recipe-shoplist-mcp

Turns a meal idea into a categorized shopping list with one-click search links — no accounts, no API keys.

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that takes a natural language meal request, generates a structured recipe, consolidates ingredients into a categorized shopping list, and optionally generates pre-filled search URLs for common grocery stores.

Features

• Recipe Generation — Describe what you want ("something quick with chicken and rice", "vegan pasta for 4") and get a structured recipe with ingredients, steps, and timing
• Shopping List Builder — Consolidates duplicate ingredients across multiple recipes (two recipes need garlic? → combined quantity)
• Grocery Category Grouping — Items sorted by store section: produce, dairy, meat, pantry, spices, etc.
• Export Formats — Plain text, Markdown, or clickable search links for Amazon Fresh, Walmart, or generic Google Shopping
• Save to File — Export your shopping list as a .md or .txt file to open, print, or share
• Vague Ingredient Flagging — Flags entries like "some spices" so you know to clarify
• Multi-Recipe Merging — Plan a week of meals and get one combined shopping list

Installation

git clone https://github.com/Sara-Eltayeb/recipe-shoplist-mcp.git
cd recipe-shoplist-mcp
npm install
npm run build

Register in Your MCP Client

Add to your MCP client configuration (e.g. Claude Desktop, opencode, etc.):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "recipe-shoplist": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/recipe-shoplist-mcp/dist/index.js"]
    }
  }
}

Or if installed globally via npm:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "recipe-shoplist": {
      "command": "recipe-shoplist-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Tools

generate_recipe

Generate a structured recipe from a natural language request.

Parameter	Type	Description
request	string	Natural language meal request
servings	number?	Number of servings (default: 4)
dietary_restrictions	string[]?	e.g. ["vegan", "gluten-free"]

build_shopping_list

Consolidate ingredients from one or more recipes into a categorized shopping list.

Parameter	Type	Description
ingredients	Ingredient[]	Array of {name, quantity, unit}
recipe_names	string[]?	Names of source recipes

export_list

Export the latest shopping list in your preferred format.

Parameter	Type	Description
format	"text" | "markdown" | "url_links"	Output format
store	"amazon_fresh" | "walmart" | "generic"?	Store for URL links

save_list_to_file

Save the shopping list to a local .md or .txt file.

Parameter	Type	Description
filename	string?	Filename without extension
format	"text" | "markdown"?	File format (default: markdown)

Example Prompts

• "Plan 3 dinners for this week and give me one combined shopping list"
• "Make a shopping list for a vegan pasta night and give me Walmart search links"
• "I want something quick with chicken and rice, then save the list to a file"
• "Give me 2 meal ideas for the week and combine everything into one markdown shopping list"

Limitations

• No cart automation — Search links open a search or product page on the retailer's site. Adding items to a cart and checking out requires retailer partner API access, which is not available without approval.
• No external API keys — Recipe generation relies on the calling AI assistant's own creativity. This server structures and validates the output but does not call external recipe APIs.
• Vague ingredients — Terms like "some spices" or "seasoning to taste" are flagged for clarification rather than guessed at.

License

MIT