Recipe Photos

• About Recipe Photos in the System
  • Master Recipes and Photos
• Using AI to Generate Recipe Photos
  • AI Photos use ANDI Weekly Credits
  • How to Generate an AI Photo
• Manually Uploading a Digital Photo
• Reverting to a Previous Photo
• ANDI AI Weekly Credits
• FAQs
  • Recipe photos that I add in the Core system are not synching to the front-end app?
  • Can an AI photo be created for a prepared food?

About Recipe Photos in the System

Recipe photos in the Core system will automatically appear in the following front-end apps*:

• Instant orders and advanced orders in the Touch app.
• Portal app
• Digital menu board and websites

In addition, recipe images can appear in the following Core reports:

• Scaled Recipe Report (Recipes)
• Recipe Cookbook Report (Menus)
• Recipes at Scale Report (Production)

*Note that recipe photos do not appear in the POS. 

Master Recipes and Photos

If a photo exists for a master recipe, and your account replaces that photo, then you are considered to be customizing the master recipe specific to your account. Therefore, any change to the photo by the account that owns the master recipe does not change the recipe photo that was generated by your account (i.e., the recipe image is "locked" for your account only). There is an option of always reverting to the photo of the master recipe (as per instructions below). 

A photo added to a master recipe by the account that owns the master recipe will only appear for a child account if that child account did not already generate their own photo for the master recipe. 

Using AI to Generate Recipe Photos

Recipe photos for your account can be automatically generated using ANDI, the MealSuite AI assistant. ANDI will take the effort out of manually having to shoot individual recipe photos and then having to manually upload those photos to each recipe.

ANDI generates a recipe photo utilizing the following information in the recipe:

• Recipe name - use descriptive recipe names (e.g. Soup Broccoli Cheese HMD). Do not use generic names such as “Soup” or "Soup of the Day".
• Description - write a description for the recipe (e.g., Creamy Cheddar soup with tender broccoli florets and sauteed onions, lightly seasoned). 
• Ingredients
• Recipe category(ies)

Note that portion size and portion size description are not used for AI photo generation. You can enter the portion size into the Description field, and if so, ensure the true portion size is entered. For example, if the recipe states 2 Beef Flautas are a serving, then ensure to state this in the Description field so that the photo represents 2 Beef Flautas on a plate. 

Remember: If the recipe reads well, the photo will look good. ANDI doesn’t invent context—it reflects what you give it. The better your recipe data, the better your photo. 

AI Photos use ANDI Weekly Credits

AI photo generation uses the ANDI AI weekly credits available in your account, with one credit consumed per successful photo generation. See ANDI AI Weekly Credits below for more information. 

How to Generate an AI Photo

To generate an AI photo for a single recipe, complete the following steps:

1. Open the recipe for which to generate a photo. 
   
   
    
2. On the image placeholder, click Generate Photo with ANDI. ANDI begins to create the photo. 
   
   
    
3. When the photo generation is completed, the photo appears. 
   
   
    
4. If wanting to improve and regenerate the photo, click Try a New Look and the Pick a Style section appears with a list of options that you can select to inform ANDI (screenshot below). In addition, you can enter explanatory and descriptive text in the Describe what you'd like to see differently field. 
   
   
    

5. Click the Generate New Photo to regenerate the photo (second screenshot below). 
   
    

   Note: The remaining ANDI AI weekly credits for your account is displayed below the image (e.g., "97 ANDI AI Weekly Credits Remaining").
   
   

Manually Uploading a Digital Photo

You have the ability to use an actual digital photo (JPEG or PNG) for a recipe instead of using ANDI to generate an AI photo. To manually upload a digital photo, complete the following steps:

1. Open the recipe.

2. If a photo does not yet exist for the recipe, click Or upload your own photo on the image placeholder (screenshot below). 
   
   

   or
   
   If a photo does exist for the recipe, click Upload Photo (screenshot below). 
   
   
    

3. Navigate to the photo on your computer or network, and select the photo
4. Select the photo and click Open. The new photo appears for the recipe.
5. Click the Save button at the top right of the profile panel.

Reverting to a Previous Photo

If the recipe had an original photo that was replaced, you have the ability to review the history of the past photos and select one to be the current photo again. To do so: 

1. Open the recipe.
2. Click History. The screen refreshes with current and past photos of the recipes. 
   
    
    
3. Select the photo that you want to use for the recipe. The photo is updated. 

ANDI AI Weekly Credits

Your account (i.e., facility) receives 100 ANDI AI credits per week by default. Credits auto-reset every Monday morning. If 100 credits per week is not sufficient for your facility, please reach out to your MealSuite account manager to have your credit limit raised. 

The ANDI AI weekly credit balance for your account is displayed below a recipe photo (or the image placeholder if no photo exists), as per screenshot below.



The ANDI AI weekly credit balance for your account is also displayed in the header of the Photo Gallery screen for a menu, as per screenshot below. 

Best Practices for Quality AI Photos

FAQs

Recipe photos that I add in the Core system are not synching to the front-end app?

If recipe photos are not syncing between the Core system and a front-end app (Touch app, Portal app, digital menu board, customized website), reach out to MealSuite Support. If you are MealSuite Support, refer to the following internal article: Synching Recipes Between Core System and Touch App (INTERNAL).

Can an AI photo be created for a prepared food?

Yes.