NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Registered dietitian and Middle Tennessee State University lecturer Sarah Harris recently offered Midstate television viewers creative ways to use ChatGPT to help plan meals, especially for those with busy schedules and households.

A 2010 alumna of the Nutrition and Food Science program in MTSU’s College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, the state-licensed and registered dietitian stopped by the WKRN-TV News 2 studios for their “MTSU on 2” segment that aired Friday, Sept. 26.

“As a working mom, I often get overwhelmed by decision fatigue when figuring out what to feed my family,” Harris said. “It’s never-ending, three times every day forever. If deciding what to feed my family every day is overwhelming for a dietitian, it’s likely overwhelming for most of us.”

You can watch the segment, part of the station’s  Local on 2 programming, with co-host Stephanie Langston and co-host and producer Laura Schweizer below. It’s part of an ongoing collaboration between the station and the university to provide viewers with tips and insights from subject-matter experts across the university. 

When it comes to meal planning, Harris said she often turns to ChatGPT, the popular artificial intelligence chatbot that has exploded in use in recent years.

“If you feel like you’re in a rut with your kid’s school lunches, you can ask for ideas based on their preferences. If you’re trying to meet a protein goal, you can ask it to make you a sample meal plan with the exact amount of protein you want each day,” Harris explained.

For example, when Harris asked ChatGPT to provide a sample one-day meal with 125 grams of protein, no powdered protein supplements and zero processed added sugars, ChatGPT suggested:

• For breakfast, three scrambled eggs and three egg whites, two turkey sausage links, and sauteed spinach and mushrooms;
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt with berries and cinnamon for a snack;
• 6 oz grilled chicken breast, broccoli and carrots, and ½ cup quinoa for lunch;
• ½ cup cottage cheese and almonds as a snack;
• For dinner, 6 oz baked salmon, roasted asparagus, and a small baked sweet potato. 

Harris said she also uses ChatGPT to help come up with snacks and appetizers to take to football watch parties. For example, when entering the prompt, “I am going to a football watch party and need to bring an appetizer for 10 people. I have chicken breasts. What can I make with this that would be a crowd pleaser but also healthy?”

ChatGPT recommended buffalo chicken lettuce wraps with a recipe to make the dish.

Harris received her master’s degree in clinical nutrition from the University of Memphis in 2011 and returned to her alma mater as a full-time instructor in 2021. She also earned her Ph.D. from MTSU earlier this year.

To learn more about the programs offered in MTSU’s College of Behavioral and Health Science, visit https://cbhs.mtsu.edu/. 

— DeAnn Hays (deann.hays@mtsu.edu)