FoodManager (PantryCraft)

A web application that helps users manage their ingredients efficiently and generate AI-powered recipe suggestions based on available items. Built with React.js, MongoDB, and OpenAI to reduce food waste and simplify meal planning.

Duration: 5 monthsTeam: 1 personRole: Full-stack Developer
React.jsMaterial-UINode.jsExpress.jsMongoDBOpenAIJavaScriptAxios

The Problem

Many people face challenges in keeping track of ingredients in their pantry, planning meals with available ingredients, and reducing food waste due to forgotten or expired items. Finding creative recipes with limited ingredients is also a common struggle.

My Solution & Technical Details

I developed a comprehensive web application that combines ingredient management with AI-powered recipe suggestions. The system helps users track their pantry items, monitor expiration dates, and discover new recipes based on available ingredients using OpenAI's GPT models.

Key Technical Implementations:

  • Built React.js frontend with Material-UI for consistent, modern design
  • Implemented Node.js/Express.js backend with RESTful API endpoints
  • Designed flexible MongoDB schema for ingredient and recipe storage
  • Integrated OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo API for intelligent recipe suggestions
  • Created responsive design optimized for desktop and mobile devices
  • Implemented JWT-based authentication and user management
  • Added real-time ingredient updates and recipe generation
  • Built comprehensive CRUD operations for ingredient management
  • Optimized API costs with GPT-3.5 Turbo at $0.0015/1K input tokens, $0.002/1K output tokens
  • Implemented prompt engineering for efficient token usage and cost optimization

Project Screenshots

FoodManager Application Interface

The main interface showing ingredient management and AI recipe suggestions

Application Interface

Detailed view of the application interface and features

Cost Dashboard View

GPT-3.5 Turbo cost usage dashboard showing API consumption and pricing analytics

Project Overview

Complete project overview showing the FoodManager application interface and features

Outcomes & Results

  • Successfully integrated AI-powered recipe suggestions using OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo
  • Created intuitive user interface for efficient ingredient management
  • Implemented responsive design that works seamlessly across devices
  • Reduced food waste through better ingredient tracking and utilization
  • Simplified meal planning with contextual recipe recommendations
  • Built scalable full-stack application with modern technologies
  • Achieved cost-effective AI integration with optimized token usage
  • Delivered production-ready application with comprehensive error handling

AI Integration & Code Implementation

🤖 OpenAI GPT-3.5 Turbo Integration

Model Configuration

  • Model: GPT-3.5 Turbo
  • Max Tokens: 500
  • Temperature: 0.7

Pricing Structure

  • Input: $0.0015 per 1K tokens
  • Output: $0.002 per 1K tokens

🔧 API Implementation Details

Endpoint

/api/recipes/suggest

Error Handling

Comprehensive error handling with fallback responses

Caching Strategy

Redis caching for frequently requested recipe combinations

💡 Prompt Engineering

You are a helpful cooking assistant. Based on the available ingredients: {ingredients}, suggest 3 creative recipes that can be made with these ingredients. Include cooking time, difficulty level, and step-by-step instructions.

Interested in this project?

Let's discuss how we can work together on similar challenges.

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