Cooking for one or two

Daybowl asks one question about portions, right at the start: are you cooking for one person or two? Two is the default, and one is a tap away.

One answer, across the app

The number you choose is shared across recipe detail, cook mode, shopping and sharing. You answer once, and every part of the app that deals in quantities uses the same answer.

That matters more than it sounds. When the recipe, the cook mode steps and the shopping list all agree, there is nothing to convert in your head at the counter or in the shop.

Sensible fractions

Supported numeric measures scale to sensible fractions. Cooking for one, a halved measure reads as a fraction you can actually measure.

The menu stays the same

Cooking for one does not change what you cook. Day 1 is still Oat Porridge for breakfast, Chickpea Salad with Roti for lunch, and Mixed Vegetable Curry with Roti for dinner. The portions change; the plan does not.

The shopping list follows

Because the shopping list uses the same portions, the quantities to buy match the meals you are going to cook. Pair that with a small scope, like Today or the next three days, and the list stays short:

• check items as “Have it” when they are already in your kitchen,
• switch to show only items to buy,
• share or copy the missing items when you are ready.

Cooking for two

Two people is where the plan starts. If you are cooking for a partner, a housemate or a parent, there is nothing to change: the recipes, cook mode and the shopping list are already set for two.

Small kitchens, small trips

If you are cooking for one, the shopping scopes are worth a look. Shopping a day or three at a time keeps the fridge from filling up with two weeks of produce at once. Read more in shopping for a reset without overbuying.