WHY FOOD GETS WASTED...
Many people struggle to make use of the leftover ingredients and groceries they already have at home, often because they don’t know what meals they can create with what is available. Without an easy way to track expiration dates, organize pantry items, or discover recipes based on existing ingredients, food is frequently forgotten and wasted. This leads to unnecessary spending, frustration during meal planning, and a significant increase in household food waste.
HOW FRESH EXCESS HELPS
Fresh Excess is a meal-planning and food-tracking app that helps users reduce food waste by making better use of the groceries they already have. By scanning receipts, the app adds items to a pantry with estimated expiration dates and sends Fresh Alerts when food is nearing expiration. It also provides personalized meal recommendations based on pantry items, dietary preferences, and restrictions, while allowing users to save favorite recipes for later. Together, these features help users save money, simplify meal planning, and waste less food.
USER RESEARCH
To better understand people’s habits and challenges surrounding leftover food and unused ingredients, I conducted a survey with 24 participants and interviewed 3 individuals about their meal-planning routines and food waste habits. The research helped identify common frustrations around forgetting ingredients, lacking confidence in combining random items into meals, and relying on repetitive meals instead of using leftovers creatively. These insights revealed a clear need for a solution that helps users track ingredients, reduce waste, and discover meal options based on what they already have.
USER RESPONSES
What are the main reasons you don’t use your leftover ingredients or food?
"I usually get sick of the same meal or I forget about the ingredients because they tend to get lost in the back of my fridge." – Female, 21
When you do have leftover ingredients or food, what do you usually do with them?
"If it goes bad I throw it away, I usually only freeze it if I remember to do so." – Male, 22
DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES
Based on the insights gathered from user surveys and interviews, I identified key opportunities to address common pain points around leftover food management, which guided the creation of Fresh Excess and its core features.
• Simplify pantry tracking by allowing users to scan grocery receipts so items are automatically added to their pantry with estimated expiration dates.
• Prevent forgotten ingredients through Fresh Alerts that notify users when groceries are nearing expiration.
• Increase meal confidence by providing personalized meal recommendations based on the ingredients users already have.
• Reduce meal fatigue by suggesting a variety of recipes that help users use leftovers in new and creative ways.
• Support individual needs by tailoring recommendations to dietary restrictions, allergies, cuisine preferences, and disliked ingredients collected during onboarding.
• Encourage meal saving and reuse with a favorites section where users can save recipes they enjoy for quick access later.
• Improve pantry visibility by organizing groceries in one place so users always know what ingredients they have available.
USERFLOW
WIREFRAMES
Fresh Excess is a smart food management app designed to help users reduce food waste by tracking groceries, sending expiration alerts, and recommending meals based on the ingredients they already have.
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ONBOARDING
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