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Meal Prep Reminders

Get notified when it's time to start cooking based on recipe prep and cook times.

Meal prep reminders help you start cooking at the right time so meals are ready when your family is hungry. Nook calculates timing based on your meal times and recipe requirements.

How Meal Reminders Work

Nook calculates when to remind you:

Reminder Time = Meal Time - Prep Time - Cook Time - Buffer

Example

  • Dinner time: 6:00 PM
  • Recipe prep: 15 minutes
  • Recipe cook: 40 minutes
  • Buffer: 15 minutes
  • Reminder: 4:50 PM

You receive: "Time to start Chicken Stir-Fry - 55 minutes total"

Setting Meal Times

Configure when meals typically happen:

  1. Go to Settings > Meals
  2. Set times for each meal type:
    • Breakfast: 8:00 AM (default)
    • Lunch: 12:00 PM (default)
    • Dinner: 6:00 PM (default)
    • Snack: 3:00 PM (default)
  3. Save changes

Configuring Meal Reminders

Enable/Disable by Meal Type

  1. Go to Settings > Notifications
  2. Find Meal Prep Reminders
  3. Toggle on/off for each meal type

Common setup:

  • ✓ Dinner reminders (most involved cooking)
  • ✓ Lunch reminders (if cooking at home)
  • ✗ Breakfast reminders (often routine)
  • ✗ Snack reminders (usually simple)

Buffer Time

The buffer adds extra time for:

  • Gathering ingredients
  • Preheating oven
  • Setting the table
  • Unexpected delays

Adjust buffer in Settings > Notifications > Meal Reminders:

  • Quick cooks: 10-15 minutes
  • Elaborate meals: 30+ minutes
  • New recipes: Add extra buffer

Reminder Content

What You'll See

🍽️ Time to start: Chicken Parmesan

65 min total (20 prep + 45 cook)
Dinner for 4 at 6:00 PM

[View Recipe] [Dismiss]

Information Included

  • Recipe name
  • Total time (prep + cook)
  • Time breakdown
  • Servings and meal time
  • Quick link to recipe

Per-Member Settings

Different family members can have different meal reminder preferences:

Who Gets Meal Reminders

By default, all adults receive meal reminders. Configure in member settings:

  1. Go to Settings > Family > [Member]
  2. Find Meal Reminders
  3. Enable/disable as needed

Use Cases

  • Primary cook: All meal reminders
  • Backup cook: Dinner only
  • Children: No meal reminders

Meal Types

Breakfast Reminders

Often skipped because:

  • Routine meals don't need reminders
  • Quick prep times
  • Fixed morning schedule

Enable for elaborate weekend breakfasts.

Lunch Reminders

Useful when:

  • Working from home
  • Cooking for kids during summer
  • Planning involved lunches

Dinner Reminders

Most commonly enabled because:

  • Most involved cooking
  • Busy end-of-day schedule
  • Family coordination needed

Snack Reminders

Usually skipped unless:

  • After-school snack prep
  • Special snacks for events

Special Situations

No Recipe Meals

For meals without recipes (e.g., "Leftover Night"):

  • Set minimal prep/cook time
  • Reminder uses those times
  • Or disable reminder for that meal

Make-Ahead Meals

For meals prepped earlier:

  1. Add note to meal: "Made ahead"
  2. Optionally disable same-day reminder
  3. Or create prep reminder for actual prep day

Complex Meals

For meals with multiple components:

  • Set total time based on longest component
  • Add notes for staggered start times
  • Consider separate reminders for major components

Tips

Be Realistic About Times

Recipe times are often optimistic. Add buffer for:

  • Gathering and measuring ingredients
  • Cleaning as you cook
  • Unexpected interruptions

Adjust for Your Skill Level

New to a recipe? Add extra time. Expert at it? Reduce time.

Consider Weekday vs Weekend

  • Weekday dinners: More buffer (tired, busy)
  • Weekend cooking: Can handle tighter timing

Update After Cooking

If a recipe takes longer than expected, update the recipe times for better future reminders.