Diet & Allergen Filters

Understanding Diet & Allergen Filters

Diet and Allergen Filters are powerful tools that help you personalize your SavvyChef experience to match your dietary needs, preferences, and health requirements. Whether you're following a specific diet, managing food allergies, or simply avoiding certain ingredients, these filters ensure that every recipe you see is safe and suitable for you.

What These Filters Do

Filter out recipes that don't match your dietary preferences (vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, etc.)
Hide recipes containing allergens you need to avoid (nuts, dairy, eggs, soy, shellfish, gluten)
Automatically adjust meal planning suggestions to fit your restrictions
Display warnings when viewing recipes that may contain allergens

Key Benefits

Safety First: Reduce the risk of accidentally selecting recipes with ingredients you need to avoid
Time Savings: No more manually checking every recipe's ingredients list
Peace of Mind: Browse and plan meals with confidence knowing filters are working in the background
Personalized Experience: See only recipes that align with your lifestyle and dietary needs

Setting Your Preferences

Configuring your diet and allergen preferences is quick and easy. Once set, these filters work automatically across the entire app to protect you and personalize your experience.

Accessing Filter Settings

Open the SavvyChef app and navigate to your Profile or Settings
Look for Diet & Allergen Filters or Dietary Preferences
Tap to open the filter configuration screen

Dietary Preferences Available

Vegan: Excludes all animal products including meat, dairy, eggs, and honey
Vegetarian: Excludes meat and fish but allows dairy and eggs
Pescatarian: Excludes meat but allows fish, seafood, dairy, and eggs
Gluten-Free: Excludes wheat, barley, rye, and other gluten-containing grains
Dairy-Free: Excludes milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and other dairy products
And many more dietary options to choose from

How to Configure

Select your primary dietary preference (vegan, vegetarian, etc.) from the list
Check boxes for any allergens you need to avoid
Review your selections to ensure they're accurate

How the Filters Work

Once you've configured your diet and allergen preferences, the filters work continuously in the background to ensure your safety and match your dietary lifestyle. Here's exactly what happens:

Automatic Recipe Filtering

Browse & Discover: When you browse recipes, only those matching your preferences are shown
Search Results: Your search results are automatically filtered based on your settings
Recipe Collections: Your saved recipes and cookbooks display only compatible recipes
Meal Planning: Meal plan suggestions intelligently align with your dietary restrictions

Allergen Warnings

When viewing individual recipes, SavvyChef provides clear visual warnings for potential allergens:

Warning badges appear prominently at the top of the recipe
Specific allergens are highlighted in the ingredients list
Alternative ingredient suggestions may be provided

Shopping List Integration

Your dietary filters extend to your shopping lists as well:

Ingredients containing allergens are flagged in your shopping list
Alternative ingredients are suggested when available
Shopping lists only include ingredients from filtered-compatible recipes

Real-Time Updates

When you change your filter settings:

The app immediately re-filters all content based on your new preferences
Your meal plans are automatically checked for compatibility
You'll be notified if any planned meals no longer match your filters
Recipe recommendations are instantly updated

Managing Allergens

Allergen management is a critical feature for anyone with food allergies or sensitivities. SavvyChef helps you avoid dangerous ingredients and provides clear warnings throughout the app.

Common Allergens Supported

SavvyChef can filter recipes based on these common allergens:

Tree Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, and other tree nuts
Peanuts: Peanuts and peanut-derived products (tracked separately from tree nuts)
Dairy: Milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream, and all dairy products
Eggs: Chicken eggs and any egg-containing products
Soy: Soybeans, soy sauce, tofu, tempeh, and soy-based products
Shellfish: Shrimp, crab, lobster, and other crustaceans
Fish: All fish species and fish-derived ingredients
Gluten: Wheat, barley, rye, and products containing gluten
Sesame: Sesame seeds, tahini, and sesame oil

Multiple Allergen Management

If you or family members have multiple allergies:

Select all relevant allergens—there's no limit to how many you can choose
The app will only show recipes that avoid ALL selected allergens
Family accounts can set different allergen profiles for different family members
Shared meal plans will respect all family members' allergen restrictions

Important Notice: Filters Apply to ALL Recipes

Please be aware: Diet and allergen filters will filter out ALL recipes that don't match your settings, including recipes you've uploaded yourself. If you upload a custom recipe and later can't find it in your collection, your filter settings might be the reason.

What this means:

If you upload a recipe containing dairy and have "dairy-free" selected, that recipe won't appear in your searches or cookbooks
Recipes uploaded before setting filters will be hidden if they don't match your current settings
To see all your uploaded recipes, temporarily disable filters or adjust settings to be more inclusive

Tip: When uploading recipes that don't match your dietary preferences (for example, for guests or family members), consider using a separate family account or temporarily adjusting your filters to view them later.

Disclaimer: Always Verify Ingredients

Your safety is paramount. While SavvyChef does its best to filter recipes based on your dietary preferences and allergen restrictions, we strongly recommend that you always personally review your shopping list and ingredient labels for allergens and dietary concerns before purchasing or consuming any ingredients.

Why this matters:

Recipe data may occasionally be incomplete or contain errors
Ingredient formulations can change without notice from manufacturers
Products may be manufactured in facilities that process allergens
Cross-contamination can occur during manufacturing or preparation
Hidden allergens may exist in processed ingredients or condiments

Best practice: Always read product labels carefully, check for allergen warnings, and consult with healthcare professionals about managing food allergies and dietary restrictions. If you have severe allergies, carry appropriate emergency medication and inform those around you.

Tips for Using Diet & Allergen Filters

Get the most out of your diet and allergen filters with these practical tips and best practices.

Tip: Be Thorough with Your Initial Setup

Take the time to carefully configure all your dietary preferences and allergen restrictions when you first set up your account. A complete setup means better recipe filtering and fewer surprises. Don't skip allergens even if you think they're rare in recipes— it's better to be comprehensive from the start.

Tip: Update Settings as Your Needs Change

Life changes—maybe you're trying a new diet, developing new allergies, or your restrictions are evolving. Visit your diet and allergen settings regularly to ensure they still match your current needs. The app makes it easy to adjust filters at any time, and changes take effect immediately across all your recipes and meal plans.

Tip: Always Double-Check Recipes Before Cooking

While filters do an excellent job of hiding incompatible recipes, it's always wise to review the full ingredients list before you cook. Look for hidden sources of allergens (like wheat in soy sauce if you're gluten-free) or ingredients that might not align perfectly with your dietary goals. This extra step ensures your safety and satisfaction.

Tip: Communicate Preferences with Family Members

If you use SavvyChef with a family account, make sure everyone understands the dietary restrictions and allergens set up. When planning shared meals, the app considers all family members' restrictions. Encourage family members to add their own dietary preferences and allergens to ensure everyone's needs are met in meal planning and recipe selection.

Tip: Check Product Labels When Shopping

Even with perfect filtering in the app, always verify product labels at the store for allergens and dietary compliance. Manufacturers can change formulations, and regional variations may exist. Your shopping list will help guide you, but your own verification is the final safety check before purchasing ingredients.