MongoDB/Mongoose Populate - node.js

Question

Working with Mongoose "Populate" - So far I'm unable to successfully get the "Food" model to populate the "User" model.
The goal is to be able to save a "Food" to a user.
USER MODEL:
var UserSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
username: String,
password: String,
foods: [{ type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId}],
easy: {type: Boolean, default: false},
});
UserSchema.plugin(passportLocalMongoose)
module.exports = mongoose.model("User", UserSchema);
FOOD MODEL:
var foodSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
name: { type: String, required: false, unique: true },
author: {
id: {
type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId,
ref: "User",
},
}
});
module.exports = mongoose.model("Food", foodSchema);
GET ROUTE
router.get("/dashboard", function (req, res) {
User.find({currentUser: req.user})
.populate({path: 'foods'}).
exec(function (err, foods) {
if (err) return (err);
console.log('The food is:', req.user.foods.name);
});
});
POST ROUTE:
router.post("/dashboard", function(req, res, next) {
User.update({ id: req.session.passport.user }, {
}, function(err, user) {
if (err) return next(err);
User.findById(req.user._id, function(err, user) {
var newFood = new Food({
name: req.body.currentBreakfast,
image: 'test',
});
user.foods = newFood
user.save();
});
});
res.redirect('/dashboard');
});

Answer 1

You need to add the ref field in your user schema for foods to be populated while querying user.
var UserSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
username: String,
password: String,
foods: [{ type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'Food' }],
easy: {type: Boolean, default: false},
});

Answer 2

You can user this query.
await User.find({currentUser: req.user}).populate('foods')

Answer 3

Try this it will auto-populate data
var UserSchema = new mongoose.Schema({
username: String,
password: String,
foods: [{ type: mongoose.Schema.Types.ObjectId,ref: 'Food'}}],
easy: {type: Boolean, default: false},
});
UserSchema.pre('find', prepopulate)
function prepopulate(){
return this.populate('foods')
}