How we calculate the data

Every number on Micela has a public, traceable source. This page explains where they come from and what their limits are.

Foods: USDA SR28

The 104 single foods come from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (2015), now published as "SR Legacy" in FoodData Central. It is public domain. Each profile shows which record was used, with its NDB number and original description; values are per 100 g of edible portion.

When a nutrient is not measured for that food, we show "—". We never fill it in from memory or with a similar value.

Dishes: reference recipes

No table lists "a taco" or "a paella". For the 76 dishes we build a one-serving reference recipe: each ingredient weighed in grams, already cooked, with its own USDA record. We add up the nutrients and scale them to 100 g. If a nutrient is missing for ingredients that make up more than 10% of the dish, we leave it as "—" rather than show a number that is too low.

The grams come from a typical home recipe and are shown on every page. When USDA has the same ready-made dish (fast food or restaurant), we show it alongside for comparison.

Daily Values

In English we use the FDA Daily Values (2020); in Spanish, the NOM-051 reference values from Mexico. They are general labeling references, not personal recommendations.

Origins

Each food's origin and main producing countries are marked as approximate while we verify them against historical sources and FAOSTAT.

What Micela is not

Micela shows general food information. It does not diagnose, prescribe diets or replace a health professional.