Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Platebreaker and nutrition tracking.

Getting Started

What is Platebreaker?

Platebreaker is a comprehensive nutrition platform that helps you discover recipes, plan meals, and track your intake across approximately 113 tracked nutrients (262 viewable in database). Unlike basic calorie counters, we provide deep nutritional insights using data from USDA FoodData Central and guidelines from major nutrition authorities worldwide.

Is Platebreaker free?

Platebreaker offers:

Free Tier: Core features including tracking, basic discovery, authority targets
Pro Tier: Advanced features like custom targets, family profiles, detailed analytics, meal planning

Check our pricing page for current details.

Nutrition Targets

Why are my targets different from my friend’s?

Targets are personalized based on:

Age: Needs change throughout life
Sex: Men and women have different nutrient needs
Height & Weight: Larger bodies need more nutrients
Activity Level: Exercise increases energy and some nutrient needs
Life Stage: Pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause have special requirements
Authority Choice: Different authorities have slightly different recommendations

Can I change my nutrition authority?

Yes! Go to Settings → Nutrition Authority and choose from:

NASEM (US/Canada)
NHMRC (Australia/New Zealand)
EFSA (European Union)
NNR (Nordic Countries)
DEFAULT (Platebreaker’s conservative combination)

Your targets will update immediately. See Choosing Your Authority for guidance.

What does “Target Cycle” mean?

Some nutrients don’t need to be consumed every single day because your body stores them. Target cycles reflect this:

1 Day: Water-soluble vitamins (need daily replenishment)
3 Days: Nutrients with moderate storage
7 Days: Fat-soluble vitamins and minerals stored long-term

You can meet your vitamin D target over a week, not necessarily each day. See Nutrient Targets & Limits for details.

Can I customize my targets?

Yes, with Platebreaker Pro. You can adjust targets for any of the 113 tracked nutrients in three ways:

Absolute Amounts: Set exact daily amounts (e.g., 100g protein)
Percentage of Energy: Relative to calories (e.g., 25% protein)
Per Kilogram Body Weight: Scales with your weight (e.g., 1.8g/kg protein)

See Custom Targets & Limits for details.

What’s the difference between a Target and an Upper Limit?

Target (RDA, AI, PRI):

The amount you should AIM to meet daily
Meets the needs of 97-98% of healthy people
Safe and beneficial to exceed modestly

Upper Limit (UL):

The MAXIMUM daily amount unlikely to cause harm
Don’t exceed chronically (especially from supplements)
Safety threshold, not a goal

See Understanding Targets & Limits for comprehensive explanation.

Should I try to hit 100% of every nutrient every day?

General Guidance:

Aim for 100% on average over the target cycle (1-7 days depending on nutrient)
80-120% is excellent for most nutrients
Don’t stress about one imperfect day - focus on weekly patterns
Above 100% is often fine - targets are minimums, not maximums (stay under upper limits)

Priorities:

High Priority: Consistently under 50% (may indicate deficiency)
Medium Priority: 50-80% (room for improvement)
Well Met: 80-100% (good)
Excellent: 100-150% (optimal for many nutrients)
Check Upper Limit: Above 150% consistently (ensure under upper limit)

Why is my protein target so high/low?

Protein targets depend heavily on:

Activity Level:

Sedentary: 0.8 g/kg (minimum)
Active: 1.2-1.6 g/kg
Strength training: 1.6-2.2 g/kg
Endurance athletes: 1.2-1.4 g/kg

Goals:

Weight loss: Higher to preserve muscle
Muscle gain: Higher to build tissue
Maintenance: Moderate

Check Your Settings:

Verify activity level is correct
Confirm weight is current
Review goals (weight loss vs gain vs maintenance)
Adjust manually if needed (see Custom Targets)

Recipe Discovery

How does recipe discovery work?

Platebreaker helps you find recipes in multiple ways:

Search by Nutrients: “high protein” or “vitamin C rich”
Dietary Filters: Vegetarian, vegan, keto, gluten-free, etc.
Smart Recommendations: Recipes suggested based on your current nutritional needs
Meal Type: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks
Cuisine: Italian, Mexican, Asian, Mediterranean, etc.

See Recipe Discovery for details.

Where do recipes come from?

Recipes come from:

Public Recipe Websites: We extract nutrition using USDA data
Schema.org Metadata: Structured recipe data from websites
Community Contributions: User-submitted recipes (verified)
Partner Chefs: Curated healthy recipes

All recipes link back to their original source, and nutrition is calculated using USDA FoodData Central.

Can I add my own recipes?

Yes! You can:

Import from URL: Paste a recipe URL and we’ll extract ingredients
Manual Entry: Type ingredients and instructions
Upload: Paste recipe text for parsing

Platebreaker calculates nutrition automatically using USDA data. Custom recipe creation guide coming soon.

Why don’t some recipes show all nutrients?

