About PlateMate

PlateMate helps home cooks plan a week of dinners around what's already in the fridge, starting with the ingredients you already have.

Where the recipes come from

Every recipe comes from TheMealDB, a recipe database with a free public API. PlateMate doesn't write or invent recipes. Each dinner links to its TheMealDB page and, where TheMealDB lists one, to the original source. We keep a cached copy of the catalog so the site stays fast. Today's snapshot holds … recipes (live count), taken on Nov 2, 2026.

How the plan is ranked

Each recipe gets a score based on how many different fridge items it uses, then on how few extra ingredients you'd have to buy. Desserts, breakfasts, sides and starters are left out. The top 7 distinct recipes become your week. Salt, pepper, oil, sugar, flour and water are assumed to be in your pantry.

Raw and cooked items

Mark each fridge item as raw or cooked. Raw names are mapped to recipe names, so "raw chicken" matches chicken breast and thighs, and "ground beef" matches minced beef. Cooked leftovers are matched to TheMealDB recipes that suit reusing them, such as fried rice, soups, casseroles, enchiladas, hashes, pies and salads, or recipes that call for a cooked or shredded ingredient. Leftovers are planned first because USDA advises eating refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Each recipe's score = 25 × leftovers it uses + 10 × distinct fridge items it uses + 5 × the share of its ingredients you have − 0.3 × each missing ingredient. Every dinner that uses one is labeled. PlateMate only suggests recipes that fit leftovers. The source recipe may assume you're starting from raw, so adjust the cooking time.

Limits

Ingredient matching is by name, so "chicken" matches "chicken breast" and "chicken thighs". Check each recipe before you cook, especially for allergies. Quantities follow the source recipe.

Privacy

No sign-up email is needed. If you save something, you get an anonymous sync code. We store only your saved recipes and plans under that code, and this site sets no cookies. Your fridge and sync token are kept in your browser's local storage.

Sources and receipts

• Recipes, photos and ingredient lists: TheMealDB (API). Each dinner links to its own TheMealDB page and, where TheMealDB lists one, to the original publisher.
• Recipe count and snapshot date: /api/stats (live from this server).
• "Use leftovers within 3 to 4 days": USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety.
• Ranking method: How the plan is ranked above. It's the same formula the plan API uses.
• PlateMate makes no claims about money saved or waste reduced, and it doesn't write or change recipes.