Subscriber connections · grocery handoff beta

Bring your existing dinner plan into a compatible assistant.

The Meal-Planner.online connection beta lets eligible subscribers give a compatible client access to their existing dinner plan and grocery list. Members can optionally allow grocery handoff to Instacart, where they review products and complete checkout. It is for using a plan you already receive, with access you can manage from Connections.

Manage subscriber connections See the weekly plan format

Use this beta when your assistant supports the connection method and you want it to read an existing subscriber plan.

Existing subscriber plans Read-only access Bearer-token compatible clients Local stdio bridge option

Trust principles

Ad-free meal planning, built around family privacy.

Meal-Planner.online is a subscription-funded dinner planning service. We do not sell household profile data or place third-party ads inside subscriber meal plans. We use service providers, including hosting, email, payment, and AI generation providers, only to operate Meal-Planner.online.

Ad-free meal planning No ad slots inside plans, recipes, grocery lists, account pages, or family dashboards.
Household profile data Household preferences, avoid lists, and custom plans stay behind account or private-link access.
Subscription-funded A simple monthly or annual subscription funds the service, including the private weekly dinner plan and grocery list.

How to use this plan

  1. Sign in and open Connections to review eligibility and create connection access.
  2. Choose a compatible remote MCP client that permits an Authorization bearer header, or use the local stdio bridge.
  3. Keep the token in the client’s protected configuration, read the existing plan, and revoke access when you stop using it.

Read the plan you already have

The beta connects a client to existing subscriber dinner and grocery information. It does not create an on-demand plan, edit household preferences, change a subscription, or place a grocery order. Saturday plan delivery remains the regular planning workflow. Optional grocery handoff permission adds pantry checks and an Instacart shopping-list link; it never places an order.

  • Read existing weekly dinner information
  • Review available recipes and grocery-list details
  • Use the signed-in dashboard if there is no plan available yet
  • Confirm generated advice against your actual recipe and household needs

From dinner plans to groceries

Create a connection in Connections and select the optional grocery handoff permission. Ask your assistant to list your saved plans, prepare groceries for an owned private plan, and send the list to Instacart when you are ready. Open the returned link to review products and complete checkout.

  • Try: Show my latest saved dinner plan and the ingredients I need
  • Try: Prepare groceries for that plan and show pantry staples to check
  • Try: Send that saved grocery list to Instacart so I can review it
  • Pantry checks are suggestions, not a live inventory; the handoff includes the full list
  • Instacart determines store coverage, products, substitutions, prices, fees and delivery options
  • No connection can place an order or pay for groceries

Remote MCP compatibility

The remote MCP endpoint is https://www.meal-planner.online/wp-json/ksl-mp/v1/mcp. The beta uses a fixed bearer token. A client must allow an Authorization: Bearer header; support for a generic remote MCP URL alone does not establish compatibility.

  • Supported MCP revisions: 2025-03-26, 2025-06-18 and 2025-11-25
  • Manage access at /connections/ after signing in
  • Use the token only in protected client configuration
  • Never paste tokens into chat, shared links or public logs
  • Native ChatGPT OAuth connector onboarding is not provided by this beta

Local clients can use a stdio bridge

Download the Python bridge below and save it as meal-planner-mcp-stdio.py on your computer. It uses Python 3’s standard library, with no packages to install. In a desktop client that supports local MCP servers, use the configuration below, replacing the file path and token placeholder. Restart the client, then ask it to list your saved dinner plans.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "meal-planner": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/meal-planner-mcp-stdio.py"],
      "env": {
        "MEAL_PLANNER_INTEGRATION_TOKEN": "YOUR_PRIVATE_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

Sources: Download the Python bridge and save as meal-planner-mcp-stdio.py

  • Use the full path to the downloaded file; Python 3 must be installed
  • Create your token in Connections using your current account password
  • Store client configuration privately; never commit a real token
  • Read-only tools: list_plans, get_plan and search_meals. Grocery handoff tokens also provide prepare_groceries and create_instacart_handoff. Limits: 60 requests per minute per token, 1,000 per day per account and 20 grocery handoffs per day per account

