What to cook: how to fill in fields and get practical recipes
The recipe generator «What to cook» turns a list of products into specific dish suggestions. The quality of the answer depends on how accurately you describe ingredients, restrictions, number of portions and available time. In this article we'll explain how to correctly fill in the web form fields to get executable recipes, and what to do if the result doesn't suit you. All examples in the article are illustrative and are not real tests.
Open tool: Recipe generator ↗How the form is structured and what it accepts
«What to cook» is a web form with text fields. You enter data into the fields «Ingredients and quantities», «Preferences and restrictions», «People or portions» and «Available time», choose the output language and press the Generate button. The result appears in a separate panel as plain text. You can copy it or download it as a TXT file.
The field «Ingredients and quantities» accepts up to 8000 characters, the field «Preferences and restrictions» accepts up to 1000 characters. This means you can detail products and wishes, but you shouldn't turn the input into an endless list. The tool does not save data automatically, has no integrations and does not publish recipes directly.
Important to understand: the model can make mistakes, and the queue and availability of the service may vary. Therefore any received recipe is worth checking for sanity and adapting to your conditions.
Filling example: Ingredients: 300 g potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g cooked nuta, 2 tomatoes. Restrictions: vegetarian, gluten-free. Portions: 2. Time: 30 minutes.
Exact quantities instead of general words
One common mistake is writing just «potatoes, carrots, onions» without specifying quantities. The tool may assume you have an unlimited supply and suggest a dish for 6 portions, while you only have 2 potatoes. As a result the recipe will turn out unrealistic.
Specify at least approximate quantities: «2 medium potatoes», «1 carrot», «1 onion». If you don't have exact numbers, write «a little» or «to taste», but it's better to give an orientation in grams or pieces. The field «Ingredients and quantities» accommodates up to 8000 characters, so there is enough room for details.
If you have already received a poor result, rephrase the query, adding quantities and clarifying exactly what you have. For example: «I have 300 g potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g cooked nuta and 2 tomatoes».
Input: «potatoes, carrots, onions, nuta, tomatoes». Better: «300 g potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g cooked nuta, 2 medium tomatoes».
Dietary restrictions: speak plainly
The field «Preferences and restrictions» is often left empty, and then people are surprised why a recipe includes products they don't eat. The tool cannot read minds, so it is important to explicitly state: «gluten-free», «lactose-free», «vegetarian», «no nuts» and so on.
If you have multiple restrictions, list them separated by commas. For example: «vegetarian, gluten-free, soy-free». This will help the generator select suitable substitutions. Note that the tool does not guarantee absolute safety with allergies — always check the product composition yourself.
If you forgot to specify a restriction and received an unsuitable recipe, just add the restriction to the appropriate field and generate again. You can also manually exclude unsuitable ingredients from the list.
Input without restrictions: «chicken, rice, soy sauce». With restriction «gluten-free» soy sauce needs to be replaced with tamari or coconut aminos.
Portions and time: realism is most important
The fields «People or portions» and «Available time» are often filled at random. If you write «for two» and «30 minutes», but you only have 15 minutes, the recipe will be unfeasible. The tool may suggest long stewing or baking, for which you have no time.
Specify real time taking into account preparation and cutting. If you have exactly 30 minutes, write «30 minutes». If the time is flexible, you can write «about 40 minutes». For portions use specific numbers: «2 portions» or «for 2 people».
If the result still requires more time, try to specify: «quick dishes only» or «no oven». This narrows the choice and makes the recipe practical.
Input: «for 2 people, 30 minutes». Result: «stewed nuta with vegetables» — fits. If you specify «15 minutes», the generator may suggest salads or sandwiches.
Contradictions and overloaded queries
Sometimes users write contradictory things: «no carbs, but with potatoes» or «vegan, but with meat». The tool may try to please, but the result will be strange. Better to avoid mutually exclusive conditions.
If you have special wishes, formulate them clearly: «low-carb, but a little potato is allowed» — this is clearer. Also do not mix incompatible diets in one query, for example «keto» and «vegetarian» without explanations.
An excessively long list of ingredients also confuses the generator. Better to limit yourself to 5–7 main ingredients that you really need to use. The rest can be indicated in restrictions, for example «spices to taste».
Input: «gluten-free, but pasta allowed». Better: «gluten-free, pasta made from rice flour is allowed».
How to fix a poor result
If the generated recipe didn't suit you, analyze what exactly went wrong: incorrect proportions, unsuitable products, too long time. Then adjust the corresponding fields and try again.
For example, if the dish turned out too spicy, add «not spicy» to restrictions. If there weren't enough ingredients, specify their quantity. If the recipe requires unavailable technique, write «no oven» or «stove only».
Remember that the model can make mistakes, and the queue and availability may vary. Always check the recipe for sanity and adapt it to your conditions. The tool does not guarantee an ideal result on the first try, but with accurate input it becomes a reliable assistant.
After generating a recipe with an oven add «no oven» to restrictions and get a stovetop version.
Practical recommendations for entering data
To minimize errors, follow simple rules: specify quantities in grams or pieces, list restrictions separated by commas, set real time and number of portions. Avoid contradictions and do not overload the ingredient list.
If you are unsure about the quantity, use approximate estimates: «about 200 g», «a couple of pieces». This is better than complete lack of information. It is also useful to indicate which ingredients are main and which are additional.
Finally, remember that the tool works with text and cannot check if you have the products at home. Responsibility for adapting the recipe lies with you. Use the generator as a source of ideas, not as a strict instruction.
Good input: «Ingredients: 300 g potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 200 g nuta, 2 tomatoes. Restrictions: vegetarian, gluten-free. Portions: 2. Time: 30 minutes».
The recipe generator «What to cook» is a convenient tool for menu planning, but its effectiveness depends on the accuracy of your data. Avoid generic formulations, specify quantities, restrictions, portions and time. If the result didn't suit you, analyze the errors and adjust your query. Remember, this is just an assistant, and the final decision is always yours. Examples in the article are conditional and are not real tests.
Open tool: Recipe generator ↗Interface translations are machine-assisted and may need refinement.