Imagine a world where, in just five minutes, you could have a shopping list, cost breakdown, and week-long meal plan ready to go – freeing up valuable time in your week to focus on what matters most! With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), this is no longer a futuristic dream, but a practical reality. AI tools like Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT can help streamline meal planning by automating time-consuming tasks, organizing your grocery list, and suggesting budget-friendly meal options.
Combined with trusted sources like No Money No Time, AI platforms can make meal planning simple, fast, and tailored to YOUR needs. Whether you’re looking to save time, improve sports performance, feel fuller for longer, or eat more healthily, AI can potentially revolutionize your meal prep - supporting everyone, from time-poor students to families on a budget.
Use our AI hacks and prompts below to meal plan using No Money No Time recipes. These will help you meet your nutrition goals (Take the Healthy Eating Quiz to help with goal setting!), speed up your cooking and planning, save money, or just try new food ideas! We’ve added some troubleshooting tips at the end of the page.
Meal Planning Examples
Copy and paste the bolded text below into any AI program:
- Using the website: https://nomoneynotime.com.au/, create a day-by-day meal plan that focuses on reusing ingredients throughout the week. Please provide a cost breakdown per meal using the costs provided on the No Money No Time site.
Example Output generated by ChatGPT:
Creating a meal plan that reuses ingredients throughout the week is a smart way to save both time and money. Based on recipes from the "No Money No Time" website, here's a 7-day meal plan with a focus on ingredient reuse and cost-effectiveness.
Meal Plan Overview:
- Breakfast: Alternating between Microwave Porridge and Smashed Peas and Egg on Toast.
- Lunch: A mix of Amanda's Tuna Pasta, Nathan's Filling and Fuelling Pasta for Footy, and Nina’s Super Green Pasta.
- Dinner: Rotating dishes like Liza’s 'Bits and Bobs Frittata’, Sally's Mater Zucchini and Basil Soup, and Tim’s Curried Roasted Vegetable Soup.
Detailed Meal Plan:
Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
Monday | Microwave Porridge ($1.40) | Amanda's Tuna Pasta ($2.15) | Liza’s 'Bits and Bobs Frittata’ ($2.35) |
Tuesday | Smashed Peas and Egg on Toast ($1.00) | Nathan's Filling and Fuelling Pasta for Footy ($1.35) | Sally's Mater Zucchini and Basil Soup ($1.75) |
Wednesday | Microwave Porridge ($1.40) | Nina’s Super Green Pasta ($1.80) | Tim’s Curried Roasted Vegetable Soup ($1.65) |
Thursday | Smashed Peas and Egg on Toast ($1.00) | Amanda's Tuna Pasta ($2.15) | Liza’s 'Bits and Bobs Frittata’ ($2.35) |
Friday | Microwave Porridge ($1.40) | Nathan's Filling and Fuelling Pasta for Footy ($1.35) | Sally's Mater Zucchini and Basil Soup ($1.75) |
Saturday | Smashed Peas and Egg on Toast ($1.00) | Nina’s Super Green Pasta ($1.80) | Tim’s Curried Roasted Vegetable Soup ($1.65) |
Sunday | Microwave Porridge ($1.40) | Amanda's Tuna Pasta ($2.15) | Liza’s 'Bits and Bobs Frittata’ ($2.35) |
Total Estimated Cost:
- Breakfast: $1.40 × 4 + $1.00 × 3 = $7.60
- Lunch: $2.15 × 3 + $1.35 × 2 + $1.80 × 2 = $12.95
- Dinner: $2.35 × 3 + $1.75 × 2 + $1.65 × 2 = $13.85
Grand Total for the Week: $7.60 + $12.95 + $13.85 = $34.40
Ingredient Reuse Strategy:
- Eggs: Used in both Smashed Peas and Egg on Toast and Liza’s 'Bits and Bobs Frittata’.
- Spinach: Incorporated into Nina’s Super Green Pasta, Liza’s 'Bits and Bobs Frittata’, and Sally's Mater Zucchini and Basil Soup.
