Understand your meals. Improve your health. One score at a time.

What if you could get instant feedback on the nutritional quality of your meals? That’s exactly what the Strove Nutrition Index (SNI) is for. Whether you’re working on improving energy, managing weight, or simply eating better, the SNI offers an easy-to-understand meal score that gives you actionable feedback, without counting every calorie.

What is the Strove Nutrition Index?

The SNI is a simple 0 to 10 dietary quality scoring system that assesses your meal quality based on key markers of health. It rewards whole, balanced meals that support energy, appetite control, and long-term health. The higher the score, the more nutritionally balanced the meal.

After you log a meal via your phone camera, the system reviews the meal’s key nutrients and ingredients to generate a score, alongside tailored feedback on what’s great and where you could improve.

How is my score calculated?

Each meal can score a maximum of 10 points, based on the following criteria:

• Protein content - Meals with sufficient protein to support healthy muscles and bones while keeping you fuller for longer.
• Fibre content - Fibre is essential to support gut health and regulate appetite
• Fruits & vegetables - You’ll score 1 point for 1 source and 2 points for 2 or more, so load up!
• Healthy fat profile - Meals that are not too high in total fat but contain some healthy unsaturated fats score best.
• Energy density - Foods with high fat and sugar content have high energy density. Aim for whole foods that pack less calories per gram.
• Sugar content - Meals low in total sugars score a point.
• Saturated fat content - This one is linked to heart disease. Try to limit it as much as possible.
• Sodium content - Limit high sodium foods and added salt to support blood pressure and heart health.
• Highly-processed food score (HPF) - Highly processed foods are nutritionally poor. Aim to cut them out to maximise your score. 

Why does the SNI matter?

Many nutrition apps focus solely on calories, but not all calories are equal. The SNI focuses on quality and quantity. It’s grounded in global evidence on what reduces the risk of chronic disease and supports mental and physical wellbeing.

Here’s how using the SNI can help you:

🧠 Smarter food decisions: Quickly learn what’s in your food and how it stacks up

🍎 Better dietary balance: Spot missing nutrients like fibre or protein and learn how to fill the gaps

💪 Support your goals: Meals that score well keep you fuller, fuel your day better, and support your long-term health

📈 Track your progress: See how your meals improve over time—and celebrate the small wins

 

Our four pillars of a great meal

When you receive your meal evaluation, you’ll see focused feedback on four key nutrients that make a meaningful difference to your health: protein, fibre, fruit and vegetables, and healthy fats. These are the foundation of balanced meals that keep you full, energised, and satisfied. By helping you consistently include these components in your meals, we support better appetite regulation, improved digestion, reduced disease risk, and a stronger, more resilient body. Watch for these markers in your feedback—and use them to build meals that work harder for you.

How to maximise your SNI score

Here are a few tips to help your meals consistently hit the high marks

• Include a source of lean protein: Think eggs, fish, legumes, poultry, lean meats, or yoghurt
• Add colour to your plate: Aim for 2 or more different fruit or vegetables
• Choose high-fibre carbs: Like oats, brown rice, wholegrain bread, beans, lentils or sweet potato
• Cook with healthy fats: Such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocado, or oily fish
• Keep it fresh: Limit takeout, ready meals, and packaged snacks where possible
• Watch salt and sugar: Reduce sauces, processed meats, sweetened drinks and hidden sugars

Snacks and the SNI

Some snacks may not score a perfect 10, and that’s OK. Not every snack needs to be perfectly balanced. Instead, use the SNI to learn where snacks can offer more (like protein or fibre), and which ones are better for occasional enjoyment.

Tips for the best pics:

The intelligence behind each meal photo can be best served with your tasty treats by taking a few points into consideration. If you would struggle to make out the ingredients, so might our AI. For optimal results:

Capture a photo of the food you plan to eat, centering on the contents of your plate.

Ensure the meal occupies the majority of the image for better recognition.

Take off any packaging or utensils before snapping the photo.

If your meal is going to become a soup, stew or smoothie, try taking a pic of the ingredients before they come together.

Keep the background clutter-free; include only your plate or glass without additional items.

Use natural or bright lighting to clearly capture details of the food.

Adjust the angle to minimize items obscuring each other and at a slight angle for the best perspective.

Avoid using filters or enhancements that might alter the food’s appearance.

Final thoughts

The Strove Nutrition Index doesn’t judge, it guides. It’s a practical tool to help you build better meals and feel more confident about your food choices. Whether your goal is to boost energy, manage health conditions, or simply eat a little better, the SNI helps you take the guesswork out of nutrition—one meal at a time.

We harness AI to power your nutrition insights, if you think your score is off, tap the button to let us know; we're always working to improve.