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DATA & METHODOLOGY

Our Data Sources & Science

Pl3nish is built on three of the most authoritative nutrition and food science databases available. Here is exactly where our data comes from, what it covers, and how we use it to calculate your nutrition.

Recipe Nutrition

USDA FoodData Central

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The United States Department of Agriculture's FoodData Central (FDC) is the gold standard for food composition data in the US. Every recipe in the Pl3nish library is enriched with nutrient values drawn directly from FDC — covering calories, macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat), and over 30 micronutrients including vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

  • ✓Over 600,000 food items with laboratory-verified nutrient data
  • ✓Foundation Foods and SR Legacy data sets used for ingredient matching
  • ✓Per-serving calculations based on actual ingredient quantities in each recipe
  • ✓Data updated as USDA releases new releases and corrections
Real-Time Lookups

Nutritionix

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Nutritionix powers the world's largest verified nutrition database, covering over 900 restaurant chains and more than 1,000,000 branded and common foods. Pl3nish uses the Nutritionix API for real-time food queries — when you log a meal from a restaurant, scan a barcode, or search for a branded product, Nutritionix provides the nutritional data instantly.

  • ✓900+ restaurant chains with verified menu nutrition data
  • ✓1,000,000+ branded food items from manufacturer labels
  • ✓Natural language food parsing ("a bowl of oatmeal with banana")
  • ✓Continuously updated as restaurants and brands update their menus
Polyphenol Data

FooDB

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FooDB (foodb.ca) is the world's most comprehensive resource on food constituents, chemistry, and biology — maintained by the Wishart Research Group at the University of Alberta. Pl3nish uses FooDB v1.0 data to power our polyphenol and phytonutrient tracking, which is the feature that sets us apart from every other nutrition app on the market.

  • ✓Over 70,000 chemical compounds across 1,000+ food items
  • ✓Tracks flavonoids, anthocyanins, isoflavones, lignans, and more
  • ✓Data sourced from peer-reviewed scientific literature
  • ✓Attribution required per FooDB licensing: Polyphenol data: FooDB v1.0 (2020-04-07) — foodb.ca

How Pl3nish Calculates Your Nutrition

01
Ingredient Matching
Each recipe ingredient is parsed and matched to its canonical entry in USDA FoodData Central using our ingredient matching pipeline.
02
Per-Serving Calculation
Nutrient values are scaled to the actual quantity used in the recipe, then divided by the number of servings — giving you precise per-serving nutrition, not estimates.
03
Polyphenol Enrichment
Matched ingredients are cross-referenced against FooDB compound data to add flavonoids, anthocyanins, and other phytonutrients to the nutrition panel.
04
Real-Time Lookups
For foods not in our recipe library — restaurant meals, branded products, fresh produce by weight — Nutritionix provides instant, verified nutrition data.

Data Disclaimer: Nutrition values in Pl3nish are calculated from third-party databases and are provided for general informational purposes only. Actual nutrient content may vary based on ingredient brand, preparation method, and natural food variation. Pl3nish is not a medical tool and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or manage any health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical nutrition advice.

Attribution: Recipe nutrition data sourced from USDA FoodData Central (public domain). Polyphenol data: FooDB v1.0 (2020-04-07) — foodb.ca. Real-time food data powered by Nutritionix by Syndigo.

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