| name | recipe_finder |
| description | Search recipes by ingredients, cuisine, or dietary needs. Get nutrition info, meal plans, and cooking instructions. Use when user asks about cooking, recipes, meals, or food. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| author | Workshop Team |
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
- Recipe Search: Find recipes by keyword, ingredient, or cuisine
- Ingredient-Based Search: "What can I make with chicken and broccoli?"
- Dietary Filtering: Filter by diet (vegan, keto, paleo) or intolerances
- Nutrition Analysis: Get calorie and nutrient breakdown
- Random Recipe: Get a random recipe for inspiration
- 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
| User Says... | API Parameter |
|---|
| "vegetarian" | diet=vegetarian |
| "vegan" | diet=vegan |
| "gluten-free" | intolerances=gluten |
| "dairy-free" | intolerances=dairy |
| "keto" or "low-carb" | diet=ketogenic |
| "paleo" | diet=paleo |
| "nut-free" | intolerances=tree nut,peanut |
| "healthy" | maxCalories=500 or diet=whole30 |
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 servicesreferences/dietary_guide.md - Detailed dietary restriction information
Examples
Example 1: Ingredient-Based Search
User asks: "What can I make with chicken, garlic, and lemon?"
- Load API reference
- Use TheMealDB search or Spoonacular findByIngredients
- Return 3-5 recipe suggestions with names and key details
Example 2: Dietary Restriction
User asks: "I need gluten-free dinner ideas"
- Load API reference
- Use Spoonacular with
intolerances=gluten
- Or use TheMealDB and filter results manually
- Highlight that recipes are gluten-free in response
Example 3: Quick Recipe
User asks: "Give me an easy pasta recipe"
- Search TheMealDB for "pasta"
- Pick a result with simple ingredients
- Provide full recipe with ingredients and instructions
Example 4: Nutrition Query
User asks: "How many calories in chicken alfredo?"
- Search for chicken alfredo recipe
- Use Spoonacular nutrition endpoint or estimate
- Provide calorie and macro breakdown per serving
Example 5: Random Inspiration
User asks: "What should I cook tonight?"
- Use TheMealDB random endpoint:
/random.php
- Present the recipe with ingredients and instructions
- 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
