AI Food Recognition Guide

1. How It Works

The AI food recognition feature uses artificial intelligence to estimate the nutritional content of your meals from a photo. Here's the process:

1. You take a photo of your meal (or choose one from your photo library)
2. Tap the analysis button to start the AI scan
3. The photo is compressed and sent securely to our server
4. Our server forwards the image to OpenAI's vision API for analysis
5. The AI identifies the food and estimates calories, protein, fat, carbs, and serving size
6. Results appear in the app for your review

The first time you use this feature, the app will ask for your consent before sending any images. You can always enter nutritional information manually instead.

This is a premium feature. All other app functionality is available for free.

2. Taking a Good Photo

Better photos lead to better estimates. For the most accurate results:

• Show the full meal — make sure all items on your plate are visible
• Good lighting — natural light or well-lit room works best
• Top-down angle — shooting from above gives the AI the best view of portions
• Avoid clutter — keep non-food items out of frame when possible
• Separate items — if you have multiple dishes, the AI can identify each one

3. Reviewing Results

After the AI analyzes your photo, the results are filled in automatically:

• Food name — what the AI identified
• Calories — estimated total calories
• Protein, fat, carbs — macronutrient breakdown in grams
• Serving size — estimated portion

The AI provides a confidence level with each estimate:

• High confidence: Values are auto-filled and likely accurate
• Medium/Low confidence: Values are filled but flagged — review them carefully before saving

You can always adjust any value manually before saving the meal. The AI is a starting point, not the final word.

4. Saving Meals for Reuse

After reviewing and saving a meal, you can mark it as a favorite. Favorited meals appear in your meal logging flow for instant reuse — tap once to log the same meal again without re-entering any information.

This is especially useful for meals you eat regularly, like a standard breakfast or a post-workout shake.

5. Privacy & Data

Your privacy is important. Here's exactly what happens when you use AI food recognition:

• The photo is compressed and resized before sending (max 512px, 70% quality)
• Only the image is sent — no personal information, account details, or metadata
• The image is forwarded to OpenAI's API for analysis. OpenAI does not use API inputs to train their models
• No photos are stored on our servers — the image is processed in real time and not retained
• The feature is entirely optional and requires your explicit consent

For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

6. Troubleshooting

"No food detected in this image"

• Make sure the food is clearly visible in the photo
• Try taking a new photo with better lighting and a top-down angle
• Very unusual or obscure foods may not be recognized — enter them manually

"Could not connect — check your internet"

• Ensure your iPhone is connected to WiFi or cellular data
• Try again in a few moments — the server may be temporarily unavailable

Estimates seem inaccurate

• AI estimates are approximate — always review and adjust before saving
• Portion size is the hardest thing for AI to judge. If the calories seem off, adjust the serving size
• Complex or layered dishes (like burritos or casseroles) are harder to analyze accurately