Your First Meal Calibration
Calibrate your first meal type by weighing it 3 times. Then single-tap forever. Takes ~90 seconds total.
Week 1-2: Calibration Phase
- Weigh 3 times: Each meal type needs 3 weigh-ins to learn your portion sizes (~30 sec per weigh-in)
- Total per meal type: ~90 seconds (3 × 30 sec = 90 sec)
- Then forever: Single-tap from predicted list (1 second average)
The Calibration Workflow
Eatomate uses Gaussian portion models: weigh the same meal type 3 times to learn your mean portion size and standard deviation. For example, if you weigh chicken breast 3 times (195g, 210g, 200g), the system calculates your average portion as 202g ± 8g. After calibration, the app predicts your top 10 likely meals at each meal time, and 90% of the time your meal is in that list—just tap it. The Gaussian portion is automatically applied, and reconciliation corrects it to ground truth when pantry items expire.
Step-by-Step: Calibration (Weigh #1-3)
Search for Your Meal
From the home screen, start a meal log and type what you're eating (e.g. "chicken breast"). The app matches across 2M+ barcodes, 50K+ recipes, and 100K+ aliases.
Select the Correct Match
The app shows the top few candidates. Select the correct one — this makes meal identity 100% accurate.
Calibration: Weigh #1 of 3
Selected:
Chicken Breast (Grilled)
Chosen from top matches
Next: weigh and enter grams.
Weigh and Enter Grams
Place your plate on a kitchen scale, tare/zero it, add the chicken, then enter the weight in grams (g). Repeat this process 2 more times over the next week or two.
Example Calibration Data:
- • Weigh #1: 195g
- • Weigh #2: 210g
- • Weigh #3: 200g
Result: System learns your portion = 202g ± 8g
Week 3+: Single-Tap Forever
After 3 weigh-ins, this meal appears in your predicted top 10 list. Just tap it (1 second). The 202g ± 8g portion is automatically applied. Reconciliation corrects to ground truth when pantry items expire.
What Happens Behind the Scenes?
The Three-Phase System
- Phase 1 (Week 1-2): Calibration — Weigh each meal type 3 times to learn Gaussian portion models (mean ± std dev).
- Phase 2 (Week 3+): Single-Tap Logging — 90% of meals appear in predicted top 10 list (1 second). 9% quick search (3 seconds). 1% weigh novel items (30 seconds).
- Phase 3 (Ongoing): Reconciliation — Mass conservation physics (consumed = purchased - remaining - waste) corrects Gaussian estimates to ground truth. Achieves ~95% accuracy by Week 4.
For best results, see Understanding Accuracy.
Understanding Calibration Accuracy
Week 1-2: Calibration Phase
Meal identity is 100% accurate from day 1 because you select the match. Nutrition accuracy during calibration depends on accurate weighing — with a scale it's typically within ±5-10%.
Common calibration mistakes to avoid:
- Wrong match selected — pick the closest option, especially for cooked vs raw variants
- Not taring the scale — plate/bowl weight accidentally included
- Unit mix-ups — entering ounces/millilitres instead of grams
- Inconsistent portions — try to eat similar portion sizes during calibration for better Gaussian modeling
After 3 weigh-ins, the system has learned your Gaussian portion model. Reconciliation then corrects these estimates to ~95% accuracy by Week 4 using mass conservation physics.
Accuracy Improvement Timeline
Next Steps
- 1.Add pantry items by scanning grocery receipts (5 seconds per receipt)
- 2.Calibrate 5-10 meal types over the next 1-2 weeks (weigh each one 3 times)
- 3.Start single-tap logging in Week 3+ (1.5 seconds average per meal)
- 4.Read Understanding Accuracy to learn how reconciliation achieves ~95% accuracy by Week 4
Learn more in How It Works.