Identifying what is on a plate is the easy part. Estimating how much is where most calorie counts go wrong — a "chicken breast" can be 120g or 300g, and that's the difference between 200 and 500 calories. Here's how to make portion estimates far more reliable.
A meal photo has no inherent scale — the AI (or you) can't tell a small plate from a large one. Add a reference object and the estimate improves dramatically:
These aren't precise grams, but they're consistent — and consistency is what makes your daily totals trustworthy over time.
A photo taken straight down flattens depth, so a tall pile of rice looks the same as a thin layer. A 30–45° angle lets the AI judge height and gives a better volume estimate.
Oils, butter, dressings and sauces are calorie-dense and often can't be seen. If a dish was cooked in fat, add a note — it's the single biggest correction most people can make.
Nail the portion and the rest of the calculation takes care of itself. An AI calorie counter does the recognition and math; your job is just to give it a fair look at how much is really there.
Snap a meal and see your estimate ← More guides