Frequently asked questions

ActiveChef is an AI-powered meal-planning app that helps you decide what to eat. Tell it what ingredients you have and how you want to eat, and it generates personalised recipes with ingredients, instructions and nutrition information.

ActiveChef is designed for people who want to make meal decisions easier. This includes people tracking calories or macros, trying to eat more protein, working towards a weight-management goal, using ingredients already at home, or simply wanting more variety without planning every meal themselves.

Traditional recipe apps give everyone access to the same collection of recipes. ActiveChef generates meal ideas around your ingredients, dietary preferences, nutrition targets and selected filters, giving you options tailored to the way you want to eat.

No. ActiveChef is a meal-planning tool and does not provide medical, nutritional or dietetic advice. Anyone managing allergies, medical conditions or precise dietary requirements should seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional. See our Terms and Conditions.

Add ingredients to your ActiveChef kitchen by scanning their barcodes or finding them through search. ActiveChef uses this kitchen list when generating personalised meal ideas. Barcode scanning and ingredient search will both be available during the beta.

Cook Now generates recipes around ingredients already in your kitchen. Quick Shop uses what you have while allowing recipes that require a small number of additional ingredients. This lets you choose between cooking immediately and finding something new that is worth picking up a few extras for.

The initial beta will not include a separate list for disliked or excluded ingredients. You can control which ingredients are added to your kitchen and select supported dietary filters, but you should still review every generated recipe before preparing it. Additional ingredient-preference controls may be introduced as ActiveChef develops.

Automatic serving adjustment will not be available during the initial beta. Recipes will display their intended serving quantity, but users will need to adjust ingredient amounts themselves when preparing a different number of servings. Automatic serving scaling is planned for a later version.

Recipe saving will not be available during the initial beta. It is planned for inclusion before ActiveChef’s wider public launch.

No. ActiveChef selects ingredients that work together for the meal being generated. Your kitchen acts as the available ingredient pool; it does not mean every listed ingredient must be included in every recipe.

The beta will focus on ActiveChef’s core meal-generation experience. Users will be able to add ingredients through search or barcode scanning, select supported meal and dietary filters, and generate personalised recipes with nutrition information. Automatic serving adjustment, recipe saving and more detailed ingredient exclusions will not be included in the initial beta. Beta feedback will help shape these features before the wider public release.

No. You can use ActiveChef simply to find meal ideas. Calorie, protein and macro filters are optional for people who want recipes tailored more closely to their nutrition goals.

The calculation method depends on how an ingredient is added. Barcode-scanned ingredients can use product-specific nutrition information associated with that item, while ingredients added through search use general nutrition values and should be treated as estimates. Recipe totals are calculated using the selected ingredients, quantities and serving information. Actual values may still vary because of product formulations, ingredient varieties, substitutions and preparation methods.

Yes. You can use ActiveChef’s nutrition filters to find recipes within selected calorie and macro ranges. These controls are optional, so you can still use ActiveChef without tracking nutrition.

The initial dietary options include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. ActiveChef also lets users select meal types such as breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

ActiveChef can consider its supported dietary filters, but AI-generated recipes may contain errors or unsuitable ingredients. Always review the complete ingredient list and product labels before preparing or consuming a meal. People with allergies or medical dietary requirements should not rely on ActiveChef as their only safety check. See our Terms and Conditions.

Nutrition information for barcode-scanned products is generally more specific to the selected product. Information for ingredients added through search uses general food values and should be considered an estimate. Recipe totals can also vary because of portion sizes, preparation methods, substitutions and product differences. ActiveChef’s nutrition information is intended to support everyday meal planning and should not be relied upon where medically precise nutritional intake is required.

ActiveChef is currently preparing for beta access. Join the beta list to receive updates and be considered for early access before the wider public launch.

ActiveChef is being built for both iPhone and Android, with both platforms planned for the public launch. Device availability during the beta may vary and will be explained in each invitation.

Enter your email address through the beta signup form on the ActiveChef website. We’ll use that address to send availability updates and beta invitations.

Yes. ActiveChef will include a seven-day free trial so new users can explore the app before beginning a paid subscription. Subscriptions will continue at the applicable price after the trial unless cancelled before the trial ends. Purchases and cancellations will be managed through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Final subscription pricing will be confirmed before ActiveChef’s public launch. Beta participants will be informed of any applicable pricing before beginning a paid subscription.

Yes. Users can request account deletion through ActiveChef’s account-deletion process. Some information may need to be retained where required for legal, administrative or dispute-resolution purposes. For privacy enquiries, contact support@activechef.ai or review our Privacy Policy.

ActiveChef uses AI to generate personalised recipes, nutrition calculations and meal recommendations based on information such as pantry ingredients, dietary preferences, nutrition goals and selected filters. AI helps produce personalised content, but generated recipes should still be reviewed before cooking or relying on them.

ActiveChef stores and processes information needed to operate the service, which may include pantry ingredients, dietary preferences and nutrition goals. This information allows ActiveChef to personalise recipes and recommendations. Some information may be processed or stored by service providers located outside Australia, as explained in our Privacy Policy.

ActiveChef may provide information to third-party service providers where necessary to operate the app—for example, cloud hosting, authentication, artificial intelligence, email and subscription-management providers. Details about how information is handled and disclosed are available in our Privacy Policy.

Yes. AI-generated recipes may occasionally contain inaccurate quantities, unsuitable substitutions, missing information or incorrect instructions. Users should review ingredients and cooking instructions, check for allergens and follow appropriate food-safety practices. ActiveChef is intended to assist with meal planning, not replace personal judgement or professional advice.