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Meal plan + grocery list from what I have
Build a few days of dinners from what's already in the fridge and pantry, using up the soonest-to-expire items first, plus a short grocery list for only what's missing. Use when the user lists what they have and asks what to cook, for a meal plan, or for a grocery list.
Self-tested · demo data, not cooked
What "self-tested" means: our own AI agent ran this skill against the fictional demo files and we published its real output, failures included. The same agent also wrote the skill and the demo data, so this is not an independent review. Check results yourself before you rely on them.
Drop the folder into your agent's skills directory (e.g. ~/.agents/skills/ or ~/.claude/skills/), or paste SKILL.md into any chat assistant. Demo files included:
demo/fridge.md
Test record
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | Self-tested (demo data; recipes not cooked) |
| Version / date | v1.0 test: 2026-10-13 (no failures in this skill were scheduled for the Oct 14 fix round; re-labeled only) |
| Model / agent | Grok Bot (the same agent that wrote the skill and the demo data, so this is not an independent test) |
| Input | demo/fridge.md: fictional 2-adult household, one vegetarian; 4 dinners of ≤ 40 min; no mushrooms |
| Method | Grok Bot followed SKILL.md. The ingredient cross-check (step 6) was run as a script comparing each meal's ingredients to the inventory plus the grocery list. |
Real output
Use first: chicken thighs (by tomorrow), spinach (2 days), bell peppers (soft).
Dinner 1 (tonight): split-pan fajitas, 30 min. Chicken for one person, black beans for the vegetarian. On hand: chicken thighs, 1 can black beans, 2 bell peppers, ½ onion, 4 tortillas, cheddar, Greek yogurt (as sour cream), cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, olive oil, salt, pepper. 1) Slice the peppers and onion and season with cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder. 2) Cook the chicken in a separate pan until no longer pink inside (165°F), then slice. 3) Warm the beans with a pinch of the same spices in their own pot. 4) Sauté the peppers and onion. 5) Serve in tortillas with cheddar and yogurt. Extra chicken makes tomorrow's lunch.
Dinner 2: spinach & cheddar frittata, 25 min (vegetarian). On hand: 6 eggs, the whole bag of spinach, ½ onion, cheddar, olive oil, salt, pepper; the last 2 tortillas warmed on the side. 1) Sauté the onion, then wilt the spinach. 2) Whisk the eggs with salt and pepper. 3) Pour over the greens and top with cheddar. 4) Cook on low, covered, until set (about 10–12 min).
Dinner 3: chickpea tomato pasta, 25 min (vegetarian). On hand: pasta, chickpeas, crushed tomatoes, ½ onion, garlic powder, oregano, olive oil, salt, pepper. 1) Boil the pasta. 2) Sauté the onion, add the drained chickpeas and spices. 3) Add the tomatoes and simmer 10 min. 4) Toss with the pasta.
Dinner 4: black bean burrito bowls, 30 min (vegetarian). On hand: rice, 2nd can of black beans, cheddar, Greek yogurt, lemon, cumin, salt. Buy: avocado, salsa. 1) Cook the rice and stir in lemon juice and salt. 2) Warm the beans with cumin. 3) Build bowls: rice, beans, cheddar, salsa, avocado, a dollop of yogurt.
Grocery list: Produce: 1–2 avocados. Aisle: 1 jar salsa.
Cross-check result: every ingredient in all 4 meals is either on hand or on the grocery list (script check: 0 missing). No on-hand items left unused. Mushrooms appear nowhere. Every dinner is vegetarian or has a vegetarian version.
Known failures / limits
- Quantities weren't checked. The cross-check confirms each ingredient exists, not that there's enough. "Half a block" of cheddar across 3 meals may run short, and 1 lb of chicken for one person leaves a lot over. v1.1 should track quantities.
- Not cooked. Times and steps are the agent's estimates, not a kitchen test.
- Dinner 2 has no real side. Tortillas with a frittata is a stretch; a user may want to add bread or a salad.
- Not tested with allergy constraints. The skill defers those to the user's own clinician, by design.
- Self-test bias: the same agent wrote the demo and ran the test.
The skill file
---
name: fridge-to-meal-plan
description: Build a few days of dinners from what's already in the fridge and pantry, using up the soonest-to-expire items first, plus a short grocery list for only what's missing. Use when the user lists what they have and asks what to cook, for a meal plan, or for a grocery list.
license: MIT
metadata:
library: TriedSkills
job: Meal plan + grocery list from what I have
version: "1.0"
---
# Fridge → meal plan + grocery list
## Inputs
An inventory of what's on hand (with "use by" notes if known), the number of people, the number of meals, dietary preferences or dislikes, and time limits.
## Steps
1. Sort the inventory by urgency: **use first** (expiring within 3 days), then soon, then pantry staples.
2. Plan the requested meals so every **use-first** item appears in the first 1–2 meals.
3. For each meal give the name, time needed, ingredients (marking each *on hand* or *buy*), and 4–6 short steps.
4. Respect preferences exactly. If one person is vegetarian, every meal must have a vegetarian version or be vegetarian.
5. Build the **grocery list** of only the *buy* items, grouped by store section, and keep it short.
6. **Cross-check:** every ingredient used must appear either in the inventory or on the grocery list. Report the check result.
7. Name any on-hand items you left unused and suggest a use.
## Output format
Use-first list → meals → grocery list → cross-check result → leftovers note.
## Guardrails
- This is everyday cooking help, not medical or nutrition advice. For allergies or medical diets, tell the user to follow their own clinician's guidance. Don't make health claims.
- Basic food safety only, e.g. "cook chicken until it's no longer pink inside / 165°F".