How do I save a meal from a food photo?
- Photograph the whole plate in good light or select a photo from your library. Add any known ingredients and quantities as a note.
- Let the AI estimate foods and portions. The result includes protein, calories and an estimated calorie range.
- Check what you actually ate. With an account, correct the meal in chat: only half, rice weighed cooked or sauce on the side.
- Save the reviewed meal to your daily log. The public test is optional; you can create a free account directly instead.
How accurate are calories from a picture?
A single accuracy percentage would be misleading. A clearly visible food is easier to identify than a casserole with hidden ingredients. Bowl size, camera angle and preparation can affect portion estimates.
ProteinLook therefore shows a range rather than presenting an exact measurement. That range is also an AI estimate, not a statistically validated confidence interval. A kitchen scale, nutrition label or known recipe is useful when precise quantities matter.
What details does AI need for oils, sauces and restaurant meals?
- Oil and butter: a picture often cannot show whether or how much was used. Add a known amount.
- Sauces and dressings: specify the type and whether you ate all of it. Similar-looking sauces can contain very different ingredients.
- Raw or cooked: for rice, pasta or meat, clarify which state a known weight refers to.
- Shared portions: indicate the fraction you personally ate. A full plate is not necessarily your consumed portion.
How do I correct a food photo analysis?
The analysis identifies chicken and rice, but you ate tofu. In the meal chat, write: Tofu instead of chicken, with 150 g cooked rice. The AI recalculates the estimate; review the revised result too.
If you have no photo, a written description also works. The more you know about ingredients, quantities and preparation, the less the model has to guess. Automatic recognition helps with data entry; it does not guarantee correct nutrition values.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI measure calories from a photo?
No. AI estimates foods and portions and infers calories from them. Hidden ingredients, oil and the exact recipe cannot reliably be determined from a picture.
Can I try photo analysis without signing up?
Yes. The getting-started page offers an optional photo or meal-description test without an account. You will be prompted to sign up for free for more photos, saving and tracking.
Is the displayed calorie range guaranteed?
No. The range is also a model estimate, not a guaranteed lower and upper bound. Check ingredients and quantities and supply missing information.
Do I need a kitchen scale every time?
Not to start with a photo. If you need more precise amounts, weighed portions and reliable nutrition labels provide a better basis than image estimation alone.
ProteinLook provides AI estimates, not nutritional or medical advice.