MealWords

MealWords is a focused web app for the moment a traveler sits down at a restaurant abroad and needs to explain what they cannot eat. Instead of relying on memorized phrases or translation apps, you build a card in the language the staff actually speak, then hand over your phone or show the screen.

The builder runs in three steps. First you pick the staff’s language from a list covering Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, French, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Turkish, and Arabic. Then you tick food allergies such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish, followed by dietary requirements like vegetarian, vegan, no pork, no beef, lactose-free, and no offal. A final step captures preferences such as spice level, no cilantro, no garlic, less salt, or fully cooked meat.

The reverse direction is the practical highlight: after the waiter responds, the app lets you read their answer in your own language, closing the loop that most phrasebooks leave open. The interface is free to use and requires no account, which makes it easy to prepare a card before a trip or on the way to dinner.

It is aimed at travelers with allergies or intolerances, vegetarians and vegans, people avoiding pork or beef for religious or personal reasons, and anyone with strong flavor aversions. Because the card is only as reliable as the person reading it, it works best as a support alongside clear verbal confirmation, especially for severe allergies.

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