> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/SmartEatAI/smart-eat-ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tracking Nutrition

> Monitor your daily nutrition intake and meal completion in SmartEat AI

SmartEat AI helps you track your nutrition by providing a complete weekly meal plan with detailed macronutrient information for each recipe. Tracking your meals ensures you stay on target with your fitness goals.

## Understanding Your Nutritional Targets

### Daily Targets

Based on your profile, SmartEat AI calculates personalized targets:

* **Calories**: Total daily energy intake
* **Protein**: Supports muscle maintenance and growth (in grams)
* **Carbohydrates**: Primary energy source (in grams)
* **Fat**: Essential for hormones and nutrient absorption (in grams)

<Note>
  Your targets are automatically recalculated whenever you update your profile with new measurements or goals.
</Note>

### Target Calculation Methods

**Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)**

* Uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation
* Factors: weight, height, age, and gender

**Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)**

* BMR × Activity Level Factor
* Activity factors: Low (1.2x), Medium (1.55x), High (1.725x)

**Goal Adjustments**

* **Lose Weight**: 80% of TDEE
* **Maintain Weight**: 100% of TDEE
* **Gain Weight**: 110% of TDEE + 150 calories

## Viewing Your Meal Plan

<Steps>
  ### Access Your Current Plan

  Ask the AI assistant:

  ```
  "Show my plan"
  "What's my menu for today?"
  "View my weekly meals"
  ```

  The assistant will display your complete 7-day plan with all meal details.

  ### Review Daily Nutrition

  For each day, you'll see:

  * **Meal schedule**: Numbered 1-6 based on your meals per day
  * **Recipe name**: What you're eating
  * **Calories**: Energy content (kcal)
  * **Macros**: Protein, carbs, and fat (in grams)
  * **Recipe links**: URLs to view preparation instructions and photos

  ### Check Weekly Summary

  Your plan summary includes:

  * **Plan status**: Active or inactive
  * **Duration**: Number of days (typically 7)
  * **Total meals**: Complete meal count for the week
  * **Plan ID**: Unique identifier for reference
</Steps>

## Tracking Meal Completion

### Meal Status System

Each meal has a status indicator:

* **Status 0 (Pending)**: Not yet consumed
* **Status 1 (Completed)**: Successfully consumed

<Tip>
  Marking meals as completed helps you visualize progress and stay accountable throughout the week.
</Tip>

### How to Mark Meals Complete

Currently, meal status is managed at the database level. Future updates will include:

* In-app meal completion tracking
* Daily progress visualization
* Weekly adherence statistics

## Understanding Recipe Nutrition

### Per-Meal Breakdown

Each recipe in your plan displays:

```
Grilled Chicken with Quinoa
- 520 kcal, 45g protein, 48g carbs, 15g fat
[View recipe](recipe_url)
```

**What this tells you:**

* **Total calories**: 520 kcal
* **Protein content**: 45g (supports muscle)
* **Carbohydrate content**: 48g (provides energy)
* **Fat content**: 15g (essential nutrients)

### Daily Accumulation

As you consume meals throughout the day:

1. **Track each meal's contribution**: Add calories and macros
2. **Compare to daily targets**: Ensure you're on track
3. **Adjust if needed**: Use AI to swap meals if necessary

<Note>
  Your plan is designed so that completing all scheduled meals brings you close to your daily targets.
</Note>

## Calorie Distribution Across Meals

### 3 Meals per Day

* **Breakfast**: \~30% of daily calories
* **Lunch**: \~40% of daily calories
* **Dinner**: \~30% of daily calories

### 4 Meals per Day

* **Breakfast**: \~25% of daily calories
* **Lunch**: \~30% of daily calories
* **Snack**: \~15% of daily calories
* **Dinner**: \~30% of daily calories

### 5-6 Meals per Day

* Smaller, more frequent meals
* Snacks provide 10% of daily calories
* Main meals adjusted accordingly

<Tip>
  More frequent meals can help maintain stable energy levels and reduce hunger between meals.
</Tip>

## Recipe Information Access

### Viewing Recipe Details

Each meal in your plan includes:

**Recipe Name**: Clear identification of the dish

**Nutritional Data**: Complete macro breakdown

**Recipe URL**: Link to detailed preparation instructions

**Image URL**: Visual reference for the dish

### Using Recipe Links

Click recipe links to:

* View ingredient lists
* See preparation instructions
* Check cooking time and difficulty
* View photos of the finished dish

<Warning>
  Recipe URLs link to external sources. Nutritional data has been pre-calculated and may vary slightly from source.
</Warning>

## Monitoring Weekly Progress

<Steps>
  ### Track Daily Adherence

  Each day:

  1. Review scheduled meals for the day
  2. Prepare or consume meals as planned
  3. Note any substitutions or adjustments
  4. Mark completed meals

  ### Assess Weekly Compliance

  At week's end:

  * Count completed meals vs. planned meals
  * Review total nutritional intake
  * Identify patterns or challenges
  * Adjust next week's plan accordingly

  ### Use AI Insights

  Ask the AI assistant:

  ```
  "How am I doing this week?"
  "Did I hit my protein target?"
  "Show my progress"
  ```
</Steps>

## Making Adjustments

### Swapping Individual Meals

If a scheduled meal doesn't work:

```
"Replace my lunch today"
"I don't like this dinner, suggest alternatives"
"Swap breakfast for something lower in carbs"
```

The AI will:

1. Understand which meal to replace
2. Find suitable alternatives from your recipe pool
3. Suggest options with similar nutritional values
4. Update your plan upon confirmation

<Tip>
  Swapping individual meals is more efficient than regenerating your entire plan.
</Tip>

### Adjusting Targets

If your nutritional targets need modification:

1. **Update your profile** with new measurements or goals
2. **Targets recalculate automatically**
3. **Generate a new plan** with updated requirements

## Nutrition Tracking Tips

### Stay Consistent

* Follow your plan as closely as possible
* Make adjustments through the AI rather than ad-hoc changes
* Track completion daily, not weekly

### Be Flexible

* Life happens—use the AI to adapt your plan
* Don't stress over perfect adherence
* One off-plan meal doesn't derail progress

### Monitor Trends

* Weekly averages matter more than daily perfection
* Look for patterns in your adherence
* Adjust your meals per day setting if current schedule doesn't fit

### Use the Data

* Notice which meals you complete most consistently
* Identify macros you consistently under/over-consume
* Request more of what works, less of what doesn't

<Note>
  The goal is sustainable progress, not perfection. Use tracking to inform improvements, not to create stress.
</Note>

## Common Tracking Scenarios

### Scenario: Ahead on Calories

**Problem**: You've consumed more calories than planned.

**Solutions**:

* Reduce portions in remaining meals
* Choose lower-calorie options from your plan
* Increase activity to balance excess intake
* Don't skip meals—this can disrupt metabolism

### Scenario: Behind on Protein

**Problem**: Not hitting protein targets.

**Solutions**:

* Ask AI for higher-protein meal swaps
* Add protein supplements between meals
* Update profile to prioritize high-protein diet type
* Generate new plan with adjusted focus

### Scenario: Inconsistent Meal Timing

**Problem**: Can't eat at scheduled times.

**Solutions**:

* Adjust your meals per day to match your schedule
* Use the AI to reorganize meal distribution
* Prepare meals in advance for busy days
* Consider reducing total meals for simplicity

## Integration with Goals

### Weight Loss

* Expect to see scale movement over 2-4 weeks
* Track energy levels alongside weight
* Ensure protein intake remains high
* Don't drop calories too aggressively

### Muscle Gain

* Monitor strength progress in addition to weight
* Ensure protein target is consistently met
* Expect gradual weight increase
* Adjust calories up if gains stall

### Weight Maintenance

* Weight should remain stable within 2-3 pounds
* Adjust if trending up or down consistently
* Focus on consistency over perfection
* Use as foundation for body recomposition

<Warning>
  If you're not seeing progress after 3-4 weeks of consistent tracking, update your profile measurements and regenerate your plan.
</Warning>

## Next Steps

* [Use the AI chat](/guide/using-chat) to optimize your meal plan
* [Generate a new plan](/guide/generating-plans) when ready for variety
* [Update your profile](/guide/creating-profile) as your measurements change

<Tip>
  Consistency beats perfection. Track your meals, make adjustments with AI, and stay patient with the process.
</Tip>