Build with the REST API

The same Plus token works in your own application or an assistant tool you configure. Start by listing your personal saved plans. Set include_public=true to also return labeled public samples. Retrieve one plan with GET /integrations/plans/ID, or search with GET /integrations/search?query=chicken. Each response checks your current subscription and plan ownership.

curl --fail --silent --show-error \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MEAL_PLANNER_INTEGRATION_TOKEN" \
  https://www.meal-planner.online/wp-json/ksl-mp/v1/integrations/plans

Sources: OpenAPI 3.1 specification for compatible tools

  • Set the environment variable in your private runtime configuration
  • Use server-side calls when building a web application
  • The response labels personal plans and public samples separately
  • This beta includes existing recipes and grocery lists; on-demand generation is not included

Keep household data and shopping under your control

Connecting a third-party assistant lets that provider receive the dinner information it reads. Review that provider’s privacy settings before connecting. Use Meal Planner to manage subscription and household settings; review grocery-list matches and complete shopping on Instacart where supported.

  • Create a separate connection when available for each client you use
  • Revoke unused connection access
  • Treat meal-plan details as private household information
  • Instacart prices, substitutions, checkout and fulfillment remain on Instacart

Subscribers can review beta access and connection controls after signing in.

Common questions

Can I add this beta as a native ChatGPT OAuth connector?

This beta does not provide native ChatGPT OAuth connector onboarding. It uses fixed bearer authentication. Use a client that permits the required Authorization header, or a client supporting the local stdio bridge.

Can the connection change my plan or order groceries?

A connection cannot change your plan, preferences or billing, or place an order. If you enable grocery handoff permission, it can prepare pantry checks and create an Instacart shopping-list link from your own private saved plan. You review and pay on Instacart.

Is the API a public recipe database?

No. Private subscriber information requires authorized connection access and eligibility. Public samples remain available separately for browsing. Do not publish access tokens or private plan URLs.

What happens when I revoke a token?

Revoking connection access prevents future reads and grocery handoffs using that token. It does not erase information a third-party client already received; manage that information with the provider you connected.

Related meal-planning guides

Weekly Meal Planner Use a free weekly dinner worksheet to plan busy nights and grocery checks. Download your week without an account, or get personalized dinner plans with Plus. Family Meal Planner Create family-friendly weekly dinner plans shaped by preferences, schedules, picky eaters, and shared grocery responsibilities. Budget Meal Planner Plan weekly dinners with budget-aware recipes, ingredient reuse, and grocery planning that can help reduce unplanned shopping. Grocery List Meal Planner Use an online grocery planner that turns weekly dinner plans into a practical grocery list so shopping and cooking stay connected. Easy Meal Planner for Beginners Start meal planning with simple weekly dinners, realistic cook times, grocery-list support, and beginner-friendly steps for fewer weeknight decisions. Dinner Planner for Busy Families Plan weeknight dinners around schedules, preferences, grocery lists, and the reality of busy family evenings. Ad-Free Meal Planning App A subscription-funded meal planning app focused on private weekly dinner plans, recipes, grocery lists, and no ads. Weekly Dinner Planner Plan a realistic week of family dinners with recipes, cook-time context, prep notes, and grocery-list support built for busy weeknights. Meal Planner for Picky Eaters Plan family dinners around picky eaters, avoid lists, familiar formats, flexible toppings, and weekly feedback. Meal Planner with Pantry and Grocery List Plan weekly dinners with Pantry-lite staples, grocery list grouping, recipes, and subscriber-only shopping tools.
Meal-Planner.online focuses on practical weekly dinner planning. It provides general meal-planning support, not medical nutrition therapy, and does not replace advice from a clinician or registered dietitian. Meal-Planner.online can respect allergy and avoid notes you enter, but you remain responsible for checking ingredient labels, substitutions, store products, and cross-contact risks.