EEINA's method

Where do your meal's numbers come from?

Every value starts with an ingredient and its amount, is matched to reference nutrition data, then divided per serving. And whatever is an estimate, we show as an estimate.

Follow one full example Review the sources
The number's path Mujaddara with lentils and bulgur
  1. The ingredient as written
    Brown lentils, 1.5 cups
  2. A weight we can calculate with
    300 g dry
  3. Matched to a reference record
    Dry lentils, per 100 g
    Source: USDA
  4. Value for one serving
    260 kcal
    after summing every ingredient and dividing by 5 servings
An estimated value, not a lab measurement

Three principles govern how we calculate.

A clear source

We show where a value came from, or the method used to estimate it.

The serving is the basis

The result changes when the ingredients, the amounts, or the number of servings change.

Estimates do not hide

We distinguish a calculated value, an estimated value, and data the user supplies.

From ingredient to serving

Follow the number step by step.

Take mujaddara with lentils and bulgur as the example, and follow its number from the written amount to the per-serving value.

The real ingredients of mujaddara with lentils and bulgur photographed from above: brown lentils, coarse bulgur, onion, olive oil, cumin, salt and black pepper, each in its own bowl
The per-serving values are calculated from these ingredients.
  • Brown lentils
  • Coarse bulgur
  • Onion
  • Olive oil
  • Cumin
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  1. The amount as written
    In the recipe: 1.5 cups of brown lentils, alongside bulgur, onion and olive oil.
  2. Converting it to a weight
    Cups, spoons and pieces become a weight in grams; here, 300 g of dry lentils. That conversion stays an estimate unless the weight is entered directly.
  3. Matching it to a reference record
    Every ingredient has a record of its values per 100 g. For dry lentils, for example: 352 kcal, 63 g carbohydrate, 25 g protein, 11 g fibre.
  4. Calculating the amount actually used
    An ingredient's value is its per-100 g value multiplied by its weight divided by one hundred. value = per-100g × (grams ÷ 100)
  5. Summing the ingredients and dividing by servings
    The values of all ingredients are added, then divided by the number of servings (5) to give the value of one serving.

The result changes when the product, the amount or the preparation changes; that is why we present it as a nutritional estimate, not a lab measurement of the finished dish.

Degree of certainty

Not every number is of the same kind.

Some values are derived directly from the amount and the reference record; others depend on conversions or on data the user adds. Making that difference visible is part of the method.

Calculated

Calculated from the ingredients

Calories, protein, carbohydrate and fat, from the recorded amount and the source values.

Estimated

Estimated where needed

Converting household measures to weight, and some glycemic values and preparation effects, where no direct measurement exists.

Your data

Depends on your data

Your daily need changes with age, height, weight, activity and goal, and remains an estimate you can update.

How do we arrive at your daily need?

EEINA estimates your baseline need with an equation suited to the data available, then accounts for your activity and your goal. If your data changes, update it and the calculation is redone.

This is an estimated result, and it is not a medical diagnosis.

Technical detail

EEINA uses the Mifflin–St Jeor equation to estimate basal metabolic rate when weight, height and age are available, then applies an activity factor to reach the daily need.

It is a common estimation equation, not a precise measurement; actual needs differ from person to person. That is why we present the result as a target you can update whenever your data changes, not as a final number.

How do we handle Glycemic Index and Load?

We show a value when data we can attribute is available, and we mark the estimate when a meal's value is derived from its ingredients. We do not present the result as a medical prediction of your blood-sugar response.

How are the two values calculated?
  • An ingredient's Glycemic Index may be available or estimated, and for some foods it is unavailable, so no number is shown.
  • A meal's index is calculated as an average of its ingredients weighted by net carbohydrate, and it is an estimate for the mixed dish, not a lab measurement of it.
  • Glycemic Load is calculated from the net carbohydrate in the serving multiplied by the index, then divided by one hundred.
  • The difference: the index describes how fast the rise is, the load describes how large it is for the whole serving.
  • Applying ingredient indices to a cooked, mixed meal remains an estimate, not a measurement of the dish itself.

An allergen alert, not a guarantee against exposure.

We surface the known allergens in a recipe's ingredients according to the Saudi classification, but we cannot verify accidental cross-contact or differences between production lines. Check the product label if you have an allergy.

The Saudi allergen classification (14 categories)
  • 1 Cereals containing gluten
  • 2 Crustaceans and their products
  • 3 Eggs and their products
  • 4 Fish and their products
  • 5 Peanuts and their products
  • 6 Soybeans and their products
  • 7 Milk and its products
  • 8 Tree nuts and their products
  • 9 Celery and its products
  • 10 Mustard and its products
  • 11 Sesame and its products
  • 12 Sulphur dioxide and sulphites
  • 13 Lupin and its products
  • 14 Molluscs and their products

This alert does not reveal accidental cross-contact between products in a factory or a kitchen. Source: the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA).

References

The sources the calculations rely on.

We list only what the calculations actually rely on, and for each source we show its role, its edition and when we last reviewed it.

Food composition data
USDA FoodData Central Primary source
Food composition records and their nutrition values per 100 g.
U.S. Department of AgricultureLast reviewed: 2026/07
Official site
Estimation when no record exists Supporting reference
When no reference record exists for an ingredient, we present its value as a clear estimate, not as a final number.
Shown under the estimated category
Glycemic references
International Tables of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load Values (2021) Primary source
The standard reference for the Glycemic Index and Load values used in attribution.
Atkinson et al., Am J Clin Nutr2021 · PMID 34258626
PubMed
Energy equations and daily targets
Mifflin–St Jeor Equation Primary source
Estimates basal metabolic rate (BMR) from weight, height and age — a common estimation equation, not a precise measurement.
Am J Clin Nutr, 1990
Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) Primary source
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR) and reference intakes for micronutrients by sex.
National Academies
Reference
Saudi standards
Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) Primary source
The allergen classification (14 categories) and the Saudi nutrition-label standards.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Allergen guide

Review and limits

Who reviews the method?

Content editing and review: the EEINA team
Last reviewed: July 2026. Scope of review: the wording of the method and its consistency with how the product calculates.

Change log

  • 2026/07 Rebuilt the page around one complete traced example, and corrected the sources and the allergen categories to 14.

Limits you should know.

  • Food values differ by brand, by preparation and by the amount entered.
  • Converting household measures to weight remains an estimate.
  • A mixed meal's index may be estimated rather than measured in a lab.
  • The allergen alert does not reveal accidental cross-contact between products.
  • EEINA offers nutrition guidance and education, not medical diagnosis or treatment.
Everything on EEINA is educational, and it does not replace consulting your own doctor. For any health decision specific to your case, see your physician or a licensed dietitian.

Try the calculation on your own meal.

Start with a single meal, and review its ingredients and amounts before you save it.

Start by logging your meal