Nutrition data completeness depends on:

USDA Data Availability: Not all foods have complete nutrient profiles
Ingredient Matching: Some ingredients may not have USDA equivalents
Recipe Complexity: More ingredients = more potential missing data

We show a Data Quality Score for each recipe:

Green (Complete): Over 90 tracked nutrients have data
Yellow (Good): 70-90 tracked nutrients
Orange (Moderate): 50-70 tracked nutrients
Red (Incomplete): Fewer than 50 tracked nutrients

See Data Sources & Traceability for details.

Tracking

How accurate is nutrition tracking?

Overall Accuracy: ±5-15% for most nutrients when using USDA data

Factors Affecting Accuracy:

Portion Sizes: Weighing food is most accurate
Cooking Methods: Nutrient losses vary by cooking (we account for this)
Food Variation: Natural variation (±20% normal)
Database Quality: USDA is gold standard but not perfect

Best Practices:

Weigh calorie-dense foods (oils, nuts, grains)
Estimate vegetables more freely
Focus on consistent tracking over perfect precision
Use weekly averages, not daily perfection

Do I need to track everything?

Recommended Tracking:

All meals and snacks (even small ones)
Beverages with calories
Cooking oils and condiments
Supplements (if you take them)

Optional Tracking:

Zero-calorie drinks (water, black coffee, tea)
Spices and herbs (negligible nutrition)
Gum or mints (minimal impact)

The More Complete, The Better: Tracking everything gives the most accurate picture of your nutrition.

Can I track supplements?

Yes! Platebreaker allows you to:

Log supplements separately from food
See total intake (food + supplements)
Check if you’re exceeding upper limits
Identify if supplements are necessary

Important: Upper limits apply to TOTAL intake (food + supplements). Monitor this carefully.

What if I can’t find a food?

Options:

Search Variations: Try different spellings or names
Use Similar Foods: Close matches are often accurate enough
Add Custom Food: Enter nutrition facts manually
Request Addition: Suggest foods for our database

Guide for adding custom foods coming soon.

Can I edit logged meals?

Yes! You can:

Adjust Serving Sizes: Change portions up or down
Delete Entries: Remove incorrectly logged items
Copy Meals: Repeat common meals easily
Undo: 10-second undo window for accidental logs

Changes update your nutrition totals automatically.

Meal Planning

How far in advance can I plan meals?

You can plan:

Single Day: Today or any future day
3 Days: Long weekend
Full Week: Standard weekly planning
Custom Range: Any date range you choose
Multiple Weeks: Plan several weeks ahead

Most users find weekly planning (7 days) most practical.

Can Platebreaker create a meal plan for me automatically?

Yes! Platebreaker offers Smart Suggestions:

Recommends meals based on your nutritional needs
Considers your dietary restrictions and preferences
Balances variety and nutrition
Accounts for your current intake gaps

You can accept suggestions as-is or customize further. See Meal Planning for details.

With Platebreaker Pro:

Create multiple family profiles
Plan for different family members
Share shopping lists
Coordinate meal planning

Each family member can have personalized targets while sharing recipes.

How do shopping lists work?

Platebreaker automatically generates shopping lists from your meal plan:

Features:

Ingredient Aggregation: Combines ingredients across all meals
Quantity Calculation: Totals amounts needed
Store Organization: Groups by section (produce, dairy, etc.)
Pantry Management: Removes items you already have
Mobile Sync: Access list on phone while shopping
Check-Off: Mark items as you shop

See Shopping Lists for details.

Data & Privacy

Where does nutrition data come from?

Primary Source: USDA FoodData Central

Over 300,000 foods
Comprehensive nutrient profiles
Gold standard for nutrition data
Regularly updated

Recipe Processing: We match recipe ingredients to USDA foods and calculate totals

Authority Guidelines: Nutrition targets from NASEM, NHMRC, EFSA, NNR

See Data Sources & Traceability for complete details.

Can I trace nutrition back to the source?

Yes! Complete transparency:

For Recipes:

View USDA FDC ID for each ingredient
Click through to official USDA entry
See cooking retention factors applied
Review quality and completeness scores

For Targets:

See which authority sets each target
Link to official authority publication
Understand how life stage affects values

See Data Traceability for how to trace data.

Is my data private?

Yes. Your data privacy:

Private by Default: Only you see your tracking data
No Selling: We never sell user data
Optional Sharing: Share only with those you choose (dietitian, family)
Export Anytime: Download all your data as CSV
Deletion: Delete account removes all personal data

See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Can I export my data?

Yes! You can export:

Daily Logs: All tracked meals and nutrients
Recipe History: Recipes you’ve cooked
Progress Tracking: Weight, measurements, achievements
Custom Data: Your custom recipes and targets

Format: CSV (opens in Excel, Google Sheets)

Go to Settings → Data Export → Choose date range and data type.

Medical & Health

Is Platebreaker medical advice?

No. Platebreaker is an educational and tracking tool, NOT medical advice or medical care.

What We Are:

Educational nutrition information
Tracking and planning tool
Based on public health guidelines
General population recommendations

What We Are NOT:

Medical advice
Diagnostic tool
Treatment platform
Substitute for healthcare providers

See Limitations & Disclaimers for complete information.

Can I use Platebreaker with medical conditions?

