Chef's Mate

Inspiration

As university students, we could all relate to succumbing to cravings and the convenience of fast food. Whether it be midnight pizza runs, or our 20th Ramen bowl, processed foods have in the short-run have given us the nutrients we've needed to push forware. Our health on the other hand would beg to differ. Not only does it affect our physical well-being, but also our mental health, which is often overlooked. In fact, an article by Harvard Health has revealed the following:

"Studies have compared "traditional" diets, like the Mediterranean diet and the traditional Japanese diet, to a typical "Western" diet and have shown that the risk of depression is 25% to 35% lower in those who eat a traditional diet. Scientists account for this difference because these traditional diets tend to be high in vegetables, fruits, unprocessed grains, and fish and seafood, and to contain only modest amounts of lean meats and dairy. They are also void of processed and refined foods and sugars, which are staples of the "Western" dietary pattern"

There is a clear connection, but the subject is still under study. Regardless, this was our inspiration for Chef's Mate, a web application that would encourage students to undertake healthier lifestyles while also alleviating the strain on their wallets.

What it does

Say you are craving some Taco Bell one day, and you rationalize the time and money you would save, as opposed to cooking or eating out elsewhere, would pay off. Now imagine pausing for a second to think about alternatives to what is seemingly harmless, but actually harmful decision in the long run. But you don't actually know where to go or what to cook, no one has told you, and you don't really have time to figure it out. This is where chef's mate comes into play. Simply input your craving (Taco Bell CrunchWrap Supreme) and receive around 5 better AND healthier alternatives.

Great! But now what? Simply choose your favourite suggestion, input your budget for the meal, and finally choose whether you would like to cook or eat out. If you would like to cook, the app will scour for recipes for you, and if you choose to eat out, the app will find a nearby restaurant to sort you out! It's that simple, and it's just one less thing we will have to worry about in our daily lives.

How we built it

We used React for the Frontend, and Python/FastAPI to create an API for our backend. We leveraged the Cohere, Yelp, and other third party APIs to help us generate the correct information our app would need.

Challenges we ran into

Building the APIs was a fun and challenging experience, as well as implementing the UI designs to the actual frontend through react.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

When we got the API working, specifically when the prompt we created for the Cohere API started working, it was a very rewarding feeling.

What we learned

We learned more about AI, and the technical process involved in NLP models and algorithms.

What's next for Chef's Mate

We would have wanted to expand Chef's mate to mobile, using something like React Native, which would have a lot of practicality for students who find it easier to do the work on their phone,