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About PantryPal

PantryPal was inspired by a simple question: What can I cook with the ingredients I already have? I wanted to make meal planning less stressful, reduce forgotten food, and help people feel more confident in the kitchen.

What it does

PantryPal lets you save your dietary preferences, allergies, and ingredients, then suggests recipes that fit your pantry and available time. You can:

Adjust recipe servings and follow cooking instructions one step at a time.
Save favorite recipes and add missing ingredients to a shopping list.
Use the chat assistant to get help with app tasks.
Say “Hey Pantry” to give a voice command. ##How I built it I built the website with React and Vite, and the chat backend with Node.js and Express. Pantry details, preferences, favorites, and shopping lists are saved in the browser. The starter recipes are stored in a JSON file. The optional AI chat uses a server-side API key so it is not exposed in the browser. Voice input and spoken replies use the browser’s speech features. ##What I learned and challenges I faced Building PantryPal taught me how a web app’s screens, saved data, and backend work together. I also learned that features that seem simple_like filtering recipes for allergies or listening for a wake phrase_need careful handling. Browser speech support varies, so the app must handle microphone permissions and listening states clearly. Getting the frontend and backend ready to deploy together was another challenge. PantryPal is a prototype, but it brings together recipe discovery, cooking guidance, and voice interaction to make the path from pantry to plate feel easier.