Wherever you see food in VitalPlate — a recipe card, a planned meal, a product you check — it carries a score measured against your health profile. The score is a simple traffic light so you can decide at a glance.
The three tiers
| Tier | Color | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Good fit | 🟢 Green | Nothing on this food conflicts with your plan. |
| Caution | 🟡 Yellow | Something is worth a look — usually a nutrient that’s a little high, or a milder concern. |
| Avoid | 🔴 Red | Something here clearly conflicts with your plan. |
A food is Good fit only when nothing at all is flagged. If anything is flagged, it drops to Caution or Avoid depending on how serious that flag is. See Why a food gets flagged for what triggers each one.
Scores are decision support, not medical advice. They reflect the plan you set up — they don’t replace guidance from your doctor or dietitian.
Where you’ll see scores
- On every recipe card and recipe page.
- On each meal in your plan — a planned meal is scored as a whole. See How a whole meal is scored.
- When you check a packaged product, or scan a restaurant menu with the Menu scanner.
- On Instacart, through the Shopping Buddy companion.
A score is only as good as the food’s data. If we couldn’t verify a food, it won’t be rated Good fit — see When we couldn’t verify a food.