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Make a grocery list and meal plan

Your assistant keeps your grocery list and builds it from the meals you plan to cook.

Suggested tools

You can set these up yourself. Get the app, follow the steps, then copy the prompt.

• AnyList

  Free. AnyList Complete is optional at $9.99 per year for one person or $14.99 per year for a household.

  A grocery list app your whole family can share.

  Download for iPhoneDownload for AndroidOpen the website

  1. Ask your assistant for your grocery list, one item per line.
  2. Press and hold the reply and tap Copy.
  3. In AnyList, open your list, tap Add Item, then tap the paste button and Paste.
  4. To share it with family, scroll down in the list and tap Share List.
  5. To send the list back to your assistant, tap the three dots, then Share, Email and Print, then Send a Copy, and choose Messages.

  Copy this prompt and give it to your assistant

  • I use the AnyList app. Give me my grocery list with one item per line and nothing else, so I can copy and paste it into AnyList.

    Copy

  Your assistant cannot open AnyList. You copy the list in and out yourself.

• Reminders (Groceries list)

  Free

  The list app already on your iPhone. It sorts groceries by part of the store.

  Download for iPhoneOpen the website

  1. Open Reminders and tap Add List. Name it Groceries.
  2. Tap List Type, choose Groceries, then tap Done.
  3. Ask your assistant for the list, one item per line. Copy the reply and add the items to the list.
  4. To show your assistant what is on the list, take a screenshot and text it.

  Copy this prompt and give it to your assistant

  • I keep my grocery list in the Reminders app on my iPhone. Give me my grocery list with one item per line and nothing else. I will send you a screenshot when I change it.

    Copy

  Your assistant cannot see or change your Reminders. It only knows what you text it or show it in a screenshot.

What to text

• Add to my grocery list: milk, eggs, toothpaste.

  Copy

• What is on my grocery list?

  Copy

• This week we want tacos, chicken soup and spaghetti. Make the grocery list. We already have rice, oil and onions.

  Copy

• Here is a photo of my fridge. What can I cook, and what am I missing?

  Copy

• Sort my grocery list by part of the store.

  Copy

• I went shopping. Clear my grocery list.

  Copy

Steps

1. When something runs out, text: "Add to my grocery list:" and the item.
2. Before you shop, text the meals you want to cook this week.
3. Tell it what you already have, so it does not add those.
4. Ask for the full list, sorted by part of the store.
5. Read the list against your meals before you go. It can miss an item.
6. After shopping, text "Clear my grocery list."

Example conversation

Make it stick

• Add things the moment they run out. One short text.
• Keep a list of meals your family likes. Ask it to plan from that list.
• At the store, text "What is on my grocery list?" and shop from the reply.