When you ask Ollie for recipes, it generates a new recipe for you in seconds that takes into account your family’s health needs, likes and dislikes, portion size, preferred cooking time, and more. How does it do this so quickly and accurately?
To get the answer, we asked our AI engineer and machine learning expert, Arbaaz Mahmood, to explain it to us. Here’s what he had to say.
Ollie, utilizing state of the art AI models, would first access a comprehensive database of ingredients, including your nutritional information, seasonality, and common culinary uses. This database allows Ollie to select ingredients that not only meet your nutritional needs and preferences but also ensure diversity and balance in flavors.
Let’s break it down.
Understanding User Preferences and Needs
Ollie starts by gathering detailed input from you regarding dietary restrictions, preferred cuisines, cooking skill level, available kitchen equipment, and time constraints for meal preparation. This happens when you first create your profile with Ollie and is updated each week when you’re requesting new meals.
Generating Ingredients Lists
Based on your profile, Ollie crafts a list of ingredients. This is done by combining your preferences with nutritional algorithms to ensure that each meal is balanced and aligns with the user’s dietary goals. For instance, if you prefer low-carb meals, Ollie might prioritize ingredients like lean proteins, healthy fats, and low-carb vegetables.
Estimating Prep and Cook Times
Ollie estimates preparation and cooking times by analyzing the complexity of each recipe step and the cooking methods involved. This estimation takes into account the average time required for tasks such as chopping vegetables, sautéing, baking, or resting. These times are adjusted based on the aggregate data from your interactions, refining the accuracy of time estimations over multiple iterations.
Crafting Instructions
Ollie generates step-by-step cooking instructions by breaking down the recipe into sequential tasks, ensuring clarity and ease of understanding. The language used is tailored to your cooking experience; for beginners, more detailed explanations of techniques might be provided, whereas experienced cooks might receive concise instructions.
Continuous Learning and Adaptation
As you interact with the recipes, provide feedback on prep/cook times, taste, and overall experience, Ollie refines its algorithms. This feedback loop allows Ollie to improve the accuracy of its ingredient selection, time estimations, and instruction clarity.
Integration of Personal and Family Recipes
To personalize the experience further, you can share your own or your family’s favorite recipes. Ollie will analyze these recipes, possibly suggesting nutritional adjustments or variations to fit your current dietary goals, while still honoring the essence of the cherished family recipes.
An AI Assistant That Understands You
By employing a sophisticated understanding of culinary principles, nutritional science, and user preferences, Ollie creates a personalized cooking experience that is both accessible and engaging, encouraging users to explore the art of cooking within the framework of their dietary needs and preferences.
Ollie is launching soon. To gain early access, join the waitlist.
