Learning Centre
Answers for nutrition professionals
Each page answers one question you'll hit in practice, then shows you how to do it in Foodzilla with a short video. Use them to check a formula, brief a new team member or send to a colleague.
Client targets
Energy, macro and protein targets, and the formulas behind them.
- What is the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, and how do you use it for clients?The Mifflin-St Jeor equation estimates resting energy expenditure (REE), also called resting metabolic rate (RMR).Read the answer
- Mifflin-St Jeor, Harris-Benedict or Katch-McArdle: which BMR formula should you use?Use Mifflin-St Jeor for most healthy adults, because it's the equation that most often lands within 10% of measured resting metabolic rate.Read the answer
- How do you calculate macros for a client?Start with the client's daily energy target, then set protein in grams per kilogram of body weight, set fat at about 25 to 35% of energy, and give the remaining energy to carbohydrate.Read the answer
- How do you work out a client's protein needs?Multiply the client's body weight in kilograms by a factor that matches their age, activity and goal: 0.8 g/kg covers a healthy sedentary adult, 1.0 to 1.2 g/kg suits adults over 65, and 1.4...Read the answer
- How much protein does a client on a GLP-1 medication need?A 2025 joint advisory from four obesity and nutrition societies makes adequate protein, together with strength training, a priority during GLP-1 therapy to help preserve lean mass.Read the answer
- How do you calculate ideal and adjusted body weight for a client?Ideal body weight (IBW) is a height- and sex-based reference weight used in some clinical calculations, commonly estimated using formulas such as Devine or Robinson.Read the answer
- How much protein does a client with chronic kidney disease need?Protein requirements in chronic kidney disease depend on CKD stage, dialysis status, metabolic stability and the clinical guideline being followed.Read the answer
- Which nutrient reference values should you use: DRI, NRV or UK DRV?Use the set from the country your client lives in: the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) in the US and Canada, the Nutrient Reference Values (NRVs) in Australia and New Zealand, and the...Read the answer
Recipe nutrition analysis
Getting accurate nutrition out of recipes, foods and databases.
- How do you calculate calories and macros in a recipe?Weigh or measure ingredients accurately before or during preparation, look up the energy and macros per 100 g for each one, scale each to the weight you used and add them up for the whole...Read the answer
- Why do grams and cups give different nutrition results?Nutrition databases store values per 100 g, so a cup, tablespoon or any other volume has to be turned into grams before the numbers mean anything.Read the answer
- How do you add a food that isn't in the nutrition database?Create a custom food from the nutrition panel on the pack, the manufacturer's specification or a recipe you've calculated yourself.Read the answer
- Why do nutrition databases give different values for the same food?Nutrition databases can report different values for similar foods because of differences in food varieties, production methods, fortification, analytical methods and data sources.Read the answer
- How do you make a nutrition label for a recipe?Calculate the recipe from weighed ingredients and work out the values per serving and per 100 g of the finished food.Read the answer
- What is the difference between glycaemic index and glycaemic load?Glycaemic index (GI) ranks carbohydrate-containing foods according to their blood glucose response to a fixed amount of available carbohydrate, compared with a reference food such as...Read the answer
- Can you trust the nutrition in an AI-generated recipe?Don't assume the nutrition values supplied with an AI-generated recipe are accurate.Read the answer
- How do you scale a recipe for a client's household?Divide the number of servings you need by the number the recipe makes, and multiply every ingredient by that factor.Read the answer
- How do you make a recipe book for your clients?Pick one theme and one audience, then choose 20 to 30 recipes that suit them and that you've checked for servings, nutrition and allergens.Read the answer
Meal plans
Building plans that fit a client and hit their numbers.
- How do you create a meal plan for a client?Start by understanding the client's nutritional needs, goals, food preferences and practical circumstances.Read the answer
- How do you make sure a meal plan hits a client's macro targets?Convert macronutrient targets into grams, then build meals around the client's protein, carbohydrate, fat and overall energy requirements.Read the answer
- What should a weekly meal plan template include?A weekly meal plan template needs the days and meal slots, the recipe and portion for each slot, daily energy and macro totals, and short notes on how to follow it.Read the answer
- How do you plan meals around a client's allergies and the foods they avoid?Sort what the client avoids into allergies, intolerances and preferences, because each needs a different level of care.Read the answer
- How do you build a meal plan for a client with type 2 diabetes?There is no single diet for type 2 diabetes.Read the answer
- How do you plan a low FODMAP diet for a client?A low FODMAP diet is a short, three-phase process for people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Read the answer
- How do you build a DASH meal plan for a client with high blood pressure?DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is an eating pattern built around vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat dairy, nuts, seeds and legumes.Read the answer
- How do you plan a vegan or vegetarian diet that covers B12, iron and protein?A well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet can provide adequate protein and most essential nutrients, but some need particular attention.Read the answer
- How do you plan meals for a client with PCOS?The 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for PCOS found no evidence that any one type of diet is superior to another.Read the answer
- What should a meal plan look like for a client on a GLP-1 medication?A meal plan for a client taking a GLP-1 medication such as semaglutide or tirzepatide should prioritise nutritional adequacy within a smaller overall food intake.Read the answer
- How do you turn a meal plan into a meal prep plan and grocery list?Review the meal plan to identify which meals can be cooked ahead, which ingredients can be prepared in advance and which dishes are best made fresh.Read the answer
Working with clients
Intake, notes and keeping up with clients between sessions.
- What should a nutrition intake form include?A nutrition intake form should collect the information needed to prepare for an initial consultation, including the client's goals, relevant medical history, medications, allergies, eating...Read the answer
- How do you write a SOAP or ADIME note for a nutrition client?A SOAP note organises clinical documentation into four sections: Subjective (what the client reports), Objective (measurable or observable information), Assessment (professional...Read the answer
- How do you check what a client eats between sessions?Agree with your client whether and how to monitor their food intake between sessions.Read the answer
- Can clients use a nutrition app with your own brand?Yes.Read the answer
- What do you do when a client's weight loss plateaus?First check it's a sustained plateau rather than normal short-term fluctuation: look for several weeks with no downward trend in weight or other relevant measures, rather than reacting to...Read the answer
- How should clients take body measurements and progress photos?Use a non-stretch tape and consistent anatomical landmarks to measure body circumferences.Read the answer
- Can you use an AI scribe for nutrition consultation notes?Yes, as long as the client agrees to the session being transcribed, the tool keeps their data somewhere you're allowed to keep health records, and you treat everything it writes as a draft.Read the answer
Your business
Selling your coaching and delivering it without extra admin.
- How do you sell nutrition coaching packages online?Turn your services into a small number of packages, each with a clear outcome, a price and a billing term, and put them on a page where people can pay without emailing you.Read the answer
- How do you send paying clients a new meal plan every week automatically?Set the rules once: build each plan from the client's own energy and macro targets and food preferences, or rotate through templates you've already written, and choose how often a new plan...Read the answer
- How much should you charge for nutrition coaching?Work it out from the bottom up rather than copying someone else's price.Read the answer
- How do you run a group nutrition programme?Pick one clear goal and one type of client, run it for a fixed 6 to 12 weeks with a shared start date, and give each person their own targets inside a shared weekly structure of a session, a...Read the answer
- How do you run a telehealth nutrition consultation?Prepare for a remote nutrition consultation by confirming that telehealth is appropriate for the client's needs, explaining the process and obtaining informed consent.Read the answer