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Connect Themealdb Extended to ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini

Set it up once and it works in ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and any other client you love. It all runs safely in the background, so you can relax and focus on what really matters. Turn your AI agent into a professional sous-chef.

Ask AI about this Connector

Developed, maintained, and hosted by Vinkius.

MCP VERIFIED · PRODUCTION READY · VINKIUS GUARANTEED

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Works with modern AI clients that support MCP, including ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, and more.

ChatGPTClaudeCursorPerplexityGeminiMicrosoft CopilotRaycastMeta AI

Your AI does the work. We keep it safe and sound.

No other AI tool gives you this. Your workflow runs in the client you already love, your account stays protected, and you decide what the agent can and cannot do. It is the whole reason to make the switch.

Each Connector lives inside our infrastructure, the same place where your workflow runs. The three things below are already part of it, working quietly in the background so you never have to think about them. Nothing to add, nothing to set up, nothing to worry about.

A futuristic MCP client docking bay
V8 Isolate01

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed environment.

Each Connector runs inside its own sealed V8 runtime — no access to your files, your system, or other servers. A Connector never sees past its own request.

Kill Switch02

One switch stops every agent. Instantly.

One action deactivates every Connector, revokes every token, and ends every session at once. AI Governance keeps the record.

FinOps per User03

Spending limits that pause instead of surprise.

Every user keeps their own connections and credentials, isolated from everyone else. Anything that would cross your spending limit is held for your approval, not billed.

Three controls, built into the layer your AI connects through.

Curated set · 13 capabilities

We ship only the actions that matter.

Capability set01 / 04

01-04

4 capabilities in this set.

Part of 13 available through TheMealDB.

  1. 01

    Filter by ingredient

    Filters meals based on a specific main ingredient. Premium V2 users can provide a comma-separated list of multiple ingredients.

  2. 02

    List all categories

    Returns a full list of meal categories along with their descriptions.

  3. 03

    List areas

    Provides a list of browseable geographic areas and countries.

  4. 04

    List categories

    Retrieves a simple list of available meal categories.

Capability set02 / 04

05-07

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 13 available through TheMealDB.

  1. 05

    List ingredients

    Lists all the ingredients available in the database for browsing.

  2. 06

    Filter by category

    Finds meals that fall under a specific category, such as Seafood.

  3. 07

    Filter by area

    Filters the meal database by a specific region or country.

Capability set03 / 04

08-10

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 13 available through TheMealDB.

  1. 08

    Get latest meals

    Fetches the most recently added meals from the database. This requires a premium V2 API key.

  2. 09

    Get meal by ID

    Retrieves full, detailed information for a specific meal using its unique ID.

  3. 10

    Get random meal

    Picks a single random meal from the database for you.

Capability set04 / 04

11-13

3 capabilities in this set.

Part of 13 available through TheMealDB.

  1. 11

    Get random meals selection

    Returns a selection of 10 random meals. This requires a premium V2 API key.

  2. 12

    List meals by first letter

    Lists all meals in the database that start with a specific letter.

  3. 13

    Search meals by name

    Searches for meals using a full or partial name.

Real work

What teams actually run

01

Pantry Cooking

Tell your agent what ingredients you have, and it will find matching recipes.

02

Meal Planning

Use category and area filters to plan a week of diverse, international meals.

03

App Data Sourcing

Pull specific recipe details and images to populate food apps.

04

Culinary Research

Browse specific regions to learn about the dishes native to those areas.

Automate a task

Put TheMealDB to work on one thing.

Step-by-step automations your AI runs through this Connector: the workflow, the prompts to start with, and the exact capabilities behind each move.

One connector, every AI

TheMealDB works with the most popular AI clients.

These are the most popular clients, each with a step-by-step guide: one link, set up once, with governance and visibility built in. And because everything runs on the MCP standard, the same connection also works in any other compatible client — nothing to rebuild.

ClaudeClaudeChatGPTChatGPTGeminiGeminiPerplexityPerplexityGrokGrokMicrosoft CopilotMicrosoft CopilotCursorCursorVS CodeVS CodeWindsurfWindsurfJetBrainsJetBrainsClineClineLangChainLangChainVercel AI SDKVercel AI SDKLovableLovableZ.aiZ.aiRaycastRaycastQwen CodeQwen CodeKimi CodeKimi CodeLe ChatLe Chat

Building your own app? The connector is yours to use.

You don't need a client to put TheMealDB to work: the same hosted connection plugs into your own applications and agent code, with the same governance on every request. Build with it, chat with it — one connection for both.

Observed, not estimated

922ms average. Fast in production.

TheMealDB is checked daily against the live service.

Daily averagePeak 1243ms
Oct 3Today
Fastest day
679ms
Slowest day
1243ms
14-day trend
Improving-28%

Connect your client

One URL. Every client.

Activate the Connector, copy your link, and paste it into the client you already use. 13 capabilities arrive ready to run.

Preview access · not provider authentication

The vk_preview_* token belongs to Vinkius preview infrastructure. It lets Claude discover and display the capabilities of TheMealDB, so you can see the experience inside your AI.

It does not authenticate your account with TheMealDB. Actions requiring credentials or live account data may not run until you activate the Connector and authorize the service.

TheMealDB Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_dhRtKcxtyaCQHzizhcQD8PboSErXP3PYFbLIO6nR/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — TheMealDB capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "themealdb-extended-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_dhRtKcxtyaCQHzizhcQD8PboSErXP3PYFbLIO6nR/mcp"
    }
  }
}
  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Step-by-step instructions for each client are in the guide. How to connect

Guided setup for Claude? Set up TheMealDB in Claude and other AIs

See all the AI clients this connector works with ↑

Who it's for

Built for the work TheMealDB owners hand off.

This MCP is for anyone who wants to bridge the gap between an AI chat and a real-world kitchen or food application.

  • 01

    Home Cooks

    Use the agent to find recipes based on the ingredients you have on hand.

  • 02

    App Developers

    Feed rich, structured culinary data into food-related applications.

  • 03

    Content Creators

    Hand off the task of gathering recipe data and inspiration for food blogs to your agent.

FAQ

Questions TheMealDB owners ask.

  • 01

    How do I use the free version of TheMealDB?

    You can use the free tier by entering '1' as your API key when setting up the MCP.

  • 02

    What is the difference between the free and premium versions?

    Premium V2 users can access the latest added meals and request a selection of 10 random meals at once.

  • 03

    Can I search for recipes by a specific ingredient?

    Yes, the filter_by_ingredient capability allows you to find meals based on their main components.

  • 04

    Which AI clients can use this MCP?

    This MCP works with any compatible client, including Claude, Cursor, and Windsurf.

  • 05

    Does this MCP provide images of the food?

    Yes, the capability can retrieve high-quality image previews for specific meals.

  • 06

    How do I get the full cooking instructions for a specific meal?

    Use the get_meal_by_id capability with the unique Meal ID. The agent will return the full recipe, including step-by-step instructions and a complete list of ingredients with measurements.

  • 07

    Can I search for recipes based on what I have in my fridge?

    Yes! You can use the filter_by_ingredient capability to find meals that feature a specific main ingredient. For Premium V2 users, you can even provide a comma-separated list of multiple ingredients.

  • 08

    What is the difference between the free and premium API access?

    The free tier (API key '1') allows standard searching and filtering. Premium V2 access enables advanced capabilities like get_latest_meals, get_random_meals_selection (10 at once), and multi-ingredient filtering.

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