MyPlate.food nutrition tools

USDA nutrition calculators + the preserved MyPlate Kitchen recipes; source-cited, machine-verified.

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What it can do

    What data it sees

    Do you need an account

    No: the server works without sign-in

    USDA nutrition calculators + the preserved MyPlate Kitchen recipes; source-cited, machine-verified.

    How to connect

    How to connect MyPlate.food nutrition tools to Claude

    The server address to paste into Claude settings:

    https://mcp.myplate.food/mcp

    1. Open Claude (claude.ai or the desktop app).
    2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
    3. Click Add custom connector.
    4. Paste the server address copied below into Remote MCP server URL and click Add.
    5. In a chat, click + → Connectors and switch the new connector on.

    Custom connectors are available on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans (Free is limited to one). On Team and Enterprise an organization Owner adds the connector first under Organization settings → Connectors.

    Authorization

    After you click Add, a sign-in window for the service opens. Sign in with your own account and approve access. Claude never sees your password.

    How to connect MyPlate.food nutrition tools to ChatGPT

    The server address to paste into ChatGPT settings:

    https://mcp.myplate.food/mcp

    1. Open ChatGPT in a browser (chatgpt.com). A Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise or Edu plan is required.
    2. Turn on developer mode once: Settings → Apps → Advanced settings → Developer mode.
    3. Open Settings → Connectors and click Create.
    4. Fill in the form: Name (anything), Description (one line about what the service does), MCP server URL (copy it below).
    5. Under Authentication choose OAuth if the service requires sign-in, otherwise None. Click Create.
    6. In a new chat open + → Apps/Connectors and enable the connector.

    OpenAI has renamed this section before (Connectors → Apps/Plugins). If the label differs, search settings for "developer mode". On Business/Enterprise workspaces an admin must allow custom connectors first.

    Authorization

    On first use ChatGPT opens the service's sign-in window. Sign in and approve access.

    How to connect MyPlate.food nutrition tools to Cursor

    The server address to paste into Cursor settings:

    https://mcp.myplate.food/mcp

    Fastest: click Open in Cursor below and confirm the prompt.

    Manually:

    1. In Cursor open Settings → Cursor Settings → MCP and click Add new global MCP server.
    2. Paste the JSON copied below into ~/.cursor/mcp.json (per project: .cursor/mcp.json in the repo root).
    3. Save the file. The server appears in the MCP list; authorize it there if asked.

    Authorization

    If the service needs sign-in, an authorize button appears next to the server in the MCP list.

    Server tool list (16)

    Raw names from tools/list. Only developers need these.

