Food is at the centre of some of the biggest global challenges associated with climate change, public health, and ecological damage. However, during shopping, cooking, and eating, the complex information associated with food is difficult to access. Our team asks: how can we make this complexity transparent and decisions actionable? Meal Engine is a node-based visual language for recipe creation, that leverages big data systems to give home cooks the agency needed to take control over their culinary life. Recipes are presented as a graphical flow of ingredients and cooking actions. Nodes can contain information about seasonality, carbon footprint, nutritional values, or supporting media content. Due to its node logic, Meal Engine can easily adapt any recipe to its user’s individual needs. For example, Meal Engine can automatically morph a favorite recipe to incorporate more sustainable and healthier alternatives, while retaining the taste and feel of the original.