Need help getting your meal over 8? You can either try yourself, or use our tool Max to help you.
By making a few simple tweaks, you can improve a meal’s score! Try one, or all three, of these tips to improve your score.
Add or Increase Healthy Proteins
Healthy options include:
- eggs
- tofu
- lower-fat options of cottage cheese and cheese
- lean meats (fish, lean cuts of beef, turkey, chicken, etc.)
Add or Increase Healthy Fats
Healthy options include:
- avocados
- oils (olive, canola, peanut)
- nuts
- nut butters
- seeds
- olives
Reduce the Serving Size of Carbohydrates
Starches
- Breads – Biscuits, tortillas, muffins, waffles, rolls, pita pockets, pancakes
- Cereals – Cold and hot cereals, granola
- Grains – Grits, rice, couscous, pasta
- Beans and Legumes – Beans, peas, lentils
- Starchy Vegetables – Corn, hominy, potatoes, winter squash
Fruit
- Apples, berries, cantaloupe, cherries, dried fruit, cherries, peaches, papaya, pineapple, etc.
- Fruit juices
Dairy
- Milk – Cow’s milk, most lactose-free milks, evaporated milk
- Some milk substitutes – Soy, rice, oat
- Yogurt
- Ice cream
Non-starchy Vegetables
- Asparagus, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, peppers, spinach, pea pods, green beans, cabbage, etc.
Sweets & Desserts
- Cookies, pies, candy, cake, brownies, etc.
Still need help? Check out Max!
Max is a tool to help you improve a meal that scores under 8.
When putting together a meal that scores less than 8, look for Max! He’s a purple icon just to the left of the star at the top of your screen. When you tap on Max, he will analyze your meal and adjust your portions to help you get a higher score. You can select the adjustments you want to keep and apply, or you can select the X on the top left to go back to the original meal.
You will need to have at least 3 ingredients in your meal, and if the meal is at its highest possible number, he won’t be able to make any suggestions. If the meal is already an 8, he won’t appear because you’re already where you need to be!