Meal Planner Agent

An intelligent meal planning agent that creates weekly dinner plans tailored to your dietary restrictions, cooking skill level, budget constraints, available prep time, and leftover reuse strategy. Integrates with multi-platform grocery lists through AnyList, Google Keep, and Notion, and generates consolidated shopping lists automatically.

Supported Platforms & Integrations

Platform	Integration Type	Features
AnyList	Export	Aisle-organized grocery lists generated from meal plans
Google Keep	Checklist Export	Shopping list checkboxes optimized for mobile use
Notion	Database Export	Recipe database with ingredients, instructions, and tags
Paprika	Recipe Export	Full recipe cards compatible with Paprika recipe manager
Mealime	Reference	Meal plan structure compatible with Mealime format
Google Calendar	ICS Export	Cooking schedule blocks with prep time reminders

When to Use This Agent

• Use this when you need a full week of dinners planned with variety and nutritional balance

• Use this when cooking for dietary restrictions like vegetarian, gluten-free, or low-sodium

• Use this when you want to reduce food waste by planning meals that reuse ingredients and leftovers

• Use this when cooking on a tight budget and need meals that maximize value per serving

• Use this when you are a beginner cook and need simple recipes with common ingredients

• Use this when batch cooking on weekends and need a prep-ahead strategy for busy weeknights

• Consider alternatives when you need precise macro-nutrient tracking for athletic or medical diets

• Consider alternatives when you need restaurant meal recommendations rather than home cooking plans

• Consider alternatives when you need real-time recipe instruction and cooking guidance

Quick Start

Copy
# .claude/agents/meal-planner-agent.yml
name: Meal Planner Agent
model: opus
trigger: "meal plan"
context:
  household_size: 4
  cooking_skill: intermediate
  weekly_budget: 120
  dietary: []
  max_prep_time: 45
  cooking_days: [mon, tue, wed, thu, fri]

First Run Example:

User: Plan meals for next week. Family of 4, $120 budget, 
no shellfish allergy, 30-45 min max on weeknights.

Expected Output:

## Weekly Meal Plan — March 16-20, 2026
Household: 4 | Budget: $120 | Max Prep: 45 min

### Monday — One-Pan Chicken Fajitas
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | Total: 30 min
Ingredients: chicken breast, bell peppers, onion, 
fajita seasoning, tortillas, lime, sour cream
Cost estimate: $14
**Leftover strategy:** Extra chicken for Wednesday

### Tuesday — Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Prep: 15 min | Cook: 15 min | Total: 30 min
Ingredients: flank steak, broccoli, soy sauce, 
ginger, garlic, rice (from pantry)
Cost estimate: $16
**Leftover strategy:** Extra rice for Friday

### Wednesday — Chicken Quesadillas (Leftover Reuse)
Prep: 5 min | Cook: 10 min | Total: 15 min
Ingredients: Monday's leftover chicken, tortillas, 
cheese, salsa, leftover bell peppers
Cost estimate: $6 (mostly leftovers)

### Thursday — Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 25 min | Total: 35 min
Ingredients: Italian sausage, potatoes, zucchini, 
red onion, olive oil, Italian herbs
Cost estimate: $13

### Friday — Egg Fried Rice (Leftover Reuse)
Prep: 10 min | Cook: 15 min | Total: 25 min
Ingredients: Tuesday's leftover rice, eggs, frozen 
peas and carrots, soy sauce, sesame oil
Cost estimate: $5 (mostly leftovers)

---
**Weekly Totals:**
Estimated Grocery Cost: $54-68
Leftover Savings: ~$18
Remaining Budget: $52-66 (lunches, snacks, staples)

### Consolidated Grocery List
[Aisle-organized list with quantities]

Advanced Configuration

Platform-Specific Setup:

Copy
# Recipe preferences
recipes:
  cuisine_rotation: [american, mexican, asian, italian, mediterranean]
  repeat_threshold_weeks: 3
  complexity_mix: [2-easy, 2-medium, 1-involved]

# Leftover optimization
leftovers:
  enabled: true
  max_leftover_days: 2
  chain_meals: true
  batch_cook_weekends: true

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
household_size	int	4	Number of people eating planned meals
cooking_skill	string	intermediate	beginner, intermediate, advanced
weekly_budget	int	120	Weekly grocery budget for dinners in dollars
dietary	array	[]	vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, keto
allergies	array	[]	Specific food allergies to strictly avoid
max_prep_time	int	45	Maximum weeknight prep and cook time in minutes
cooking_days	array	[mon-fri]	Days you plan to cook (others are takeout or leftovers)
cuisine_preferences	array	[]	Preferred cuisines for variety rotation
disliked_ingredients	array	[]	Ingredients to avoid (picky eaters, preferences)
leftover_reuse	bool	true	Plan meals that chain leftovers into later dishes
batch_cook	bool	false	Include weekend batch cooking for weeknight shortcuts
output_format	string	markdown	markdown, notion-db, paprika, json

Core Concepts

Concept	Description
Leftover Chaining	Plans meals where one recipe's extras become another meal's ingredients
Cuisine Rotation	Cycles through different cuisines weekly to prevent menu fatigue
Skill-Appropriate Recipes	Matches recipe complexity to your stated cooking ability level
Budget Optimization	Selects ingredients that maximize nutritional value per dollar spent
Prep Time Awareness	Ensures every weeknight meal fits within your available cooking window

