Part of the Loopa iOS app guide.
Estimating a food with AI is the escape hatch for when the database comes up empty. Not everything is in any food database, so when a search, a barcode scan, or a meal photo finds nothing, Loopa can estimate the food's calories and macros, log it, and remember it so it's a normal one-tap search next time. It's available to all members. You meet it on The Food log screen. See Logging food and Using the iOS app for the wider picture.
General wellness tracking, not medical advice.
When it appears
- No search match. Type at least two letters and, if nothing matches, a card reads "No match for '…'. Estimate it with AI." Tap it.
- Barcode not found. A scan that isn't in the database drops you into Describe a meal so you can name and estimate the item.
- Meal photo miss. A plate the photo tool can't place can be described and estimated the same way.
The estimate
The Estimate sheet shows the food's name with per (serving) · AI estimate, a Servings stepper (adjust in half-serving steps), and a live Calories tile that updates as you change the amount. A line notes "Saved to your foods so it's here next time." Tap Add to (meal) to log it into the meal you had selected.
Remembered for next time
When you log an estimate it's saved into your own foods, fuzzy-deduped on the name so re-estimating the same thing doesn't pile up near-duplicates. After that it shows up in ordinary Food search like any other food, with no need to estimate it again. An AI estimate is a good-faith guess, not a label reading; adjust the servings to match your plate, and treat the numbers as approximate.