- Frozen Peas: Featured in Smashed Peas and Egg on Toast and Liza’s 'Bits and Bobs Frittata’.
- Zucchini: Used in Sally's Mater Zucchini and Basil Soup and Liza’s 'Bits and Bobs Frittata’.
- Pasta: Common ingredient in Amanda's Tuna Pasta, Nathan's Filling and Fuelling Pasta for Footy, and Nina’s Super Green Pasta.
2. Not keen on everything that has been suggested? Ask AI to change a specific aspect for you – for example: I don't want to eat pasta every day. Can you provide another suggestion for lunchtime meals?
Example Output generated by ChatGPT:
Got it! I'll swap out some of the pasta meals for different options while keeping costs low and ingredients reusable. Here's an updated lunch plan with more variety:
Updated Lunch Plan (Less Pasta)
Day | Lunch Option | Cost |
Monday | Amanda's Tuna Pasta | $2.15 |
Tuesday | Chickpea & Roast Veggie Salad | $2.00 |
Wednesday | Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup | $1.80 |
Thursday | Egg & Salad Wrap | $1.50 |
Friday | Tuna & Avocado Rice Bowl | $2.20 |
Saturday | Vegetable & Cheese Toastie | $1.75 |
Sunday | Leftover Sweet Potato & Lentil Soup | $1.80 |
Why These Choices?
- Keeps ingredient reuse in mind → Eggs, salad veggies, and canned goods appear multiple times to save money and prevent waste.
- Adds variety → Includes salads, soups, wraps, and toasties instead of daily pasta.
- Still budget-friendly → The cost per meal remains low, averaging $1.88 per lunch.
3. Continue to make any tweaks to your plan as required – ask for more or less of a specific ingredient, ask for items that freeze or keep well, or kid-friendly meals. Once happy – ask AI to generate a shopping list for your plan, and there you have it! A personalised, weeks’ worth of meals with a budget breakdown, and shopping list.
Other Prompts
- Using the https://nomoneynotime.com.au/ site, can you create a week-long meal plan for 2 people, coming in at less than $75?
- I want to make snacks for my children's lunch box that do not take longer than 30 minutes per item and use recipes with greater than 6 serves. Can you suggest some options using the https://nomoneynotime.com.au/ site?
- I have the following ingredients: [insert ingredients you have on hand] What can I make for dinner using the https://nomoneynotime.com.au/ website? Please suggest what items I will need to purchase to cook the recipe correctly.
- I want to build muscle for sports performance; can you suggest dinner recipes from https://nomoneynotime.com.au/ that have over 30g* of protein per serve? *This is an arbitrary number as an example, not a recommendation regarding protein intake requirements. To discuss your individual requirements, book an appointment with a dietitian.
- Using the https://nomoneynotime.com.au/ site, can you suggest some dinner recipes that will freeze well?
- I want to cook the following recipes this week: [insert links from No Money No Time] can you please create a shopping list for me?
Troubleshooting Tips
1. AI requires you to be specific. If the responses you are getting are too vague, or not quite right, consider how you can provide as much context and details as possible.
- Example: create me a meal plan
- Enhanced example: I am a busy mum of 3 kids, can you create a meal plan using https://nomoneynotime.com.au/ that includes at least 2 vegetarian meals.
2. Use follow up questions, rather than asking for multiple things in one prompt. Generative AI software will remember details from previous questions in the conversation and will continue to use these details when answering prompts.
- I am a busy mum of 3 kids, can you create a meal plan using https://nomoneynotime.com.au/ that includes at least 2 vegetarian meals.
- Can you make this into a table that is easy to read?
- Can you create a shopping list, based on this recipe?
3. Give feedback - this will allow the software to provide a response that better meets your needs.
Example: The suggestions are great, but I would prefer them to be more time efficient. Could you shorten the preparation time?
So, what do you think? Is AI something you’d give a go in your kitchen? Join the conversation on Facebook Easy Healthy Eating by NMNT Facebook group to see what the No Money No Time community thinks!
