nutrifyi

Python API client for nutrition data and food composition analysis. Query macronutrient and micronutrient profiles, look up USDA food composition data, calculate Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), and compare nutrient density across foods — all from NutriFYI, a nutrition reference platform with comprehensive food composition data.

Built on USDA FoodData Central and international food composition databases, NutriFYI provides structured access to calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber for thousands of foods — used by nutrition app developers, dietitians, and health-tech platforms.

Explore nutrition data at nutrifyi.com — browse foods, compare nutrients, and calculate dietary intake.

Table of Contents

• Install
• Quick Start
• What You Can Do
  • Macronutrient Profiles
  • Micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals)
  • Food Comparison
  • Dietary Reference Intakes
• Command-Line Interface
• MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)
• REST API Client
• API Reference
• Learn More About Nutrition
• Also Available
• Health FYI Family
• License

Install

pip install nutrifyi                # Core (zero deps)
pip install "nutrifyi[cli]"         # + Command-line interface
pip install "nutrifyi[mcp]"         # + MCP server for AI assistants
pip install "nutrifyi[api]"         # + HTTP client for nutrifyi.com API
pip install "nutrifyi[all]"         # Everything

Quick Start

from nutrifyi.api import NutriFYI

with NutriFYI() as api:
    # Get full nutrition profile for a food
    food = api.get_food("chicken-breast")
    print(food["calories"])          # 165 kcal per 100g
    print(food["protein"])           # 31.0g
    print(food["fat"])               # 3.6g

    # Search the food database
    results = api.search("quinoa")
    for r in results:
        print(f"{r['name']}: {r['calories']} kcal/100g")

    # List nutrient categories
    nutrients = api.list_nutrients()

What You Can Do

Macronutrient Profiles

The three macronutrients — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — provide the body's caloric energy. Each macronutrient serves distinct metabolic functions: protein for tissue building (4 kcal/g), carbohydrates for immediate energy (4 kcal/g), and fat for energy storage and hormone synthesis (9 kcal/g).

Macronutrient	Energy	RDA (Adult)	Primary Function
Protein	4 kcal/g	0.8 g/kg body weight	Tissue repair, enzymes, immune function
Carbohydrates	4 kcal/g	130 g/day	Glucose for brain and muscles
Fat	9 kcal/g	20-35% of calories	Cell membranes, hormones, fat-soluble vitamins
Fiber	0 kcal/g	25-38 g/day	Gut health, cholesterol reduction
Water	0 kcal	2.7-3.7 L/day	Every metabolic process

from nutrifyi.api import NutriFYI

with NutriFYI() as api:
    # Full macronutrient breakdown per 100g
    food = api.get_food("salmon-atlantic")
    print(f"Calories: {food['calories']} kcal")
    print(f"Protein: {food['protein']}g")
    print(f"Fat: {food['fat']}g (Saturated: {food['saturated_fat']}g)")
    print(f"Carbs: {food['carbohydrates']}g")
    print(f"Fiber: {food['fiber']}g")

Learn more: Food Database · Glossary

Micronutrients (Vitamins and Minerals)

Micronutrients are required in small amounts but are essential for enzyme function, bone health, immune response, and cellular repair. They divide into fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K — stored in body fat), water-soluble vitamins (B-complex, C — excreted daily), and minerals (macro and trace).

Category	Nutrients	Key Functions
Fat-soluble vitamins	A, D, E, K	Vision, bone health, antioxidant, coagulation
Water-soluble vitamins	B1-B12, C, Folate	Energy metabolism, collagen, red blood cells
Macro-minerals	Ca, P, Mg, Na, K	Bone structure, nerve function, fluid balance
Trace minerals	Fe, Zn, Cu, Se, I	Oxygen transport, immune function, thyroid

from nutrifyi.api import NutriFYI

with NutriFYI() as api:
    # Get micronutrient data for a food
    food = api.get_food("spinach")
    vitamins = food["vitamins"]
    minerals = food["minerals"]
    print(f"Vitamin A: {vitamins['vitamin_a']} mcg RAE")
    print(f"Iron: {minerals['iron']} mg")
    print(f"Calcium: {minerals['calcium']} mg")

