Reading the macros

Every recipe shows calories, protein, fat, net carbs, total carbs and fiber per serving, plus 17 vitamins and minerals in the Nutrition Facts panel.

These are estimates

Every number on this site is calculated from typical ingredient data. It has not been checked in a lab or against the brands you buy, and some ingredient values have not yet been checked against their source. Treat the numbers as a good guide, not a guarantee: check the labels of your own ingredients and confirm anything that matters to you, such as sodium, sugar, allergens or anything you track for a medical reason.

Where the numbers come from

Nutrition values for each ingredient come from USDA FoodData Central [1] unless the ingredient page says otherwise. Values are for raw weight. The recipe totals are calculated by a script every time the site is built, so a correction to one ingredient updates every recipe that uses it.

Net carbs

Net carbs = total carbs − fiber − allulose − erythritol − half of any other sugar alcohols.

“Net carbs” is not a term on the US Nutrition Facts label [2], so products and websites calculate it differently. This site always uses the formula above, and always shows total carbs and fiber next to it so you can check.

Erythritol is subtracted in full because the body passes it out unchanged; other sugar alcohols such as xylitol and maltitol are partly digested, so only half comes off. Allulose, sugar alcohols and net carbs explains which is which. Allulose is subtracted because the FDA allows it to be counted at 0.4 kcal per gram and excluded from sugars [3].

Vitamins and minerals

US labels must list vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium [2]. The panel here lists those four, then vitamins A, C, E and K, the B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate, B12), magnesium, zinc and selenium. Each gets a % Daily Value, using the same FDA Daily Values as packaged food.

High in at the top of a recipe lists every vitamin and mineral at 20% of the Daily Value or more per serving. 20% is the FDA’s cutoff for calling a food “high in” a nutrient [4].

Vitamin and mineral values come from the raw ingredients. Cooking destroys some vitamin C, folate and thiamin, especially with long boiling, so the real amount can be lower. Minerals mostly stay put. Some foods, like soy milk and nutritional yeast, are fortified, and the amount added varies by brand.

What the numbers do not account for

• Cooking oil left in the pan. All oil is counted as eaten. Real intake is a bit lower.
• Brand differences. Tofu, cheese and sausages vary by brand. Check your package if it matters.
• Rounding. Values under 10 g are shown to one decimal, above 10 g to the nearest gram.

Healthier swaps

Under the ingredients, recipes offer swaps such as coconut aminos for soy sauce, riced cauliflower for rice, chickpea pasta for regular pasta and allulose for sugar. Nutrition and cost update when you pick one. Some swaps cost more: if cost matters, keep the original. The recipe was written and tested with the original ingredient.

Cost per serving

Cost is calculated from one set of reference prices (USD, with the month they were checked). Your prices will differ. It is there to compare recipes, not to predict your receipt.