    calculate_bmiCompute Body Mass Index and its weight classification from height and weight alone. Adults use the WHO cutoffs (underweight / normal / overweight / obese); for ages 2–19 pass age + sex and it uses the CDC BMI-for-age percentiles instead. Returns a canonical myplate.food URL and source citation.
    calculate_body_fatEstimate body-fat % using the U.S. Navy circumference method, with a Deurenberg BMI-based cross-check and ACE category. Needs sex, age, height, weight and tape measurements of neck and waist (plus hip for women).
    calculate_body_metricRun one of myplate.food's quick body-composition & fitness calculators and get its value plus the healthy band. Pick `metric` and pass that metric's fields: • waist-to-height — waist, height • waist-to-hip — waist, hip, sex • lean-body-mass — weight, height, sex • ffmi — weight, height, body_fat, sex • water-intake — weight (+ optional activity: sedentary|moderate|active) • weight-loss-percentage — start_weight, current_weight • one-rep-max — weight, reps Lengths and weights follow `unit` (metric = cm/kg, imperial = in/lb; default metric).
    calculate_myplate_planEstimate daily calorie needs (IOM Estimated Energy Requirement) and return the USDA MyPlate food-group plan at that level — cups of fruit/vegetables/dairy, ounce-equivalents of grains/protein, plus weekly vegetable & protein subgroup targets and BMI. From age, sex, height, weight and activity (pregnancy/lactation optional).
    calculate_calorie_needsUse this when you want the whole energy picture in one call. Returns resting metabolic rate (Mifflin-St Jeor) and revised Harris-Benedict, total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) at every activity level, three weight-loss deficit tiers, macronutrient splits, protein targets and healthy-weight ranges. This is a superset of calculate_tdee, calculate_calorie_deficit, calculate_macros, calculate_protein_target, calculate_bmr and calculate_ideal_weight — reach for those only when you need a single number. Same profile inputs as the MyPlate plan.
    calculate_bmrCompute basal/resting metabolic rate — the calories your body burns at rest. Returns the headline Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) value plus the revised Harris-Benedict (Roza & Shizgal 1984) estimate for comparison. Needs age, sex, height and weight.
    calculate_tdeeUse this when you need maintenance calories — the total daily energy expenditure. Mifflin-St Jeor resting metabolic rate scaled by a physical-activity multiplier; returns the TDEE at the given activity level plus a table across all four levels (sedentary → very-active). Needs age, sex, height, weight and activity. For deficits, macros and protein alongside it, use calculate_calorie_needs instead.
    calculate_calorie_deficitUse this when someone wants a weight-loss calorie target. Returns maintenance calories (TDEE) and three deficit tiers — mild (−250), standard (−500) and aggressive (−750 kcal/day) — each with the realistic weekly rate it buys, and a flag when a target dips below BMR. Needs age, sex, height, weight and activity.
    calculate_macrosSplit a daily calorie budget into protein, carbohydrate and fat grams across three presets (balanced, higher-protein, lower-carb), within the IOM acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges (protein 10–35%, carbs 45–65%, fat 20–35%). Pass `calories` directly, or a body profile (age, sex, height, weight, activity) to derive TDEE first.
    calculate_protein_targetDaily protein target in grams from body weight and activity level: the IOM RDA floor (0.8 g/kg) and an activity-scaled range up to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics / Dietitians of Canada / ACSM (2016) 1.2–2.0 g/kg athlete range. Needs age, sex, height, weight and activity.
    calculate_ideal_weightEstimate ideal body weight from height and sex via four classic clinical formulas (Devine 1974, Robinson 1983, Miller 1983, Hamwi 1964), plus the healthy-BMI (18.5–24.9) weight band and current BMI for context. Needs age, sex, height, weight.
    calculate_glp1_proteinProtein target to preserve muscle during weight loss on a GLP-1 medication (Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, Mounjaro): the 1.2–1.6 g/kg preservation range vs the 0.8 g/kg IOM RDA, a per-meal spread, and the DRI fiber Adequate Intake for age + sex. Needs weight, age and sex.
    calculate_dach_energyDaily energy requirement for the German/Austrian/Swiss (D-A-CH) DGE framework: resting energy via the Müller et al. (2004) equation the DGE uses, scaled by a PAL activity factor. Returns resting energy, the requirement at the chosen PAL, and a table at PAL 1.4 / 1.6 / 1.8. Needs sex, age and weight. Adults only — the DGE derives this equation for adults and publishes table reference values for children and adolescents instead.
    calculate_driReturn the full Dietary Reference Intakes table for a life stage — recommended intakes and tolerable upper limits for macronutrients, vitamins and minerals (IOM 2005/2006/2011, NASEM 2019), plus the Estimated Energy Requirement and BMI. Needs age, sex, height, weight (pregnancy/lactation optional; edition iom2005 | nasem2023).
    search_recipesSearch the ~1,072-recipe USDA MyPlate Kitchen collection (public domain). Filter by free-text query, food group, dish category, max calories and minimum rating. Returns recipe cards with slug, calories, food groups, image and links. Use get_recipe with a slug for the full recipe.
    get_recipeFetch one recipe by its slug: ingredients, directions, full USDA nutrition table, MyPlate food-group amounts, serving size, yield, rating, image and source attribution. Get slugs from search_recipes.