Learn more: Nutrients · Guides

Food Comparison

Comparing foods by nutrient density — nutrients per calorie rather than per weight — reveals which foods deliver the most nutritional value. Leafy greens and organ meats top nutrient density rankings, while refined grains and sugars score lowest.

from nutrifyi.api import NutriFYI

with NutriFYI() as api:
    # Compare two foods side by side
    comparison = api.compare("chicken-breast", "tofu")
    print(f"Protein: {comparison['food1']['protein']}g vs {comparison['food2']['protein']}g")
    print(f"Calories: {comparison['food1']['calories']} vs {comparison['food2']['calories']}")

Learn more: Food Comparison · Glossary

Dietary Reference Intakes

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) established by the National Academies provide science-based nutrient intake recommendations. The system includes RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), AI (Adequate Intake), UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level), and EAR (Estimated Average Requirement).

Term	Definition	Use
RDA	Meets needs of 97-98% of population	Daily target
AI	Used when RDA cannot be determined	Estimated target
UL	Maximum safe daily intake	Upper safety limit
EAR	Meets needs of 50% of population	Population assessment

from nutrifyi.api import NutriFYI

with NutriFYI() as api:
    # Look up nutrient RDA values
    nutrients = api.list_nutrients()
    for n in nutrients[:5]:
        print(f"{n['name']}: RDA {n['rda']} {n['unit']}")

Learn more: Dietary Guidelines · API Documentation

Command-Line Interface

pip install "nutrifyi[cli]"

nutrifyi food chicken-breast                # Full nutrition profile
nutrifyi search "brown rice"                # Search food database
nutrifyi compare chicken-breast tofu        # Side-by-side comparison
nutrifyi nutrients                          # List all tracked nutrients

MCP Server (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)

pip install "nutrifyi[mcp]"

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "nutrifyi": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": ["--from", "nutrifyi[mcp]", "python", "-m", "nutrifyi.mcp_server"]
        }
    }
}

REST API Client

from nutrifyi.api import NutriFYI

with NutriFYI() as api:
    food = api.get_food("chicken-breast")        # GET /api/v1/foods/chicken-breast/
    nutrients = api.list_nutrients()              # GET /api/v1/nutrients/
    results = api.search("avocado")              # GET /api/v1/search/?q=avocado

Example

curl -s "https://nutrifyi.com/api/v1/foods/chicken-breast/"

{
    "slug": "chicken-breast",
    "name": "Chicken Breast (cooked)",
    "calories": 165,
    "protein": 31.0,
    "fat": 3.6,
    "carbohydrates": 0.0,
    "fiber": 0.0
}

Full API documentation at nutrifyi.com/developers/.

API Reference

Function	Description
api.get_food(slug)	Full nutrition profile (macros + micros)
api.list_foods()	List all foods in database
api.search(query)	Search food database
api.compare(food1, food2)	Side-by-side nutrient comparison
api.list_nutrients()	All tracked nutrients with RDA values
api.get_nutrient(slug)	Nutrient details and top food sources

Learn More About Nutrition

• Browse: Food Database · Nutrients
• Guides: Nutrition Guides · Glossary
• API: REST API Docs · OpenAPI Spec

Also Available

Platform	Install	Link
npm	npm install nutrifyi	npm
MCP	uvx --from "nutrifyi[mcp]" python -m nutrifyi.mcp_server	Config

Health FYI Family

Part of the FYIPedia open-source developer tools ecosystem — human body, medicine, and nutrition.

Package	PyPI	npm	Description
anatomyfyi	PyPI	npm	14,692 anatomical structures, body systems, organs — anatomyfyi.com
pillfyi	PyPI	npm	Pill identification, FDA drug database — pillfyi.com
drugfyi	PyPI	npm	Drug interactions, pharmacology, side effects — drugfyi.com
nutrifyi	PyPI	npm	Nutrition data, food composition, dietary analysis — nutrifyi.com

License

MIT