Can AI generate menu ideas better than me? Or at least be more inventive with a list of ingredients in the fridge? I decided to experiment!
I used ChatGPT (https://chatgpt.com/) which limits you to two inquiries a day.
When you open the website, you are prompted to ask a question. First I asked about smoothies.
Almost instantaneously I received a couple of suggestions–here’s one. It uses all of the fruits, the Key Lime yogurt, and the chia and flax seeds.
I make smoothies all of the time, but I probably wouldn’t have combined the peaches with the Key Lime yogurt so it was fun to see an original twist to my tried and true recipes. I like the fact that the answer included the health benefits since I requested “healthy” recipes.
I used up all of my questions yesterday on the free version, and I am not yet ready to spend $20 or $200 a month for an upgrade. If I used ChatGPT everyday for work then I might be able to justify the expenditure, but not yet. (Hello again, I am coming back into this post because I asked ChatGPT about the free platform. It replied that questions and conversations were unlimited, however, I was asked to sign up for free. I started the process and was asked for my birthday. I see no reason why they need my birthday so I ended the process. For now, I will go in once a day until I know more. Stay tuned to the blog–we’ll post more info!)
Today I was looking for inspiration for supper ideas. I listed almost everything in my refrigerator plus herbs from the garden and some spices that had not outlived their expiration dates. ChatGPT offered several menus including Asian-inspired chicken stir fry and grape and tomato salad with herb dressing (hmmm–not sure about that combination!) However, I decided on Sweet Potato & Hamburger Hash.
I wouldn’t have come up with this idea on my own so I was pleased with the results.
AI certainly presents a daunting challenge in our cyber lives. The possible tools and uses seem to have exploded overnight. Plus, there is so much to wonder and worry about with this rapidly expanding technology. However, it is here to stay; therefore in my mind, it makes sense to stick our toes in the water in a safe way to begin to learn just how AI works. Generating menus seems safe and doesn’t expose any of our personal information online. Are you going to give it a try?
I’m off to thaw some hamburger for my sweet potato and hamburger hash!