umich-dining-mcp

Get a dining hall menu

get_menu

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve a dining hall menu with meals, stations, dishes, traits, allergens, and nutrients; filter by hall, date, meal, or station, defaulting to the current meal.

Instructions

Get the menu of one dining hall: meals, stations and dishes. Dish rows are arrays: [name, traits, allergens, mhealthyTier, calories, servingSize, servingSizeGrams] plus nutrients named by include_nutrients (a get_menu row never carries carbonFootprint). traits are codes 1-6 (glutenfree, halal, kosher, spicy, vegan, vegetarian); allergens are codes; read the key block. mhealthyTier 1-5. Calories kcal. With no meal, the meal being served now is returned (or the next one if closed); the response says which and why. Date defaults to today; site publishes today-3..+14. stale means the data is from cache and may be slightly old, but is still the best available; asOf is the age. Re-call only if you need guaranteed-fresh data. Allergens advisory.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`date`	No	The day to read. Defaults to today.
`hall`	Yes	The dining hall to read.
`meal`	No	Keeps only those meals: one name, or a list of them. When it is left out, the meal the hall is serving right now is used.
`station`	No	Keeps only that station.
`include_nutrients`	No	Nutrients to return, by key/name, or ["all"].

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`key`	Yes
`asOf`	No
`date`	Yes
`hall`	Yes
`note`	No
`meals`	Yes
`stale`	Yes
`units`	No
`nutrients`	No
`totalItems`	Yes
`renderedDate`	No
`totalStations`	Yes
`unknownMealLabels`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed23 schema fields changedv0.1.1Oct 23, 2026

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedInput schema / properties / date / description

Previous value: -"Calendar date in YYYY-MM-DD. The site publishes menus for today-3 days to today+14 days."New value: +"The day to read. Defaults to today."

addedInput schema / properties / include_nutrients

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Nutrients to return, by key/name, or [\"all\"].",
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / meal / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "enum": [
+      "Breakfast",
+      "Brunch",
+      "Lunch",
+      "Dinner"
+    ],
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  {
+    "items": {
+      "enum": [
+        "Breakfast",
+        "Brunch",
+        "Lunch",
+        "Dinner"
+      ],
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "minItems": 1,
+    "type": "array"
+  }
+]

addedInput schema / properties / meal / description

Added value: +"Keeps only those meals: one name, or a list of them. When it is left out, the meal the hall is serving right now is used."

removedInput schema / properties / meal / enum

Removed value: -[
-  "Breakfast",
-  "Lunch",
-  "Dinner"
-]

removedInput schema / properties / meal / type
```
Removed value: -"string"
```

addedInput schema / properties / station

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Keeps only that station.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / asOf
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
removedOutput schema / properties / hallName
```
Removed value: -{
-  "type": "string"
-}
```

addedOutput schema / properties / key

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {
+    "additionalProperties": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "propertyNames": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  "propertyNames": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / mealLabels

Removed value: -{
-  "additionalProperties": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "propertyNames": {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  "type": "object"
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / meals / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```

addedOutput schema / properties / meals / items

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "meal": {
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": 1,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "stations": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "items": {
+            "items": {
+              "items": {
+                "anyOf": [
+                  {
+                    "type": "number"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "type": "string"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "type": "boolean"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "type": "null"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "items": {
+                      "type": "number"
+                    },
+                    "type": "array"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "items": {
+                      "type": "string"
+                    },
+                    "type": "array"
+                  },
+                  {
+                    "additionalProperties": {
+                      "type": "number"
+                    },
+                    "propertyNames": {
+                      "type": "string"
+                    },
+                    "type": "object"
+                  }
+                ]
+              },
+              "type": "array"
+            },
+            "type": "array"
+          },
+          "station": {
+            "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+            "minimum": 1,
+            "type": "integer"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "station",
+          "items"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "meal",
+    "stations"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / properties / meals / properties

