Recipe Finder Skill

Find recipes, get nutrition information, and create meal plans using free recipe APIs. Supports searching by ingredients, dietary restrictions, cuisine type, and more.

When to Use

• •User asks for recipe suggestions
• •User wants to know what to cook with specific ingredients
• •User has dietary restrictions (vegetarian, gluten-free, keto, etc.)
• •User asks about nutrition or calories in a recipe
• •User wants meal planning help
• •User asks about cooking instructions or techniques
• •User asks "what can I make with..."

Available Operations

1. •Recipe Search: Find recipes by keyword, ingredient, or cuisine
2. •Ingredient-Based Search: "What can I make with chicken and broccoli?"
3. •Dietary Filtering: Filter by diet (vegan, keto, paleo) or intolerances
4. •Nutrition Analysis: Get calorie and nutrient breakdown
5. •Random Recipe: Get a random recipe for inspiration
6. •Recipe Details: Get full instructions, ingredients, and nutrition

Instructions

When a user asks about recipes or cooking:

Step 1: Understand the Query

Identify what the user needs:

• •Ingredient-based: "What can I make with [ingredients]?"
• •Cuisine search: "Give me Italian recipes"
• •Dietary needs: "Keto dinner ideas"
• •Specific dish: "How do I make chicken parmesan?"
• •Nutrition focused: "Low calorie lunch ideas"

Step 2: Load API Reference

ALWAYS read references/api_reference.md before making API calls. The APIs have specific parameter formats.

Step 3: Choose the Right API

Option A: TheMealDB (Simpler, Completely Free)

• •Good for: Basic recipe search, random recipes, category browsing
• •URL: https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/
• •No API key needed (use "1" as the key)

Option B: Spoonacular (More Powerful, Free Tier)

• •Good for: Ingredient search, nutrition, dietary filters
• •Requires API key (free tier: 150 points/day)
• •More detailed data but limited calls

Step 4: Make the API Call

TheMealDB Example (search by name):

https://www.themealdb.com/api/json/v1/1/search.php?s=chicken

Spoonacular Example (search by ingredients):

https://api.spoonacular.com/recipes/findByIngredients?ingredients=chicken,broccoli&number=5&apiKey=YOUR_KEY

Step 5: Present Results

Format recipes clearly with:

• •Recipe name
• •Brief description or cuisine type
• •Key ingredients
• •Cooking time (if available)
• •Dietary info (vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.)
• •Link to full recipe or instructions

Dietary Restriction Mappings

Cuisine Types

TheMealDB categories: American, British, Canadian, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, Egyptian, Filipino, French, Greek, Indian, Irish, Italian, Jamaican, Japanese, Kenyan, Malaysian, Mexican, Moroccan, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Tunisian, Turkish, Vietnamese

Resources

ALWAYS read these before making API calls:

• •references/api_reference.md - Complete API documentation for both services
• •references/dietary_guide.md - Detailed dietary restriction information

Examples

Example 1: Ingredient-Based Search

User asks: "What can I make with chicken, garlic, and lemon?"

1. •Load API reference
2. •Use TheMealDB search or Spoonacular findByIngredients
3. •Return 3-5 recipe suggestions with names and key details

Example 2: Dietary Restriction

User asks: "I need gluten-free dinner ideas"

1. •Load API reference
2. •Use Spoonacular with intolerances=gluten
3. •Or use TheMealDB and filter results manually
4. •Highlight that recipes are gluten-free in response

Example 3: Quick Recipe

User asks: "Give me an easy pasta recipe"

1. •Search TheMealDB for "pasta"
2. •Pick a result with simple ingredients
3. •Provide full recipe with ingredients and instructions

Example 4: Nutrition Query

User asks: "How many calories in chicken alfredo?"

1. •Search for chicken alfredo recipe
2. •Use Spoonacular nutrition endpoint or estimate
3. •Provide calorie and macro breakdown per serving

Example 5: Random Inspiration

User asks: "What should I cook tonight?"

1. •Use TheMealDB random endpoint: /random.php
2. •Present the recipe with ingredients and instructions
3. •Offer to find alternatives if they don't like it

Notes

• •TheMealDB is completely free with no limits - prefer it for basic searches
• •Spoonacular free tier is 150 points/day (searches cost ~1 point each)
• •Always check dietary restrictions before recommending recipes
• •Cooking times are estimates - actual time varies by skill level
• •Ingredient quantities may need scaling based on servings
• •When nutrition data isn't available, note that it's an estimate