Learning to prompt ChatGPT with the right level of detail for it to really meaningfully help is a skill in it’s self. Here’s how I just sorted my shopping for this week before starting work.
Let’s look at the initial poor prompting and the result:
The response, isn’t bad but isn’t usable:
Fruits and Vegetables:
Sure, here is a shopping list for healthy food that can feed a family of 6 for a week:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Grapes
- Berries
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Onions
- Garlic
Proteins:
- Chicken breasts
- Ground turkey
- Lean beef
- Salmon fillets
- Tuna
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt
- Lentils
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
Grains:
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Whole-wheat pasta
- Whole-grain bread
- Oats
Dairy:
- Low-fat milk
- Low-fat cheese
- Low-fat yogurt
Other:
- Nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews)
- Seeds (e.g. chia, flax)
- Olive oil
- Vinegar
- Spices (e.g. salt, pepper, paprika, cumin)
With these ingredients, you can create a variety of healthy and delicious meals such as:
Breakfast:
- Oatmeal with fruit and nuts
- Greek yogurt with fruit and seeds
- Whole-grain toast with peanut butter and banana
Lunch:
- Chicken or turkey salad with mixed greens and vegetables
- Lentil soup with whole-grain bread
- Whole-wheat pasta with tomato sauce and vegetables
Dinner:
- Grilled salmon with brown rice and vegetables
- Beef stir-fry with vegetables and brown rice
- Black bean tacos with avocado and salsa
Snacks:
- Carrot sticks with hummus
- Apple slices with almond butter
- Greek yogurt with berries and seeds
Remember to buy enough of each ingredient to last for the week, and adjust the quantities depending on your family’s needs and preferences.
Ok so let’s look at simple improvements to the prompt.
Result, my improved but I’m not sure on the details of the recipes or how much shopping I need:
Sure, here is a meal plan of healthy recipes to feed a family of six for a week:
Monday:
- Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Parfait with Berries and Nuts
- Dinner: Baked Lemon Herb Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa
Tuesday:
- Breakfast: Green Smoothie with Spinach, Banana, and Almond Milk
- Dinner: Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Brown Rice
Wednesday:
- Breakfast: Whole Grain Toast with Avocado, Tomatoes, and Boiled Eggs
- Dinner: Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Steamed Broccoli
Thursday:
- Breakfast: Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds and Berries
- Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Chili with Cornbread
Friday:
- Breakfast: Whole Grain Waffles with Fresh Fruit and Greek Yogurt
- (Note: Friday evening meal not included in the plan)
Saturday:
- Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Whole Wheat Toast and Mixed Fruit
- Lunch: Turkey and Avocado Wraps with Carrot and Cucumber Sticks
- Dinner: Lentil Soup with Whole Wheat Bread and Mixed Green Salad
Sunday:
- Breakfast: Banana Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Fresh Fruit
- Lunch: Vegetable Quiche with Whole Wheat Crust and Mixed Green Salad
- Dinner: Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Mediterranean Salad and Quinoa Pilaf
Shopping list:
- Greek yogurt
- Fresh berries
- Mixed nuts
- Spinach
- Almond milk
- Lemon
- Fresh herbs (e.g. thyme, rosemary)
- Chicken breasts
- Assorted vegetables (e.g. broccoli, carrots, peppers, zucchini)
- Quinoa
- Beef sirloin
- Soy sauce
- Brown rice
- Salmon fillets
- Mango
- Sweet potatoes
- Eggs
- Chia seeds
- Ground chicken
- Canned black beans
- Canned corn
- Whole wheat cornbread mix
- Whole wheat waffles
- Turkey breast slices
- Avocado
- Whole wheat tortillas
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Lentils
- Whole wheat bread
- Mixed greens
- Pancake mix
- Maple syrup
- Chicken tenders
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Red onion
- Feta cheese
- Kalamata olives
- Quinoa
Note: Adjust the quantities of the ingredients according to your family’s needs and preferences.
Round three. A few little tweaks. This time prompted in two parts as the initial response left off the shopping list.
