Skip to content
TriedPrompts

More in Groceries & food delivery.

Turn pantry and freezer photos into a grocery list with Gemini

WorkedEvidence: Described by posterPosted Last checked

Amanda Caswell photographed a pantry and freezer, and Gemini turned them into a grocery list by category for a family of five.

How to use this

  1. Tap Copy prompt.
  2. Open Gemini.
  3. Paste it into the message box.
  4. Send it, then read the answer before acting on it.
New to this? What's a prompt?

A prompt is the message you send to the AI tool. Copy the one on this page, put your own details where it asks, and read the answer before you act on it.

Prompt

Recreated prompt

The source didn't share its exact prompt, so we wrote one from what it describes. The result shown is the source's, not ours.

What the prompt labels mean

The person didn't share their exact words, so we wrote this from what they described. We haven't tested it, and they didn't use this exact version.

Here are photos of my pantry and freezer. Identify what I have, tell me what I'm running low on for a week of family dinners, and make a grocery list sorted by store category so I only buy what I actually need.

Try this in:

ChatGPT Gemini Used in sourceGrok Claude

Sends the Recreated prompt shown above. ChatGPT and Grok open with it filled in, and ChatGPT may send it straight away. Gemini and Claude open empty, so we copy the prompt for you to paste. Every button also copies it.

Opens in a new tab. We don't see what you send.

These links are only a shortcut. We're not affiliated with OpenAI, Google, Anthropic or xAI, and your results may not match the source.

Optional stronger version

Our rewrite with extra checks. The poster didn't test it.

Before you start, ask me 1–3 short questions about the details below and wait for my answers. Once I've answered, confirm the plan in one line and run the whole task start to finish.

Goal: Make a grocery list from photos of what I already have, so I don't buy duplicates.

Questions to ask me first:
- How many people are you shopping for, and for how many days?
- Which meals are you planning this week?
- Can you take close-up photos of labels with dates?

Inputs (fill in or confirm):
- Pantry, fridge and freezer photos: [PHOTOS]
- Household size: [PEOPLE]
- Planned meals: [MEALS OR 'SUGGEST SOME']
- Store: [STORE]

Rules:
- List what you can see and mark anything you're unsure of.
- Only read expiration dates you can actually see; ask for a close-up otherwise.
- Group the list by store section.
- Don't add items I already have unless I'm low.

Checkpoint: Show me the inventory you saw and wait for me to correct it before making the list.

If you get stuck: If a photo is blurry or crowded, tell me what to retake.

Verify before you finish: Check the list against the inventory so nothing I already have is on it.

Output: An inventory list, a grocery list by store section and any items close to expiring.

Done when: I have a grocery list that skips what I already own.

AI tool

Gemini

Outcome

Amanda Caswell, a Tom's Guide writer, used Google Gemini to streamline grocery shopping for a family of five. Caswell photographed the pantry and freezer, and Gemini identified what was there and turned it into a grocery list sorted by category, so the trip covered what was actually missing. Checking expiration dates only worked with close-up photos of the labels. Caswell says it saved time and money, but doesn't give a dollar figure.

Evidence: Described by posterThe person describes what happened in words, without screenshots or video.

Source

Posted
by Amanda Caswell (Tom's Guide)
Last checked
Method:
How we verify

https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/google-gemini/i-used-google-gemini-to-streamline-my-grocery-shopping-and-it-saved-me-time-and-money-heres-how

Context: No prompt is quoted, so the prompt here is recreated. The savings aren't quantified. The article is from 2024 and has affiliate links.

More in Groceries & food delivery

Similar cases