The Decision to Build a Tool

After realizing that existing solutions weren't cutting it, the idea of building our own tool started to take shape. It wasn't an overnight decision. Building a search engine, even a niche one, is a complex task. But as a software engineer, I couldn't help but see the problem as a system architecture failure. The data existed; it just wasn't accessible in the way we needed it.

Identifying the Core Needs

One evening, after another frustrating search for a "high-protein, kid-friendly" dinner, my wife and I sat down at the kitchen table. She brought her perspective as the primary meal planner and stay-at-home mom, and I brought my technical background. We listed what was truly missing from our lives:

• Granular Filtering: The ability to filter by specific nutrient ranges (e.g., "Protein > 30g"). This was non-negotiable for my fitness goals.
• Ingredient Exclusion: A reliable way to say "no peanuts" or "no cilantro." Essential for navigating our kids' picky phases.
• Speed and Simplicity: My wife was adamant about this. She didn't want another app that required a login, a subscription, and five clicks just to see a recipe. She needed something fast that she could use with one hand while holding a toddler.

The "Build vs. Buy" Debate

We looked around for APIs or premium services that might offer this. While some existed, they were often geared towards enterprise businesses or lacked the specific combination of features we wanted for personal use. Most "advanced" search tools were behind paywalls or part of bloated diet apps that tried to do too much.

I realized that if we wanted it done right—tailored exactly to a busy family's nutritional needs—we had to build it ourselves. My wife was initially skeptical. "Do you really have time for another side project?" she asked. It was a fair question. But we agreed that if I could build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that actually saved us time, it would be worth the late nights.

Taking the Plunge

The decision was made. We would start small, focusing on the backend logic first. The goal wasn't to compete with Google or the massive recipe networks, but to create a specialized utility for people like us—parents who care about what's in their food but don't have hours to analyze nutrition labels. It was time to stop searching and start coding.