Calorie API

Name: Calorie API
Author: iyana busybody

Under review

Food search and macro data from a JSON REST API

Built for fitness, meal-tracking, and dietitian apps: search 4M+ foods, scan UPC/EAN barcodes, and get structured nutrient data with serving metadata.

Built by iyana busybody · API · Freemium

Coming soon on Launch Llama Tools

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iyana busybody (Joined Oct 2026)

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Built for fitness, meal-tracking, and dietitian apps: search 4M+ foods, scan UPC/EAN barcodes, and get structured nutrient data with serving metadata.

About

Requests authenticate with an X-API-Key header and return predictable JSON, with OpenAPI docs and a public playground for testing before signup. Search runs on indexed Postgres with Redis caching for low-latency responses. If a barcode is missing from the local catalog, the API falls back to Open Food Facts, and a miss returns HTTP 404 so the app can offer manual search.

Key Features

Search 4M+ foods with multi-word matching and verified-food filters
Look up UPC and EAN barcodes with an Open Food Facts fallback
Return macros per 100g, full nutrient arrays, and serving metadata
Power typeahead food pickers with the autocomplete suggest endpoint
Authenticate with X-API-Key headers and track usage per endpoint

Use Cases

Logging meals in a calorie counter by searching foods and saving macros per 100g
Scanning packaged-food barcodes to add items to a meal log
Building typeahead food pickers that fetch full nutrition data after a user selects an item

Who it is for

Developers building meal tracking and macro logging features in health and fitness apps
Teams building meal planners, dietitian software, or wellness coaching products
Grocery and retail teams adding product scanning with nutrition data

Pricing

A free tier includes 1,000 API calls per month with no credit card required. Paid plans are listed on the pricing page.

FAQ

What is Calorie API?

Calorie API is a REST API for nutrition and food data: search, autocomplete, barcode lookup, and macro nutrients per 100g. It is designed for health, fitness, and meal-tracking applications.

How do I authenticate requests?

Send your API key in the X-API-Key header, or use a JWT from the developer dashboard after signing in. Public demo search on the homepage is IP-rate-limited and does not require a key.

What happens when a barcode is not found?

Barcode lookup checks the local food database first and automatically falls back to Open Food Facts. If neither source has the product, the API returns HTTP 404 with a "Food not found for barcode" message. Handle this by offering manual food search in your app.

How does the autocomplete suggest endpoint work?

GET /api/v1/search/suggest?q={prefix} returns lightweight results (id, name, brand_name) for typeahead UIs, up to 20 items per request. Debounce keystrokes in your client and fetch full nutrition data with the food details endpoint after selection.

How many foods are in the database?

The food database covers 4M+ foods spanning generic foods, branded products, and restaurant items, with barcode lookup extending coverage through Open Food Facts.

Is there a free tier for development?

Yes. The Free plan includes a monthly request quota intended for development, prototyping, and personal projects. Create an account, generate an API key, and start making requests.