Yes, with precautions:

Consult Your Healthcare Provider First

Get personalized targets for your condition
Use Custom Targets to implement their recommendations
Share Platebreaker reports with your provider

Common Conditions We Support:

Diabetes (carb tracking and distribution)
Hypertension (sodium tracking)
Kidney disease (protein, phosphorus, potassium monitoring)
Cardiovascular disease (saturated fat, sodium, omega-3 tracking)
Anemia (iron, B12, folate focus)

Always Follow Medical Guidance: Platebreaker shows general targets; your provider’s recommendations override ours.

Should I take supplements?

Platebreaker Can Help You Decide:

Track food intake first
Identify consistent nutrient gaps (under 50% target for weeks)
Consider food sources first (whole foods preferred)
Supplements can fill specific gaps if diet can’t

When Supplements May Help:

Vitamin D (especially in winter, limited sun exposure)
B12 (for vegans and some elderly)
Iron (for menstruating women, diagnosed anemia)
Omega-3 (if not eating fatty fish regularly)

Consult Healthcare Provider:

Before starting any supplements
Especially if taking medications (interactions possible)
For dosing recommendations (upper limits matter)
To monitor effectiveness (bloodwork)

Remember: Food contains co-factors and fiber that supplements don’t. Supplements complement diet, don’t replace it.

Can Platebreaker help with weight loss?

Yes, but it’s a tool, not a weight loss program.

How Platebreaker Helps:

Accurate Tracking: See exactly what you’re eating
Calorie Targets: Set appropriate deficit (300-500 calories)
Nutrient Focus: Prevent deficiencies during restriction
Meal Planning: Prepare balanced meals in advance
High-Protein Recipes: Preserve muscle during weight loss
Progress Tracking: Monitor weight trends over time

What Platebreaker Doesn’t Do:

Prescribe specific diets (keto, paleo, etc.)
Guarantee weight loss results
Replace behavior change and adherence
Provide coaching or accountability

Best Practice: Use Platebreaker as one tool in a comprehensive approach including appropriate calorie deficit, regular exercise, and behavior changes.

Technical

Which devices can I use Platebreaker on?

Web App:

Desktop browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
Mobile browsers (responsive design)
Tablet browsers

Mobile App (coming soon):

iOS (iPhone, iPad)
Android

Syncing: All devices sync automatically when online.

Does Platebreaker work offline?

Web App: Requires internet connection

Mobile App (coming soon):

Log meals offline
View saved recipes offline
Sync when connection restored

How do I contact support?

Support Options:

Email: support@platebreaker.com
FAQ: This page
Documentation: Comprehensive guides throughout site
Community: (coming soon) User forums

Response Time: Within 24-48 hours for most inquiries

Can I use Platebreaker with ChatGPT or Claude?

Yes! You can use Platebreaker with AI assistants:

ChatGPT: Ask nutrition questions and get answers based on your Platebreaker data
Claude: Same capability - query your nutrition tracking and get personalized insights

See Using with ChatGPT and Using with Claude for setup instructions.

Troubleshooting

My targets seem wrong

Check These:

Demographics: Verify age, sex, height, weight are correct
Activity Level: Confirm activity level matches your actual activity
Life Stage: Ensure pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause are set correctly
Authority: Different authorities have different targets - try switching
Custom Overrides: Check if you accidentally set custom targets

Still Wrong? Contact support with your details for review.

Recipe nutrition seems inaccurate

Common Causes:

Portion Size: Verify serving size matches what you ate
Cooking Method: Different methods affect nutrition (we account for common methods)
Ingredient Variations: Natural variation (±20% normal)
Data Quality: Check recipe’s data quality score

Report Issues: If you find clearly wrong data, report it! We investigate and correct database errors.

I can’t find a recipe

Try These Search Tips:

Use Nutrient Terms: “high protein” instead of “lots of protein”
Simplify: “chicken dinner” instead of “grilled chicken breast dinner recipe”
Check Filters: Remove dietary filters to see more results
Browse Categories: Meal type or cuisine categories

Can’t Find Your Favorite? Request it! (Custom recipe creation guide coming soon)

The app is slow

Troubleshooting:

Clear Browser Cache: Old cached data can cause issues
Update Browser: Use latest browser version
Check Connection: Slow internet affects performance
Disable Extensions: Ad blockers or privacy extensions may interfere

Still Slow? Report to support with your browser and device details.

Account & Billing

How do I upgrade to Pro?

Go to Settings → Subscription → Upgrade to Pro

Choose monthly or annual billing. Annual saves ~20%.

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes! Cancel anytime from Settings → Subscription → Cancel

No cancellation fees
Access continues until end of billing period
Data remains accessible after cancellation (with free tier limits)

What happens if I cancel Pro?

You Keep:

All your tracking data
Your custom recipes
Your account

You Lose (after billing period ends):

Custom nutrition targets (revert to authority defaults)
Family profiles (primary profile remains)
Advanced analytics
Unlimited meal plans

You can re-subscribe anytime to regain Pro features.

Still Have Questions?

Can’t find your answer?

Contact us: support@platebreaker.com
Check our Documentation
Join our community (coming soon)

We’re here to help!