The full method to estimate a meal from a simple photo — and why the result reads as a range, not an exact number.
A sharp shot, top-down or 3/4, whole plate in frame. Good light helps recognition.
You get a calorie range and a confidence level — the uncertainty comes from invisible fat and sugar.
Adjust the portion in one tap: the range tightens and confidence rises. Add it to the journal.
240–390 kcal · ±12%Place a bank card next to the plate: real portion sizes become measurable.
Top-down for flat plates, 3/4 for bowls and tall dishes.
Photograph the full plate: hard to estimate what's already gone.
Distinct foods are recognised better than a fully mixed dish.
Oil, butter, sauces: invisible in the photo, they weigh a lot. Add them.
A single meal matters little. The weekly average guides your decisions.
A photo doesn't reveal cooking oil, dissolved sugar or a portion's real density. Claiming “312 kcal” would give false certainty. Volumeal prefers an honest range, which you tighten by adding a reference or correcting the portion.
It's less flattering than a clean number, but far more useful for deciding — and it keeps you from quitting when the “precision” turns out to be false.