Overview
PantryPal keeps a household's food stock, recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists in one place. Run it on your server. Use the web app or connect an AI assistant through MCP.
What you can do
| Task | Guide |
|---|---|
| Record food amounts and expiry dates | Pantry |
| Scale recipes and follow cooking steps | Recipes |
| Arrange meals, leftovers, and prep tasks | Meal plans |
| Build a list from your plan and stock | Shopping |
| Check recipes against household preferences | Dietary rules |
| Let an assistant read and change household data | MCP setup |
The guides mark tasks that need the API or MCP rather than the web app.
Limits
- One household per instance. No separate users or access roles.
- One server process per SQLite database. Store the database on a local disk.
- The web app can use one shared password. Everyone with the password has full access. API and MCP clients use bearer tokens.
- Local and private installs can run without a password on a trusted network. Public installs need HTTPS and the password.
- No built-in HTTPS or database encryption. Protect the host and network.
- An unknown stock amount is not zero. Some amounts need a kitchen check.
Start with Install. Read Access and security before you allow remote access. For internet access, use Cloudflare Tunnel.