How does the AI recognize food?

Our AI uses advanced computer vision trained on millions of food images. It can identify individual ingredients, portion sizes, and even complex dishes from restaurants worldwide.

Absolutely. Your food photos are processed securely and never shared. We use end-to-end encryption and comply with GDPR and CCPA regulations.

How accurate is the calorie tracking?

Our AI achieves 98% accuracy on standard meals, verified by certified nutritionists. For complex or unusual dishes, accuracy is still above 90%.

Can I use it for specific diets?

Yes! Caloria supports keto, vegan, paleo, Mediterranean, and many other dietary patterns. You can set custom macro targets to match any diet plan.

What's included in Premium?

Premium gives you unlimited meal scans, detailed macro tracking, personalized insights, weekly nutrition reports, priority AI processing, and data export capabilities.

Which devices are supported?

Caloria is available on iOS (iPhone and iPad). Android support is coming soon. Your data syncs seamlessly across all your Apple devices.

What is the thermic effect of food?

The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy your body expends to digest, absorb, and metabolize food. It typically accounts for 5-15% of total daily energy expenditure, depending on diet composition.

Which macronutrient has the highest thermic effect?

Protein has the highest thermic effect at 20-30% of its calorie content. Carbohydrates burn 5-10%, and fat only 0-3%, making protein the most metabolically costly macronutrient to process.

Does the thermic effect of food help with weight loss?

Yes, modestly. High-protein diets can increase TEF enough to burn an extra 80-100 calories per day compared to low-protein diets. Over time, this adds up — but TEF works best as one part of a broader strategy.

What foods have the highest thermic effect?

Protein-rich foods (chicken, fish, eggs, legumes) have the highest TEF. Whole grains and high-fiber vegetables also have significantly higher TEF than their processed counterparts. Spices like ginger and chili provide a small additional boost.

Does the thermic effect of food decrease with age?

Research from the Mayo Clinic found that TEF is approximately 1% lower in older adults, with peak thermogenesis at 0.23 versus 0.30 kcal/min in younger adults — one of several reasons metabolic rate tends to slow with age.

Thermic Effect of Food: How Much Calories Count

The thermic effect of food is the energy your body uses to digest and absorb every meal. Learn which foods burn the most calories just through digestion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the thermic effect of food?: The thermic effect of food (TEF) is the energy your body expends to digest, absorb, and metabolize food. It typically accounts for 5-15% of total daily energy expenditure, depending on diet composition.
Which macronutrient has the highest thermic effect?: Protein has the highest thermic effect at 20-30% of its calorie content. Carbohydrates burn 5-10%, and fat only 0-3%, making protein the most metabolically costly macronutrient to process.
Does the thermic effect of food help with weight loss?: Yes, modestly. High-protein diets can increase TEF enough to burn an extra 80-100 calories per day compared to low-protein diets. Over time, this adds up — but TEF works best as one part of a broader strategy.
What foods have the highest thermic effect?: Protein-rich foods (chicken, fish, eggs, legumes) have the highest TEF. Whole grains and high-fiber vegetables also have significantly higher TEF than their processed counterparts. Spices like ginger and chili provide a small additional boost.
Does the thermic effect of food decrease with age?: Research from the Mayo Clinic found that TEF is approximately 1% lower in older adults, with peak thermogenesis at 0.23 versus 0.30 kcal/min in younger adults — one of several reasons metabolic rate tends to slow with age.