1 head □ Bell pepper 2 pcs □ Onion 2 pcs □ Mushroom 1 pack □ Spinach 1 bunch □ Sweet potato 2 pcs □ Potato 2 pcs

✅ Meat/Seafood □ Chicken breast 600g □ Salmon 150g (Monday) □ Tofu 2 blocks □ Beef 150g □ Mackerel 1 fillet (Thursday) □ Beef steak 150g (Friday) □ Eggs 10 pcs

✅ Dairy □ Greek yogurt 2 packs □ Cheese 1 pack □ Avocado 2 pcs

✅ Grains/Bread □ Whole grain bread 1 loaf □ Brown rice 1kg □ Oatmeal 1 container

✅ Fruits/Nuts □ Blueberries 1 pack □ Banana 3 pcs □ Strawberries 1 pack □ Almonds 1 bag

✅ Others □ Granola 1 bag □ Tuna can 2 pcs □ Corn can 1 pc □ Balsamic dressing 1 bottle □ Miso paste 1 container □ Chia seeds 1 bag

---

## 💡 Storage Guide

**Use Immediately (1-2 days):**
- Salmon, mackerel, beef steak (seafood/meat)
- Spinach

**Refrigerate (3-5 days):**
- Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, broccoli
- Tofu

**Can Freeze:**
- Chicken breast (divide and freeze)
- Whole grain bread (in ziplock)
- Banana (peel and freeze, for smoothies)

**Room Temperature:**
- Sweet potato, potato, onion
- Avocado (until ripe)

---

## 📉 Cost Saving Tips

1. **Use Seasonal Fruits**
   - Instead of strawberries/blueberries, apple/tangerine (winter)
   - Savings: 5,000 won

2. **Use Frozen Fish**
   - Frozen salmon instead of fresh
   - Savings: 3,000 won

3. **Bulk Purchase**
   - Chicken breast 1kg (divide and freeze)
   - Savings: 2,000 won

4. **Sale Days**
   - Mart sale days (usually Tue/Thu)
   - Savings: 10,000 won

**Total Possible Savings: About 20,000 won**

---

Step 2: With Budget Constraints

Prompt

Adjust the above meal plan to within 70,000 won weekly budget.

Priorities:
1. Maintain protein
2. Nutritional balance
3. Can compromise on taste

Suggest possible ingredient substitutes too.

AI Response

💰 Budget 70,000 Won Meal Plan Adjustment

---

## Major Changes

### Expensive → Cheaper Substitutes

| Original | Cost | Substitute | Cost | Savings |
|------|------|--------|------|------|
| Salmon 150g | 6,000 won | Mackerel 1 pc | 3,000 won | -3,000 won |
| Beef steak 150g | 7,000 won | Chicken breast 150g | 2,500 won | -4,500 won |
| Greek yogurt 2 packs | 7,000 won | Plain yogurt | 4,000 won | -3,000 won |
| Blueberries | 4,500 won | 2 more bananas | 1,000 won | -3,500 won |
| Strawberries 1 pack | 5,000 won | 3 apples | 3,000 won | -2,000 won |
| Almonds 200g | 6,000 won | Peanuts 200g | 3,000 won | -3,000 won |
| Avocado 2 pcs | 5,000 won | Exclude (replace with eggs) | 0 won | -5,000 won |
| Mackerel | 4,500 won | Chicken breast | 2,500 won | -2,000 won |

**Total Savings: 26,000 won**

---

Revised Meal Plan (Budget 70,000 won)

Monday Breakfast: Plain yogurt + granola + banana Lunch: Chicken breast salad Dinner: Grilled mackerel + broccoli + sweet potato

Tuesday Breakfast: Scrambled eggs (3) + whole grain bread Lunch: Tofu steak + stir-fried vegetables Dinner: Chicken breast tomato stew + brown rice

Wednesday Breakfast: Oatmeal + banana + peanuts Lunch: Tuna salad Dinner: Chicken vegetable stir-fry + brown rice

Thursday Breakfast: Plain yogurt + apple + chia seeds Lunch: Chicken breast sandwich Dinner: Grilled mackerel + spinach namul + miso soup

Friday Breakfast: Fried eggs (2) + tomato + bread Lunch: Tofu salad Dinner: Chicken breast steak + potato + salad

---

Revised Shopping List

Key Changes

Additional Purchase:

• Chicken breast: 600g → 1kg (5,000 won savings)
• Mackerel: 2 pcs (6,000 won)
• Banana: 3 → 7 pcs
• Apple: 3 pcs
• Peanuts: 200g
• Eggs: 10 → 15 pcs (replace avocado)

Excluded:

• Salmon, mackerel, beef steak
• Greek yogurt → Plain yogurt
• Blueberries, strawberries, almonds, avocado

---

Budget 70,000 Won Shopping List

Category	Items	Cost
Vegetables	(Same)	24,500 won
Meat	Chicken breast 1kg, tofu 2, eggs 15, mackerel 2	14,000 won
Dairy	Plain yogurt, cheese	8,500 won
Grains	Whole grain bread, brown rice, oatmeal	14,000 won
Fruits/Nuts	Banana 7, apple 3, peanuts	7,000 won
Others	(Same)	21,000 won
Total		69,000 won

---

Nutrition Comparison (Original vs Budget)

Nutrient	Original Plan	Budget Plan	Difference
Calories	1,600kcal	1,550kcal	-3%
Protein	120g	115g	-4%
Fat	50g	45g	-10%
Carbs	150g	155g	+3%

💡 Conclusion: Nutritionally almost identical! Only slight taste difference

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Additional Savings Tips

If Further Reduction Needed (50,000 won goal):

1. Increase tofu ratio (decrease chicken breast)
2. Increase egg utilization
3. Buy only seasonal vegetables
4. Grains → White rice (nutrition decreases)

⚠️ Caution: Under 50,000 won risks nutritional imbalance Recommend maintaining minimum 60-70,000 won

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## Step 3: Generate from Goals Without Meal Plan

### Prompt

Create diet meal plan and shopping list all at once.

