What If Grocery Apps Let Us Shop by What We Wanted to Cook?
- Aakriti Agarwal
- Apr 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 23
We’ve entered the age of instant groceries—10-minute deliveries, neatly categorized aisles in an app, and the luxury of never needing to make a physical shopping list again.
And yet, even in this hyper-convenient ecosystem, one thing hasn’t really changed.
Most grocery apps still expect us to know exactly what we need. Not what we want to make—but the items. The individual pieces. The puzzle.
But here’s the thing:
What if I don’t know what I need?
What if I just know I want to make butter chicken tonight?
Or bake chocolate chip cookies on a whim?
You decide on a dish, like pasta, and from there, the chain reaction begins.
Do we have enough tomatoes?
Is there still parmesan in the fridge?
Which kind of pasta do we have—penne or spaghetti?
Wait, did we run out of garlic?
What should feel like a joyful decision—cooking something we enjoy—can quickly turn into a scattered, multi-tab process:
Checking recipes
Mentally cross-referencing pantry stock
Manually searching for every item in the grocery app
Realizing mid-way that something critical was missed
This isn't just about convenience. It's about mental load.
Imagine a Grocery App That Asks
“What do you want to cook today?”
That’s it. You type in Pasta Alfredo. And from there, the app takes over.
Asks how many people you’re cooking for
Shows you the full ingredient list—adjusted to portion size
Auto-fills your cart, with checkboxes to remove items you already have
Estimates the cost and delivery time
Offers a quick recipe preview for those unsure of the method
Suddenly, you’re not just buying groceries. You’re starting with intent.
Why This Isn’t Just About UX.
It’s About Equity.
In many homes, one person (often a woman) is silently tasked with knowing:
What ingredients are needed
What’s running out
What can be made from what’s available
This is the mental load of running a kitchen—and it often goes unnoticed.
A feature like this eases that load. It makes participation in cooking more approachable for partners, roommates, teenagers—anyone who wants to contribute but doesn’t know how.
It’s no longer:
“What do you want me to cook?”
It’s:
“Hey, I’ll just search for dal makhani and order the stuff.”
A tiny UX tweak. A big household shift.
Now Add a Content Layer, and Things Get Really Interesting
Picture this:
You’re watching MasterChef, and a contestant is making Bhuna Gosht
A QR code flashes on screen\You scan it, and your grocery app loads the exact ingredient list in one tap
Or…
Your favorite food YouTuber posts a Cook with Me video
A button pops at the top right: “Get Ingredients on [Grocery App]”
You click. Choose your serving size. The cart fills up, and while your order is on the way, the video walks you through the recipe.
For some, this might sound niche. But for others—it could be the future of grocery shopping.
So Who Could Actually Do This?
Here’s where it gets strategic.
For platforms like Swiggy or Zomato, this kind of feature may not align with their core interests. Their revenue thrives on ready-to-eat meals, not encouraging people to cook at home.
But for apps like BigBasket or Zepto—who focus purely on ingredient delivery—this is a sweet spot.
They don’t compete with cooked food. They win when people cook more often. That makes this not just a UX opportunity—but a strategic differentiator.
In fact, this could be how grocery apps start building emotional loyalty, not just frequency.
It’s More Than a Feature.
It’s a Strategic Shift.
This idea might seem like a fun layer of convenience. But it’s actually about identity.
A grocery app that doesn’t just sell ingredients… but supports the act of cooking. One that reduces invisible labor, nudges shared participation, and builds confidence in the kitchen.
So yes, this is about simplicity. Yes, it’s about access and equity. But it’s also a strategic play—to own not just the cart, but the cooking moment itself.
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