Last updated: March 25, 2025
Our CaloriQ is a food tracking application designed to guide you towards more mindful eating habits. We provide insights into how different foods and products affect your body, but this information is not intended for diagnosing, treating, or preventing any medical conditions, as our application is not a medical device or application.
We do not provide any therapeutic guidance for individuals with special dietary needs (such as food allergies, eating disorders, or diabetes). For medical advice or treatment, we always recommend consulting with healthcare professionals before making health-related decisions.
The goal of our CaloriQ application is to educate you about the pros and cons of different products and to gently improve dietary behavior through habit tracking, helping you to be more mindful of your daily meals.
Our application is based on public information from the following sources, with no affiliation or endorsement from these institutions.
Our AI food recognition system uses computer vision technology to identify foods and estimates calories and nutritional content based on the following databases and research:
USDA Food Data Central: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
A comprehensive food and nutrient database from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that provides detailed nutritional information for over 1 million food items.
Our recognition model has been trained on over 100,000 food images to identify common food types and provide nutrition estimates based on USDA standards.
We clearly mark all AI recognition results as estimates and encourage users to adjust based on actual circumstances.
Our calorie recommendations are based on the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation, which provides users with BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) calculation (see formula below). Based on BMR, activity level, and goals, we recommend daily calorie intake to users.
Female: (10 x weight kg) + (6.25 x height cm) - (5.0 x age) - 161
Male: (10 x weight kg) + (6.25 x height cm) - (5.0 x age) + 5
This formula is widely considered one of the most accurate methods for estimating BMR in normal, healthy adults.
CDC standards for Body Mass Index (BMI): https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.html
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's standard BMI classifications and interpretations, including definitions for underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity categories.
Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, et al. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2305711/
This 1990 study established the widely-used BMR calculation formula based on data from 498 healthy subjects.
Comprehensive Review on BMI, TDEE, BMR, and Calories for Weight Management: https://doi.org/10.21275/v10i1015
A scientific review that examines the relationship between energy expenditure, physical activity levels, and weight management strategies.
Kim JY. Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8017325/
A peer-reviewed study published in 2020 that examines evidence-based dietary strategies for weight loss and maintenance, including low-calorie diets, macronutrient composition, and meal timing.
Our meal scoring system is based on dietary approaches described in the following public guidelines:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
The official dietary guidelines that provide science-based advice on what to eat and drink to promote health, reduce risk of chronic disease, and meet nutrient needs.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - Healthy Eating Plate: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-eating-plate/
A visual guide created by nutrition experts at Harvard School of Public Health that provides a blueprint for healthy meals based on the latest science.
World Health Organization (WHO) - Healthy Diet Guidelines: https://www.who.int/initiatives/behealthy/healthy-diet
International guidelines for balanced nutrition that recommend consumption of diverse foods including staples, legumes, fruits and vegetables, and foods from animal sources in appropriate amounts.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Nutrient Recommendations: https://ods.od.nih.gov/HealthInformation/nutrientrecommendations.aspx
Official reference values for nutrient intakes including Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs), Adequate Intakes (AIs), and Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs).
Our recommended macronutrient ratio is: 40-50% carbohydrates, 25-35% protein, 20-30% fat, based on:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
These guidelines recommend balanced intake of all macronutrients within appropriate ranges for optimal health.
World Health Organization (WHO) - Healthy Diet Guidelines: https://www.WHO.int/initiatives/behealthy/healthy-diet
WHO guidelines that provide recommendations on macronutrient distribution for balanced nutrition and disease prevention.
If you have questions or comments about these nutrition information sources, you may email us at feedback@caloriq.ai