Goals:

• 1,500kcal daily
• High protein (120g)
• Low carb (100g)
• 1 serving, 5 days (weekdays)
• Budget: 80,000 won

Preferences:

• Like chicken breast, eggs
• Don't like fish
• Simple cooking (under 30 min)

### AI Response

🍽️ 5-Day Diet Meal Plan + Shopping List

---

5-Day Meal Plan (1,500kcal, 120g protein)

Mon-Fri Common:

Breakfast (400kcal, 30g protein)

• 3 scrambled eggs
• 1 slice whole grain bread
• 5 cherry tomatoes

Lunch (550kcal, 50g protein)

• 150g grilled chicken breast
• Salad (lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper)
• 1 sweet potato (100g)
• Olive oil dressing

Dinner (450kcal, 40g protein)

• Tofu steak (1 block = 300g)
• Stir-fried vegetables (broccoli, bell pepper, onion)
• Half bowl brown rice (70g)

Snack (100kcal)

• 100g Greek yogurt

---

Shopping List (5 days, 80,000 won)

Protein (30,000 won)

• Chicken breast: 1kg (10,000 won)
• Eggs: 30 pcs (2 packs) (7,000 won)
• Tofu: 5 blocks (7,500 won)
• Greek yogurt: 1 container (500g) (5,500 won)

Vegetables (18,000 won)

• Lettuce: 1 head (2,500 won)
• Cherry tomatoes: 2 packs (7,000 won)
• Cucumber: 3 pcs (3,000 won)
• Bell pepper: 3 pcs (6,000 won)
• Broccoli: 2 heads (6,000 won)
• Onion: 3 pcs (2,000 won)
• Sweet potato: 5 pcs (500g) (2,500 won)

Grains (10,000 won)

• Whole grain bread: 1 loaf (4,500 won)
• Brown rice: 1kg (5,500 won)

Others (5,000 won)

• Olive oil: 1 bottle (exclude if have)
• Low-cal dressing: 1 bottle (5,000 won)

Total: 63,000 won Budget Surplus: 17,000 won

---

Surplus Budget Suggestions

Option A: Add Snacks

• Almonds 200g (6,000 won)
• 5 apples (5,000 won)
• 5 protein bars (6,000 won)

Option B: Quality Upgrade

• Switch to organic vegetables
• Premium chicken breast (smoked, herb)

Option C: Save (use next week)

• Save

---

Meal Nutrition Analysis

Daily Average:

• Calories: 1,500kcal ✅
• Protein: 120g ✅
• Carbs: 110g (target 100g, slightly over)
• Fat: 45g

Weekly Total:

• Calories: 7,500kcal
• Protein: 600g

---

Cooking Time (Daily)

• Breakfast: 10 min (eggs, toast)
• Lunch: 20 min (grill chicken, salad)
• Dinner: 15 min (grill tofu, stir-fry veg, rice)

Total: 45 min

💡 Time Saving Tips:

• Grill all chicken on Sunday, refrigerate
• Pre-cut vegetables
• → Reduce daily cooking to 20 min

---

Weekly Prep Checklist

Sunday (Prep): □ Shopping (1 hour) □ Grill all chicken (30 min) □ Boil 10 eggs (optional) □ Wash and store vegetables

Every Morning (10 min): □ Scrambled eggs □ Wash cherry tomatoes

Every Evening (15 min): □ Grill tofu □ Stir-fry vegetables □ Cook brown rice (rice cooker)

---

Flavor Variations

Same meal 5 days can get boring:

Seasoning Changes:

• Mon: Salt, pepper
• Tue: Lemon, herbs
• Wed: Soy sauce, garlic
• Thu: Curry powder
• Fri: Balsamic

Vegetable Order Changes:

• Mon, Wed: Salad-focused
• Tue, Thu: Stir-fry-focused
• Fri: Grilled

---

## 💡 Practical Tips

### Tip 1: App Integration

Reorganize the above shopping list for easy checking in mart app. (Categories in mart layout order)

### Tip 2: Use Leftover Ingredients

From last week's shopping:

• 1 onion
• 1 bell pepper
• 5 eggs

These are left over. Reflect in this week's meal plan and recreate shopping list.

### Tip 3: Allergy Substitutions

In the above meal plan:

• I have egg allergy
• Also don't like tofu

Recreate meal plan and shopping list with substitutes.

---

## Shopping Prompt Collection

Meal Plan → Shopping

"[Meal plan] Create shopping list for this. [Servings], [Period]"

Budget Constraint

"Adjust above list to within [amount] budget."

Meal Plan + Shopping Together

"[Calorie/nutrition goals] Create meal plan and shopping list together."

Use Leftovers

"[Leftover ingredient list] Meal plan using these and additional shopping list"

Substitute Ingredients

"Can't eat [ingredient] because [reason]. Substitute and recreate list."

---

## Precautions

### Using Shopping Lists

**1. Prices Are Reference**
- Vary by region, mart, season
- Allow ±20% margin

**2. Check Expiration Dates**
- Recommend buying fresh foods on day of use
- Can freeze → OK to buy early

**3. Adjust Quantities**
- AI recommended amounts are average
- Adjust to your meal size

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## Conclusion

Using AI shopping list automation:
- Meal plan → Shopping in 5 min
- Category organization reduces shopping time
- Easy budget management

**The important thing is to make a plan and execute it!**

A consistently executable meal plan is better than a perfect one. Plan with AI and practice!

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