With the (somewhat controversial) rising popularity of artificial intelligence (AI), I thought it would be fun to experiment with ChatGTP, a free-to-use AI system, and let it determine the meals I ate for a day. I prompted ChatGTP to "plan meals for the day on a college student budget." Here are the results of its suggestions.
Breakfast:
For the first meal of the day, ChatGTP recommended that I try "**Scrambled Eggs and Toast:** Scramble two eggs with a splash of milk and cook them in a non-stick pan. Serve with two slices of whole-grain bread toasted. If desired, add a small amount of butter or olive oil for flavor."
I was thankful ChatGTP didn't give me a complicated recipe for breakfast. Only 3 ingredients were required: milk, whole-grain bread, and eggs. I also added butter to the toast, as recommended.
Rating: 7/10
Overall, not a bad breakfast. But also, it's nothing too special. Scrambled eggs are simple, relatively cheap, quick to make, and a good source of protein. I did think the eggs were a bit bland by themselves, and I added black pepper to give the eggs more flavor. ChatGTP's breakfast recommendation would have scored higher if it had suggested adding some more flavor to the eggs, such as ketchup, sriracha, or black pepper. However, I did enjoy the nice touch of extra flavor with the butter on the toast. Normally I would eat my toast with peanut butter, but it was fun to switch it up. I also usually reach for sourdough bread, as opposed to whole wheat, but it's all personal preference.
Lunch
For lunch, ChatGTP recommended I eat a "Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich," with directions to "Spread peanut butter on two slices of whole-grain bread and add sliced banana in between." ChatGTP also mentioned that "You can also add a drizzle of honey if you prefer."
I personally love peanut butter and banana toast, so I was really happy with this suggestion. However, my initial reaction was somewhere along the lines of, "Didn't I just eat two slices of whole-grain bread three hours ago?"
If I eat peanut butter and banana toast, it will usually be as a snack after my classes, not as a full meal. At first, I was honestly a little worried that a simple peanut butter and banana sandwich wouldn't keep me full until dinner. I've also never tried a peanut butter and banana sandwich with honey on top.
The ingredients (pictured below) consist of a ripe banana, whole wheat bread, and creamy peanut butter.
Rating: 4/10
I usually make my peanut butter and banana toast with one slice of bread, as an open-faced sandwich (similar to the picture above), and honestly, two slices of bread was a little too much for me. The peanut butter and banana flavor was lost in between the two slices of whole-grain bread. I also couldn't really taste the sweet honey. The taste of the sandwich wasn't bad, but I would not make this again for lunch.
Unexpectedly, however, this peanut butter and banana sandwich successfully satisfied me, and I wasn't hungry until dinner.
Also, although this is a simple sandwich, I imagine that this might be a hard lunch to pack if I had to bring my lunch to school or work, as opposed to eating lunch at home. I would worry about the bananas staying fresh in between the bread.
Dinner:
For dinner, ChatGTP recommended "Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Vegetables: Boil whole-grain pasta according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, sauté some mixed vegetables like bell peppers, zucchini, and spinach in a pan. Mix the cooked pasta and vegetables with store-bought tomato sauce." The ingredients I used are pictured below.
Rating: 8/10
Dinner was delicious, affordable, and quick to make. My only complaint was that there was no protein present. I would make this pasta again.
Snacks:
ChatGTP also recommended some snacks:
- Yogurt and Fruit: "Have a small cup of plain yogurt and top it with some fresh or frozen fruits like berries or sliced apples"
- Trail Mix: "Make a simple trail mix using nuts, seeds, and a small amount of dried fruit."
- Carrot Sticks with Hummus: "Cut some carrot sticks and dip them in store-bought hummus for a quick and healthy snack."
Final Thoughts
Overall, none of these meals were bad, and they did unexpectedly fill me up. I thought it was funny how much whole wheat bread was used throughout the day based on ChatGTP's recommendations. On a normal day, I would not be eating four slices of whole wheat bread.
I also had some concerns about nutrition. I noticed that no vegetables were included in the meals until dinner, and that the meals were very carbohydrate based. Other than the eggs for breakfast and small amount of peanut butter for lunch, there was not a whole lot of protein throughout the day.
I don't think I would personally use ChatGTP to choose my meals again, although this was a fun experiment. However, ChatGTP definitely has the potential to assist with meal prepping. I think that ChatGTP could find and suggest recipes for people with allergies and save valuable decision making and planning time for people with busy schedules. It could also be used for inspiration. However, as someone who enjoys playing around with cooking, I also think that by letting ChatGTP dictate what you eat, you take some of the fun and creativity out of meal prepping and cooking.