Sure, here is a meal plan of healthy recipes to feed a family of six for a week, including shopping list with quantities:
Monday:
- Breakfast: Greek Yogurt Parfait with Berries and Nuts (6 cups Greek yogurt, 3 cups mixed berries, 1.5 cups mixed nuts)
- Dinner: Baked Lemon Herb Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Quinoa (6 chicken breasts, 6 cups mixed vegetables, 3 cups quinoa, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 lemons, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried rosemary, salt, pepper)
Tuesday:
- Breakfast: Green Smoothie with Spinach, Banana, and Almond Milk (6 cups fresh spinach, 6 bananas, 6 cups almond milk)
- Dinner: Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Brown Rice (2 lbs beef sirloin, 6 cups broccoli florets, 3 cups brown rice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ginger powder, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tbsp water)
Wednesday:
- Breakfast: Whole Grain Toast with Avocado, Tomatoes, and Boiled Eggs (12 slices whole grain bread, 6 avocados, 6 tomatoes, 12 boiled eggs)
- Dinner: Grilled Salmon with Mango Salsa, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and Steamed Broccoli (6 salmon fillets, 6 cups diced mango, 3 cups diced red onion, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3 tbsp chopped cilantro, 6 sweet potatoes, 6 cups broccoli florets)
Thursday:
- Breakfast: Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds and Berries (3 cups rolled oats, 6 cups almond milk, 6 tbsp chia seeds, 3 cups mixed berries)
- Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Chili with Cornbread (6 chicken breasts, 3 cans black beans, 3 cans corn, 3 cups salsa, 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 box whole wheat cornbread mix)
Friday:
- Breakfast: Whole Grain Waffles with Fresh Fruit and Greek Yogurt (2 boxes whole grain waffle mix, 6 cups mixed fresh fruit, 6 cups Greek yogurt)
- (Note: Friday evening meal not included in the plan)
Saturday:
- Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Whole Wheat Toast and Mixed Fruit (18 eggs, 12 slices whole wheat bread, 6 cups mixed fresh fruit)
- Lunch: Turkey and Avocado Wraps with Carrot and Cucumber Sticks (3 lbs turkey breast slices, 6 avocados, 6 whole wheat tortillas, 6 cups carrot sticks, 6 cups cucumber sticks)
- Dinner: Lentil Soup with Whole Wheat Bread and Mixed Green Salad (3 cups dried lentils, 6 cups mixed vegetables, 2 cans diced tomatoes, 6 cups vegetable broth, 6 slices whole wheat bread, 6 cups mixed greens)
Sunday:
- Breakfast: Banana Pancakes with Maple Syrup and Fresh Fruit (3 cups pancake mix, 3 cups almond milk, 6 bananas, 1 cup maple syrup, 6 cups mixed fresh fruit)
- Lunch: Vegetable Quiche with Whole Wheat Crust and Mixed Green Salad (2 whole wheat pie crusts, 12 eggs, 6 cups mixed vegetables, 3 cups low-fat cheese, 6 cups mixed greens)
- Dinner: Grilled Chicken Kabobs with Mediterranean Salad and Quinoa Pilaf (6 chicken tenders, 6 cups cherry tomatoes, 6 cups diced cucumber, 3 cups diced red onion
Sure! Here is a detailed shopping list for the meal plan for a family of six:
Produce:
- 21 cups mixed fresh fruit (e.g. berries, bananas, mango, etc.)
- 18 cups mixed vegetables (e.g. broccoli, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, etc.)
- 6 sweet potatoes
- 6 avocados
- 6 tomatoes
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 3 cups salsa
- 2 lemons
- 1 lime
- 6 cups carrot sticks
- 6 cups cucumber sticks
- 3 cups diced red onion
- 3 cups low-fat cheese
- 3 cups mixed berries
- 3 cups dried lentils
- 2 cans diced tomatoes
Protein:
- 6 chicken breasts
- 2 lbs beef sirloin
- 3 lbs turkey breast slices
- 6 salmon fillets
- 18 eggs
Dairy:
- 6 cups Greek yogurt
- 6 cups almond milk
Grains:
- 3 cups quinoa
- 12 slices whole grain bread
- 2 boxes whole grain waffle mix
- 6 whole wheat tortillas
- 6 slices whole wheat bread
- 3 cups brown rice
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 3 cups pancake mix
- 1 box whole wheat cornbread mix
- 2 whole wheat pie crusts
Nuts and Seeds:
- 1.5 cups mixed nuts
- 6 tbsp chia seeds
Pantry:
- Soy sauce
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Olive oil
- Maple syrup
- Whole wheat flour (if making homemade crusts)
I hope this helps with your grocery shopping!
There you go, shopping sorted out for the week in just a few minutes, next order it online and get it delivered tonight / tomorrow morning! ChatGPT making life easy for everyday tasks.