diff --git a/backend/app/services/orchestrator/steps.py b/backend/app/services/orchestrator/steps.py
index 9625779..1d979ec 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/orchestrator/steps.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/orchestrator/steps.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import html
 import logging
+import uuid as _uuid
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 
@@ -122,13 +123,28 @@ def step_email(run: "WeeklyRun", db: "Session") -> None:
             "days old — the Friday scrape failed and stale data was used.</p>"
         )
 
+    # Preload ingredient names for all pending items
+    ing_ids: set = set()
+    for _item in plan.items:
+        if _item.approval_status == MealPlanItemStatus.PENDING and _item.recipe:
+            for _ing in (_item.recipe.ingredients or []):
+                if "ingredient_id" in _ing:
+                    ing_ids.add(_ing["ingredient_id"])
+
+    ingredient_names: dict = {}
+    if ing_ids:
+        _ing_rows = db.query(Ingredient).filter(
+            Ingredient.id.in_([_uuid.UUID(str(i)) for i in ing_ids])
+        ).all()
+        ingredient_names = {str(r.id): r.name for r in _ing_rows}
+
     # Build shopping list preview once (shared across all member emails)
     all_ingredients: dict[str, tuple[str, str, str, str]] = {}
     for item in plan.items:
         if item.approval_status != MealPlanItemStatus.PENDING:
             continue
         for ing in (item.recipe.ingredients or [] if item.recipe else []):
-            ing_name = ing.get("name", "").strip()
+            ing_name = ingredient_names.get(str(ing.get("ingredient_id", "")), ing.get("name", "unknown")).strip()
             if not ing_name or ing_name in all_ingredients:
                 continue
             match = (
@@ -199,7 +215,7 @@ def step_email(run: "WeeklyRun", db: "Session") -> None:
             ing_rows = "".join(
                 f"<li>{html.escape(str(ing.get('qty', '')))}"
                 f" {html.escape(str(ing.get('unit', '')))}"
-                f" {html.escape(str(ing.get('name', '')))}</li>"
+                f" {html.escape(ingredient_names.get(str(ing.get('ingredient_id', '')), ing.get('name', 'unknown')))}</li>"
                 for ing in ingredients
             )
             ing_block = (
@@ -210,7 +226,7 @@ def step_email(run: "WeeklyRun", db: "Session") -> None:
             # Estimated cost: sum top-confidence grocery match prices
             est_cost = 0.0
             for ing in ingredients:
-                ing_name = ing.get("name", "").lower()
+                ing_name = ingredient_names.get(str(ing.get("ingredient_id", "")), ing.get("name", "")).lower()
                 match = (
                     db.query(IngredientGroceryMatch)
                     .join(Ingredient, IngredientGroceryMatch.ingredient_id == Ingredient.id)