This guide will help you create a comprehensive meal planning system in Notion, incorporating various databases, properties, relations, and rollups. We will also use Notion Formula 2.0 syntax wherever possible.
1. Master Ingredients Database
The Master Ingredients Database stores all ingredient-related information, including units of measure and storage locations.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Create the Database:
- Open Notion and create a new page.
- Select "Table" as the database type.
- Name it "Master Ingredients".
- Add Properties:
- Name (Title): The name of the ingredient.
- Category (Multi-select): Categorizes ingredients.
- Options: Bakery, Baking, Bulk, Canned + Jarred + Packet, Coffee + Tea, Condiments + Dips + Sauces, Dairy + Cheese + Eggs, Deli, Desserts + Sweets, Drinks (Alcoholic), Drinks (Non-Alcoholic), Frozen, Fruit, Grains + Rice, Herbs + Spices + Seasonings, Household + Cleaning, International, Legumes, Meats + Seafood, Noodles + Pasta, Nuts + Seeds, Oils + Vinegars, Other, Personal, Pet, Pharmacy, Prepared Foods, Produce, Roots + Alliums, Salads, Snacks, Soups + Stews + Stocks, Sweeteners, Vegetables.
- Storage Location (Multi-select): Specifies all possible storage locations for ingredients.
- Options: Countertop, Freezer, Garage, Garden, Pantry + Bulk, Refrigerator, Spice Drawer, Other.
- Unit (Select): Specifies the measurement unit for each ingredient.
- Options: Grams (g), Kilograms (kg), Milligrams (mg), Milliliters (ml), Liters (L), Ounces (oz), Pounds (lb), Fluid Ounces (fl oz), Teaspoons (tsp), Tablespoons (tbsp), Cups, Pints (pt), Quarts (qt), Gallons (gal), Pieces, Container.
- Pantry Status (Select): Tracks the availability of the ingredient.
- Options: Not In Stock, Check Inventory (DEFAULT), In Cart, - Shopping List, + Shopping List, In Stock.
- Source (Select): Specifies where the ingredient was sourced.
- Options: Amazon, Asian Market, Hardware Store, Home-Grown, PetSmart, Sprouts, Target, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Other.
- Freezer Friendly (Checkbox): Indicates if the ingredient can be frozen.
- Storage Tips (Text): Notes about how to store or freeze the ingredient.
- Substitute (Relation): Links to substitute ingredients in the same database.
- Expiration Date (Date): Tracks the expiration date of ingredients.
- Notification Setup (Formula): Calculates the number of days until expiration.
- Formula: dateBetween(prop("Expiration Date"), now(), "days")
- Season (Multi-select): Indicates the season in which the ingredient is typically available.
- Options: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.
2. Recipes Database
The Recipes Database stores all your recipes, linking them to the ingredients database and allowing for dynamic adjustments based on desired serving sizes.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Create the Database:
- Open Notion and create a new page.
- Select "Table" as the database type.
- Name it "Recipes".
- Add Properties:
- Name (Title): The name of the recipe.
- Meal Type (Select): Categorizes the type of meal.
- Options: Beverage, Breakfast, Dessert, Dinner, Lunch, Sauces + Dips + Dressings, Sides, Snacks, Other.
- Ingredients (Relation): Links to the Master Ingredients database.
- Quantity (Number): Amount of each ingredient used.
- Serving Size (Number): The standard serving size of the recipe.
- Desired Serving Size (Number): Used to adjust ingredient quantities for different serving sizes.
- Adjusted Quantity (Formula): Adjusts ingredient quantities based on the desired serving size.
- Formula: prop("Quantity") / prop("Serving Size") * prop("Desired Serving Size")
- Instructions (Text): Step-by-step instructions for the recipe.
- Source Type (Select): Indicates the source of the recipe.
- URL (Text): Link to the source of the recipe.
- Book/Page Number (Text): For recipes sourced from a book.
- Rating (Select): User rating of the recipe.
- Options: ★, ★★, ★★★, ★★★★, ★★★★★.
- Image (File): Upload pictures of the recipe.
- Tags (Multi-select): Tags such as cuisine type, dietary restrictions, etc.
- Options: Italian, Mexican, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Quick, Easy, Low-Carb, High-Protein, Keto, Paleo, Low-Fat.
- Nutrition (Rollup): Summarizes nutritional values from the Master Ingredients database.
- Adjusted Nutrition (Formula): Adjusts nutritional values based on the desired serving size.
- Formula: prop("Nutrition") / prop("Serving Size") * prop("Desired Serving Size")
- Family Preferences (Multi-select): Tracks individual family member preferences.
- Options: [Add individual family member names]
- Meal Ratings by Family (Multi-select): Tracks how each family member rates each meal.
- Options: ★, ★★, ★★★, ★★★★, ★★★★★ for each member.
3. Meal Planner Database
The Meal Planner Database organizes planned meals by date and links directly to your recipes.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Create the Database:
- Open Notion and create a new page.
- Select "Table" as the database type.
- Name it "Meal Planner".
- Add Properties:
- Date (Date): Date of the planned meal.
- Meal Type (Select): Categorizes the type of meal.
- Options: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
- Recipes (Relation): Link to the Recipes database.
- Preparation Steps (Rollup): Consolidates steps from the Recipe instructions.
- Total Nutritional Value (Rollup): Aggregates the nutritional values from planned recipes.
- Adjusted Nutritional Value (Formula): Adjusts the total nutritional value based on the desired serving size.
- Formula: prop("Total Nutritional Value") / prop("Serving Size") * prop("Desired Serving Size")
4. Shopping List Database
The Shopping List Database automatically populates based on the recipes you've added to the meal planner, aggregating the quantities of ingredients needed across multiple recipes.
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Create the Database:
- Open Notion and create a new page.
- Select "Table" as the database type.
- Name it "Shopping List".