Resource
How we calculate nutrition and cost
A transparent account of what the system calculates, what it estimates, and what it cannot verify.
- Author
- AI Meal Prep
- Review
- Product and data review, not medical review
- Reviewed
Ingredient grams come first
Reviewed recipes provide per-serving grams. Mapped ingredients use stored USDA FoodData Central values per 100 grams, then each nutrient is multiplied by grams divided by 100. The AI composer does not author the final nutrition totals.
Coverage stays visible
Coverage is the share of ingredient entries with a mapped USDA record. Unmapped slugs contribute zero to calculated nutrition and remain named as unverified instead of being silently treated as complete.
Cost is an estimate
Ingredient grams are converted to pounds and multiplied by a curated US-average price assumption table reviewed on July 11, 2026. It is not a live retailer feed. Unpriced ingredients contribute zero, so estimates can understate actual checkout cost.
Planning, not diagnosis
The result does not know your store, region, brand, tax, preparation loss, or laboratory result. It does not diagnose, treat, certify allergens, or replace advice from a qualified professional.
Sources and method references
FAQ
Where does nutrition data come from?
Mapped ingredients use USDA FoodData Central records identified by FDC ID and stored per-100-gram nutrient values.
What happens to an unmapped ingredient?
It is listed as unverified and contributes zero to the nutrition total. This makes the limitation visible, but it can make totals lower than the food actually provides.
Is this medical or allergy advice?
No. The planner provides estimates for meal planning and cannot verify diagnoses, cross-contact, brands, labels, or individual clinical needs.