Removed value: -{
-  "Breakfast": {
-    "items": {
-      "additionalProperties": false,
-      "properties": {
-        "items": {
-          "items": {
-            "additionalProperties": false,
-            "properties": {
-              "allergens": {
-                "items": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "array"
-              },
-              "carbonFootprint": {
-                "anyOf": [
-                  {
-                    "enum": [
-                      "low",
-                      "medium",
-                      "high"
-                    ],
-                    "type": "string"
-                  },
-                  {
-                    "type": "null"
-                  }
-                ]
-              },
-              "mhealthyTier": {
-                "type": [
-                  "number",
-                  "null"
-                ]
-              },
-              "name": {
-                "type": "string"
-              },
-              "nutrition": {
-                "anyOf": [
-                  {
-                    "additionalProperties": false,
-                    "properties": {
-                      "calories": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "number",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "cholesterol": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "dietaryFiber": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "micronutrients": {
-                        "additionalProperties": {
-                          "type": "string"
-                        },
-                        "propertyNames": {
-                          "type": "string"
-                        },
-                        "type": "object"
-                      },
-                      "protein": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "saturatedFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "servingSize": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "sodium": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "sugars": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "totalCarbohydrate": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "totalFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "transFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      }
-                    },
-                    "required": [
-                      "servingSize",
-                      "calories",
-                      "totalFat",
-                      "saturatedFat",
-                      "transFat",
-                      "cholesterol",
-                      "sodium",
-                      "totalCarbohydrate",
-                      "dietaryFiber",
-                      "sugars",
-                      "protein",
-                      "micronutrients"
-                    ],
-                    "type": "object"
-                  },
-                  {
-                    "type": "null"
-                  }
-                ]
-              },
-              "traitLabels": {
-                "additionalProperties": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "propertyNames": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "object"
-              },
-              "traits": {
-                "items": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "array"
-              }
-            },
-            "required": [
-              "name",
-              "traits",
-              "traitLabels",
-              "allergens",
-              "mhealthyTier",
-              "carbonFootprint",
-              "nutrition"
-            ],
-            "type": "object"
-          },
-          "type": "array"
-        },
-        "name": {
-          "type": "string"
-        }
-      },
-      "required": [
-        "name",
-        "items"
-      ],
-      "type": "object"
-    },
-    "type": "array"
-  },
-  "Dinner": {
-    "items": {
-      "additionalProperties": false,
-      "properties": {
-        "items": {
-          "items": {
-            "additionalProperties": false,
-            "properties": {
-              "allergens": {
-                "items": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "array"
-              },
-              "carbonFootprint": {
-                "anyOf": [
-                  {
-                    "enum": [
-                      "low",
-                      "medium",
-                      "high"
-                    ],
-                    "type": "string"
-                  },
-                  {
-                    "type": "null"
-                  }
-                ]
-              },
-              "mhealthyTier": {
-                "type": [
-                  "number",
-                  "null"
-                ]
-              },
-              "name": {
-                "type": "string"
-              },
-              "nutrition": {
-                "anyOf": [
-                  {
-                    "additionalProperties": false,
-                    "properties": {
-                      "calories": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "number",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "cholesterol": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "dietaryFiber": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "micronutrients": {
-                        "additionalProperties": {
-                          "type": "string"
-                        },
-                        "propertyNames": {
-                          "type": "string"
-                        },
-                        "type": "object"
-                      },
-                      "protein": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "saturatedFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "servingSize": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "sodium": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "sugars": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "totalCarbohydrate": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "totalFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "transFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      }
-                    },
-                    "required": [
-                      "servingSize",
-                      "calories",
-                      "totalFat",
-                      "saturatedFat",
-                      "transFat",
-                      "cholesterol",
-                      "sodium",
-                      "totalCarbohydrate",
-                      "dietaryFiber",
-                      "sugars",
-                      "protein",
-                      "micronutrients"
-                    ],
-                    "type": "object"
-                  },
-                  {
-                    "type": "null"
-                  }
-                ]
-              },
-              "traitLabels": {
-                "additionalProperties": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "propertyNames": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "object"
-              },
-              "traits": {
-                "items": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "array"
-              }
-            },
-            "required": [
-              "name",
-              "traits",
-              "traitLabels",
-              "allergens",
-              "mhealthyTier",
-              "carbonFootprint",
-              "nutrition"
-            ],
-            "type": "object"
-          },
-          "type": "array"
-        },
-        "name": {
-          "type": "string"
-        }
-      },
-      "required": [
-        "name",
-        "items"
-      ],
-      "type": "object"
-    },
-    "type": "array"
-  },
-  "Lunch": {
-    "items": {
-      "additionalProperties": false,
-      "properties": {
-        "items": {
-          "items": {
-            "additionalProperties": false,
-            "properties": {
-              "allergens": {
-                "items": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "array"
-              },
-              "carbonFootprint": {
-                "anyOf": [
-                  {
-                    "enum": [
-                      "low",
-                      "medium",
-                      "high"
-                    ],
-                    "type": "string"
-                  },
-                  {
-                    "type": "null"
-                  }
-                ]
-              },
-              "mhealthyTier": {
-                "type": [
-                  "number",
-                  "null"
-                ]
-              },
-              "name": {
-                "type": "string"
-              },
-              "nutrition": {
-                "anyOf": [
-                  {
-                    "additionalProperties": false,
-                    "properties": {
-                      "calories": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "number",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "cholesterol": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "dietaryFiber": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "micronutrients": {
-                        "additionalProperties": {
-                          "type": "string"
-                        },
-                        "propertyNames": {
-                          "type": "string"
-                        },
-                        "type": "object"
-                      },
-                      "protein": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "saturatedFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "servingSize": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "sodium": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "sugars": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "totalCarbohydrate": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "totalFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      },
-                      "transFat": {
-                        "type": [
-                          "string",
-                          "null"
-                        ]
-                      }
-                    },
-                    "required": [
-                      "servingSize",
-                      "calories",
-                      "totalFat",
-                      "saturatedFat",
-                      "transFat",
-                      "cholesterol",
-                      "sodium",
-                      "totalCarbohydrate",
-                      "dietaryFiber",
-                      "sugars",
-                      "protein",
-                      "micronutrients"
-                    ],
-                    "type": "object"
-                  },
-                  {
-                    "type": "null"
-                  }
-                ]
-              },
-              "traitLabels": {
-                "additionalProperties": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "propertyNames": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "object"
-              },
-              "traits": {
-                "items": {
-                  "type": "string"
-                },
-                "type": "array"
-              }
-            },
-            "required": [
-              "name",
-              "traits",
-              "traitLabels",
-              "allergens",
-              "mhealthyTier",
-              "carbonFootprint",
-              "nutrition"
-            ],
-            "type": "object"
-          },
-          "type": "array"
-        },
-        "name": {
-          "type": "string"
-        }
-      },
-      "required": [
-        "name",
-        "items"
-      ],
-      "type": "object"
-    },
-    "type": "array"
-  }
-}

