Frequently Asked Questions

What's the pricing?

The base version is totally free. It includes the full meal planning algorithm and everything you need to eat healthy. Premium is $7.99/mo and unlocks convenience features including detailed nutrient breakdowns, automatically generated shopping lists, a calorie control system, build your own functionality, unlimited meal plans, and greater meal plan customization options. We believe strongly that the core of the algorithm should always be free - premium subscribers enable us to continue offering a free version as a public service - something we feel is essential to our mission to accelerate the adoption of healthy diets, reduce the healthcare burden, and improve ecological sustainability.

Are you/Scientific Meal Planner associated in any way with NutritionFacts.org?

No

Why should I trust your information? Somebody else on the internet says otherwise?

The meal planning algorithm is based on information presented on nutritionfacts.org. This is a non-profit organization that spends its time reading scientific papers about nutrition and presenting them to the public. They are a non-profit with no motive to misrepresent the information. Contrast this with the various fad doctors / diets making dubious claims with no scientific backing and making a killing hawking their wares. That being said, you have to make up your own mind about whether it's a trustworthy source. In my view, there really isn't a more reliable source of nutrition information out there. I provide citations throughout the application and strive for absolute transparency. Check out the nutritionfacts introductory videos if you need convincing about a whole food plant based diet's proven benefits.

Wait, what's the problem with meat exactly?

The World Health Organization has classified processed meat as a group 1 carcinogen - meaning it causes cancer (others in this category include alcohol, tobacco, & asbestos). Red meat (including all mammalian muscle meat - beef/pork/etc) is classified as group 2A - which means it probably causes cancer. Harvard's meat and mortality studies show that red meat makes you live a shorter life, more likely to die of cancer, more likely to die of heart disease, and just more likely to die in general. Also animal fat intake is linked to dementia risk. Learn more about the issues with meat here.

How will I get enough protein eating plant based?

There has been a lot of unjustified emphasis on protein in popular culture. The reality of the situation is 97% of Americans get plenty of protein, including vegetarians/vegans. Meanwhile, 97% of Americans don't get enough fiber, a problem that goes away when eating sufficiently plant based.

How do I build my own meal plan?

You can build your meal plan by first generating one and then replacing each recipe with whatever you'd like. This way you can construct a meal plan and see how it scores in terms of calories, daily dozen percentage, etc.