Embodiments relate to a system and method to plan preparation of a meal that may include more than one dish. Online recipes are obtained from a database based on criteria set by the user. Recipes are analyzed for time and effort requirements at each step. If a meal includes more than one dish, a merge of the timelines is performed to determine if it is feasible to prepare all dishes concurrently. Suppliers that can supply all ingredients required by the recipes that meet all user criteria are recommended to the user.