removedOutput schema / properties / meals / required

Removed value: -[
-  "Breakfast",
-  "Lunch",
-  "Dinner"
-]

changedOutput schema / properties / meals / type

Previous value: -"object"New value: +"array"

addedOutput schema / properties / note
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```

addedOutput schema / properties / nutrients

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / renderedDate / type

Previous value: -[
-  "string",
-  "null"
-]New value: +"string"

addedOutput schema / properties / units

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "propertyNames": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "object"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / unknownMealLabels

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

changedOutput schema / required

Previous value: -[
-  "hall",
-  "hallName",
-  "date",
-  "mealLabels",
-  "meals",
-  "renderedDate",
-  "totalStations",
-  "totalItems",
-  "stale"
-]New value: +[
+  "hall",
+  "date",
+  "key",
+  "meals",
+  "unknownMealLabels",
+  "totalStations",
+  "totalItems",
+  "stale"
+]

First observedv0.1.0Oct 21, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover safety as read-only, idempotent, non-destructive, and open-world. The description adds substantial behavioral context: dish-row array structure, trait and allergen code meanings, mhealthyTier scale, calorie units, no carbonFootprint in get_menu rows, default meal fallback behavior, cache staleness and asOf age, and allergen advisory status.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is front-loaded with the core purpose and has no filler, but it is a dense single paragraph with compressed code explanations. It remains usable, though slightly more structure would improve scanability.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the existing output schema and annotations, the description covers what an agent needs to call it correctly: scope, date window, meal fallback, station filtering context, nutrient inclusion, cache behavior, and allergen caveat. No critical behavioral gap is apparent.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description goes beyond the schema by adding the date publication window, the meal fallback to the next serving if closed, the effect of include_nutrients on returned row contents, and the fact that get_menu rows never include carbonFootprint.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description states a specific verb and resource: "Get the menu of one dining hall: meals, stations and dishes." It is clear what the tool returns, but it does not explicitly distinguish itself from siblings such as filter_dishes or get_item_nutrition.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives clear usage context for defaults and freshness: meal defaults to the current or next serving, date defaults to today with a today-3..+14 publication window, and stale data means cached but best-available. It does not explicitly say when to choose this tool over alternatives like filter_dishes.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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