If you’ve been around here for any amount of time, you already know this about me: I don’t hate cooking, but I do hate deciding what to make for dinner. The actual cooking part is fine and even enjoyable, but the daily mental load of figuring out what sounds good, fits my goals, uses what I already have, and doesn’t take forever is exhausting. By the end of the day, my decision-making energy is gone, and the last thing I want to do is stand in front of the fridge trying to be inspired. So instead of spiraling through that familiar “what’s for dinner?” frustration, I decided to try something new and hand the decision over to ChatGPT.
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I told it exactly what I had on hand: shrimp, protein pasta, broccoli, spinach, parmesan, and a little bit of heavy cream, and I was very clear about what I wanted: something low-calorie, high-protein, creamy, and satisfying enough to feel like a real dinner, not a sad compromise. Because I’m always looking for healthier swaps that still deliver on flavor, I also asked whether I could use Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream and still get that rich, creamy texture. The recipe it gave me made sense, used ingredients I already had, and felt achievable on a busy weeknight, which immediately felt like a win. That said, there was one important downfall and this is where the real learning happened. I had to double-check the macros to make sure the recipe actually fell within the parameters I asked for, and initially, it didn’t. The calories were higher than what I wanted, so I told it that directly. From there, we adjusted things together reducing the amount of pasta, scaling back the fat, and fine-tuning portions until the recipe truly landed under my target calories per serving. That part is key: ChatGPT is a tool, not a mind reader, and it works best when you’re specific and willing to push back.
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The biggest takeaway from this experiment is how much specificity matters. Being clear about calorie targets, protein goals, portion sizes, and even the brand of products you’re using makes a huge difference. Protein pasta, parmesan, and dairy can vary wildly depending on the brand, and those details directly impact the macros. The more precise you are, down to exact measurements and labels, the better the result. Once we dialed all of that in, the recipe finally matched what I was actually looking for.And the final result? It was worth the extra step. By using just a small amount of heavy cream for richness and letting Greek yogurt, parmesan, and pasta water do the rest of the work, the sauce stayed smooth, garlicky, and comforting without tasting tangy or thin. The shrimp stayed juicy, the spinach wilted perfectly, and the broccoli added volume and texture without adding unnecessary calories. Each serving came in under 600 calories, was packed with protein, and felt genuinely satisfying not like something I’d eat and still be hungry an hour later.
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What I loved most about this whole process is that it removed the most frustrating part of dinner: the decision. Yes, it required a little back-and-forth and a macro double-check, but once the adjustments were made, it delivered exactly what I needed. And that’s why this is officially becoming a thing. Welcome to 'ChatGPT Told Me To' possibly a new series where I let AI decide what’s for dinner, test healthier swaps in real time, and share the recipes that are actually worth repeating. Because when you’re specific, intentional, and willing to refine the details, even AI can help solve the nightly “what’s for dinner?” problem and do it really well!
​​​​​​​​​​​INGREDIENTS​
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12 oz Jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined
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6 oz protein pasta (dry) (We used Barilla Protein Pasta)
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3 cups broccoli florets
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3 cups fresh spinach
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1 tsp olive oil
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1 tbsp heavy whipping cream
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¼ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
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¼ cup freshly grated parmesan
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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Salt, black pepper
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Red pepper flakes (optional)
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INSTRUCTIONS​​
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Cook protein pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli during the last 2 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
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Pat shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper (we also added Ole Bay seasoning for more flavor).
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Heat olive oil over medium-high heat and cook shrimp 2–3 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
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Lower heat. Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Stir in cream and ¼ cup pasta water.
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In a bowl, whisk Greek yogurt, parmesan, and a splash of hot pasta water. (We used our Ninja to make it extra smooth)
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THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - Turn heat off and slowly stir the mixture into the pan.
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Add spinach, pasta, broccoli, and shrimp. Toss until the spinach wilts and everything is coated in the sauce. Add Red pepper flakes and more pasta water if needed.
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Enjoy!​​
