Food groups
What the food groups card shows, how it works, and where the daily targets come from.
Each recipe has a food groups card that shows how much of your recommended daily intake one serving covers. Each ring fills to the percentage of your daily target for that group — so 50 means one serving gives you half of what you need in a day.
You can choose which dietary model to follow. Tap Personalize on the card to switch between the Australian Healthy Eating Pyramid, USDA MyPlate, or the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030. Your choice saves automatically and applies to every recipe.
How ingredients are classified
Recipes matches each ingredient to a food group — vegetables, fruit, grains, protein, or dairy. Common whole ingredients like chicken breast, rice, and spinach match accurately. Less common or pre-made ingredients (like a store-bought sauce) are estimated based on what they're most similar to.
How portions are estimated
Recipes reads the quantity and unit from each ingredient to estimate weight in grams. Metric weights (g, kg) are exact. Volume measures (cups, tablespoons) and counts ("1 onion", "2 eggs") use standard cooking conversions. The card divides the totals by the number of servings so you see a per-serving breakdown.
Australian Healthy Eating Pyramid
Published by Nutrition Australia, based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines from the National Health and Medical Research Council. Daily targets for adults 19–50:
- Vegetables & fruit — 5 serves of vegetables (75 g each) + 2 serves of fruit (150 g each) = 675 g a day
- Grains — 6 serves (average 70 g each) = 420 g a day
- Protein — 2.5 serves of lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, or legumes (average 100 g each) = 250 g a day
- Dairy — 2.5 serves of milk, yoghurt, or cheese (average 200 g each) = 500 g a day
MyPlate
Published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Daily targets for a 2,000-calorie pattern:
- Vegetables — 2.5 cups (average 150 g per cup) = 375 g a day
- Fruits — 2 cups (average 150 g per cup) = 300 g a day
- Grains — 6 oz-equivalents (average 50 g each) = 300 g a day
- Protein — 5.5 oz-equivalents (average 30 g each) = 165 g a day
- Dairy — 3 cup-equivalents (average 200 g each) = 600 g a day
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030
Published by the USDA and HHS in January 2026. Groups food into three broad categories with an emphasis on whole foods and higher protein. Daily targets for a 2,000-calorie pattern:
- Protein, dairy & healthy fats — 3 serves of protein (average 100 g) + 3 serves of dairy (average 200 g) = 900 g a day
- Vegetables & fruit — 3 serves of vegetables + 2 serves of fruit (average 150 g each) = 750 g a day
- Whole grains — 3 serves (average 70 g each) = 210 g a day
Sources
- Australian Dietary Guidelines — eatforhealth.gov.au
- Nutrition Australia Healthy Eating Pyramid — nutritionaustralia.org
- USDA MyPlate — myplate.gov
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030 — realfood.gov