Collecting input to filter an output

[cppbegginer]

Hello!

I am not very good with programming and have about 16 hours left to finish a uni project I have been assigned...

For this I am making a program that will suggest meal options when choosing specifics contained within, e.g. style, base, main, sauce.

What I would like to know is how to collect the input that has been entered by the user, say you are given 4 lists and each has an option, how could I chain these together in order to cout a suggestion that is in my database?

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Example (not my real Q's and A's):

OUTPUT: Let me help you choose a meal...
OUTPUT: What meat would you like?
INPUT: "Beef" //<collect this!
OUTPUT: What sauce would you like?
INPUT: "Tomato" //<and this!
OUTPUT: What would you like to have as the main/base?
INPUT: "Pasta" //<and this!
OUTPUT: I can suggest... "Spaghetti Bolognese" //< and return this from the database using the 3 filters
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If you need me to paste my code then let me know and thank you anyone that can help me in time!

[LB]

Can't you just directly cin to a std::string? If there will be spaces in the name use std::getline.