+------------------+     +------------------+     +------------------+
|  Household       |---->|  Recipe Selector |---->|  Leftover Chain  |
|  Profile         |     |  (skill, dietary,|     |  (reuse planning,|
|  (size, budget)  |     |   cuisine pref)  |     |   waste minimize)|
+------------------+     +------------------+     +------------------+
                                                          |
                                                          v
+------------------+     +------------------+     +------------------+
|  Shopping List   |<----|  Budget Check    |<----|  Weekly Plan     |
|  (consolidated,  |     |  (per-meal cost, |     |  (5-7 meals with |
|   aisle-sorted)  |     |   total vs limit) |    |   timing)        |
+------------------+     +------------------+     +------------------+

Workflow Examples

Scenario 1: Vegetarian Family Meal Plan

Input: "Vegetarian meal plan, family of 3, budget $100, 
my kids are picky — they like pasta and cheese."

Output:
## Vegetarian Week — Kid-Friendly Focus

Mon: Mac and cheese with hidden cauliflower ($8)
Tue: Cheese quesadillas with black bean rice ($6)
Wed: Pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes, garlic bread ($7)
Thu: Veggie pizza on naan with mozzarella ($9)
Fri: Cheesy baked ziti with side salad ($8)

Estimated Total: $38-48

**Nutrition Note:** Calcium and protein well-covered 
through dairy. Consider adding a smoothie with spinach 
for iron and adding lentils to sauces for protein variety.

Scenario 2: Weekend Batch Cook Prep

Input: "I want to batch cook on Sunday for the whole week. 
Advanced cook, 3 hours Sunday, 15 min reheats weeknights."

Output:
## Sunday Batch Cook — 3 Hour Session

**Prep Sequence:**
12:00 PM: Start marinara sauce (simmers 45 min)
12:15 PM: Season and roast 2 whole chickens
12:30 PM: Cook 4 cups rice, 1 lb pasta
12:45 PM: Prep vegetables for the week (wash, chop)
1:00 PM: Assemble chicken enchiladas (freeze half)
1:30 PM: Make grain bowls base (quinoa + roasted veg)
2:00 PM: Portion and label all containers

**Weeknight Assembly (15 min each):**
Mon: Chicken over rice with steamed broccoli
Tue: Pasta with homemade marinara and salad
Wed: Grain bowls with chicken, avocado, dressing
Thu: Chicken enchiladas (defrost and bake)
Fri: Leftover remix: fried rice with remaining proteins

Scenario 3: Budget Crunch Meal Strategy

Input: "$50 total for 5 dinners, 4 people. Need to 
stretch every dollar. What can I make?"

Output:
## Budget Week — $50 for 20 Servings ($2.50/serving)

Mon: Black bean tacos with rice ($6)
Tue: Pasta aglio e olio with frozen broccoli ($4)
Wed: Egg drop soup with toast ($3)
Thu: Chicken thigh stir fry with cabbage ($8)
Fri: Lentil soup with crusty bread ($5)

Total: $26-32 (leaves $18-24 for lunches/snacks)

**Cost-Saving Tactics Applied:**
- Chicken thighs not breasts (40% cheaper)
- Dried lentils and beans (75% cheaper than canned)
- Cabbage as primary vegetable (lowest cost per pound)
- Eggs as protein source (cheapest complete protein)

Best Practices

• Plan meals that share ingredients across the week. If Monday uses bell peppers, plan Wednesday to use the remaining peppers. Ingredient overlap reduces waste and per-meal costs while simplifying your grocery list.

• Put your most complex recipe on the day you have the most time. Do not schedule a 45-minute recipe on your busiest workday. Reserve quick meals for hectic days and longer recipes for days you arrive home early.

• Cook double protein portions intentionally for leftovers. Grilling six chicken breasts takes the same effort as three. The extras become Wednesday's salad topping or Thursday's quesadilla filling, saving both time and money.

• Rotate cuisines to prevent menu fatigue. Eating pasta every night for a week is efficient but boring. The cuisine rotation feature ensures variety without requiring you to think about it each week.

• Check your pantry before accepting the grocery list. The agent deducts pantry staples automatically but cannot know everything you already have. A quick 2-minute pantry scan prevents buying duplicate spices, oils, or grains.

Common Issues

• Recipes are too basic or too advanced for my skill level. Adjust the cooking_skill parameter and be specific about your limitations. Saying "I can saute but not bake" helps the agent select appropriate techniques.

• Budget estimates do not match my local grocery prices. Regional price variation is significant. Track actual spending for two weeks using the CSV export and the agent can calibrate to your local market over time.

• My family refuses to eat leftovers repackaged as new meals. Set leftover_reuse: false to plan independent meals each day. The grocery list will be larger but every dinner will be a distinct, freshly cooked meal.

Privacy & Data Handling

• Local Processing: All meal plans are generated in your local Claude Code session. Dietary preferences, budget information, and family details are never transmitted to external services.
• Data Retention: Meal plans and grocery lists exist only in your current session and exported files. No dietary or household data persists between sessions.
• Export Options: Export as Markdown plans, AnyList grocery imports, Paprika recipe cards, or structured JSON. All files are saved to your local filesystem.
• No Advertising: The skill does not promote specific brands, stores, or food delivery services. All recommendations are based purely on your stated preferences and budget constraints.