Can AI really do your shopping lists for you?

AI can do a lot these days—write essays, plan workouts, even design meal plans at the click of a button. But after trying it myself, I’m not convinced it can actually handle something as personal (and unpredictable) as a student’s weekly food shop.

When I asked an AI to create a high-protein shopping list, I was impressed at first. It churned out an organised plan full of nutritious meals and neatly categorised ingredients: quinoa, chickpeas, chicken breast, Greek yogurt, spinach, salmon—the sort of things that make you feel like you’ve got your life together. But once I’d actually done the shop, reality hit. Half of it went off before I had time to cook anything.

The problem is that AI assumes you have unlimited time, energy, and fridge space. It’s great at generating balanced recipes, but it doesn’t understand the reality of student life—long lectures, late nights, and the occasional “I’ll just have cereal for dinner” moment. A supposedly “simple” dinner like grilled salmon with roasted veg sounds easy, but after a day of studying and working, it feels like a chore.

As a student who tries to eat high-protein, I found AI’s suggestions were more about variety than practicality. It offered meals that technically fit my goals, but required ingredients I’d only use once. The result? Wasted food and wasted money. I’ve learned that the best high-protein meals are usually the quick, no-nonsense ones—things like wraps, eggs, tuna, cottage cheese, and frozen vegetables. AI doesn’t really understand that convenience matters more than creativity when you’re trying to eat well on a budget.

There’s also something oddly impersonal about letting AI plan your meals. It doesn’t know that you hate chickpeas or that your tiny freezer can’t fit eight frozen meals. It can’t predict when you’ll grab a meal out or crave something specific. Food isn’t just about nutrition—it’s about habit, comfort, and taste—and that’s hard to translate into an algorithm.

So no, I don’t think AI can really do your shopping list. It can offer ideas, but it can’t live your routine. The best lists still come from experience—knowing what you actually eat, what you’ll skip, and what you’ll inevitably end up cooking at midnight.