Canada's Food Guide MCP Server

# 🍲 <a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/" target="_blank">Canada's Food Guide - MCP Server</a> <a href="https://www.python.org/downloads/" target="_blank"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/python-3.8+-blue.svg" alt="Python 3.8+"></a> <a href="https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT" target="_blank"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-MIT-yellow.svg" alt="License: MIT"></a> <a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io/" target="_blank"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/MCP-ModelContextProtocol-green.svg" alt="MCP"></a> | Example | Video | | ------------- | ------------- | | Find Themed recipes for a week | <a href="https://youtu.be/CjWSxeWg-O0?t=223" target="_blank">  </a>| | Suggest recipes from an image of your groceries | <a href="https://youtu.be/CjWSxeWg-O0?t=307" target="_blank">  </a> | | Calculate your estimated macros intake and energy requirements | <a href="https://youtu.be/CjWSxeWg-O0?t=40" target="_blank">  </a> | | Calculate Macros for a recipe | <a href ="https://youtu.be/CjWSxeWg-O0?t=116" target="_blank"> </a> | ## 📝 Description This is a **comprehensive nutrition analysis platform** that integrates <a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/" target="_blank">Canada's Food Guide</a> recipes with Health Canada's official nutrition databases through a <a href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io/" target="_blank">Model Context Protocol (MCP)</a> server. **What makes this powerful:** Instead of LLMs manually parsing multiple government websites and performing complex nutrition calculations, this server provides **42+ specialized tools** organized into six major categories: 🍲 **Recipe Discovery & Management** - Smart search, detailed extraction, favorites storage 🗄️ **Database & Session Management** - Virtual sessions, persistent storage, bulk operations 🧮 **Math & Calculation Tools** - Recipe scaling, ingredient calculations, safe arithmetic 🥗 **CNF Nutrition Analysis** - Canadian Nutrient File integration with LLM-driven unit conversion ⚡ **Energy Requirements (EER)** - Health Canada energy equation calculations 📊 **Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)** - Macronutrient recommendations and adequacy assessment Built using <a href="https://github.com/jlowin/fastmcp" target="_blank">FastMCP</a> with custom integrations to Health Canada's <a href="https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/index-eng.jsp" target="_blank">Canadian Nutrient File (CNF)</a> database, <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/dietary-reference-intakes/tables.html" target="_blank">Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI)</a> tables, and EER equations, this server transforms complex nutrition analysis into simple tool calls for AI assistants. Check **IMPLEMENTATIONS.MD** if you'd like to contribute or collaborate! Always looking for suggestions! You can use this <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TELVtKLN35yxGFC10751WnByRtpWndYPjC4WKWw4Cgo/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">**google sheet**</a> to verify EER and CNF calculations shown in the trailer videos in the current repository. ⚠️ The CNF Database has rate limited macronutrient webrequests to prevent server bloat. If you're fetching maacronutrient information, you migth encounter incomplete bulk_get_macronutrient outputs in the first try. **Always try to chunk queries into separate steps to prevent the LLM from overwhelming/being overwhelmed** ## 📑 Table of Contents - [📝 Description](#-description) - [✨ Features](#-features) - [📥 Installation](#-installation) - [🚀 Running the Server using Claude](#-running-the-server-using-Claude-Desktop-Integration) - [🏗️ Project Structure](#️-project-structure) - [⚠️ Known Issues](#️-known-issues-and-limitations) - [📋 Reference](#-reference) ## ✨ Features This comprehensive nutrition analysis platform provides **42+ specialized tools** organized into six major categories: ### 🍲 Recipe Discovery & Management (Core Tools) * **Smart Recipe Search** - Text queries with advanced filtering by ingredients, meal types, appliances, and collections * **Detailed Recipe Extraction** - Complete ingredients, instructions, prep times, tips, and nutritional information * **Filter Discovery** - Dynamic exploration of available search filters and categories * **Favorites Management** - Persistent storage of user's preferred recipes with SQLite database ### 🗄️ Database & Session Management * **Virtual Sessions** - In-memory storage for temporary recipe analysis (prevents database bloat) * **Recipe Storage & Parsing** - Automatic ingredient parsing with amounts, units, and names * **Session Cleanup** - Automatic memory management for optimal performance * **Bulk Operations** - Process multiple recipes efficiently with reduced tool calls ### 🧮 Math & Calculation Tools * **Recipe Scaling** - Scale entire recipes or individual ingredients using parsed data * **Serving Size Adjustments** - Calculate ingredients for different serving counts * **Bulk Calculations** - Process multiple calculations in one operation (3x-10x efficiency gain) * **Simple Calculator** - Safe arithmetic evaluation with string variables for any calculations * **Recipe Comparisons** - Compare recipes by servings, complexity, or nutritional content ### 🥗 CNF Nutrition Analysis (Canadian Nutrient File Integration) * **Food Search & Retrieval** - Search Health Canada's official CNF database by food name * **Macronutrient Analysis** - Complete nutritional profiles with 13+ core nutrients * **LLM-Driven Unit Conversion** - Intelligent handling of non-standard units like "4 fillets" with full transparency * **Bulk Processing** - Analyze multiple foods in single operations for efficiency * **Unit Matching Intelligence** - Clear status indicators for conversion decisions with LLM reasoning ### ⚡ Energy Requirements (EER Integration) * **Live EER Equations** - Fetch current Energy Expenditure equations from Health Canada DRI tables * **Profile Management** - Create and manage user profiles for repeated calculations * **PAL Categories** - Physical Activity Level descriptions with examples * **42+ Equations Available** - Complete coverage of age groups, genders, and activity levels ### 📊 Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI Analysis) * **Complete DRI Tables** - Macronutrient recommendations (EAR, RDA, AI, UL) for all age groups * **Adequacy Assessment** - Compare actual intake against Health Canada recommendations * **AMDR Analysis** - Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range evaluation * **Session-Based Workflows** - Cache DRI data for complex multi-step nutrition analysis * **EER Integration** - Convert energy requirements to macronutrient targets for meal planning ## 📥 Installation Click the image to Watch the setup tutorial! [](https://youtu.be/FWH9_HMKwro) 1. **Prerequisites**: - <a href="https://www.python.org/#:~:text=Download" target="_blank">Python 3.8 or higher</a> - <a href="https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/installation/" target="_blank">pip (Python package installer)</a> 2. **Clone the repository**: ```bash git clone https://github.com/Aryan-Jhaveri/mcp-foodguidecanada cd mcp-foodguidecanada ``` 3. **Install dependencies**: ```bash pip3 install -r requirements.txt ``` ## 🚀 Running the Server using Claude Desktop Integration To use this server with Claude Desktop: 1. **Find your Python path**: Open your terminal and run: ```bash which python3 ``` This will show the full path to your Python installation (e.g., `/usr/bin/python3`, `/opt/homebrew/bin/python3`, or `/opt/anaconda3/bin/python3`) 2. **Get the absolute path to your project**: In your terminal, navigate to the project directory and run: ```bash pwd ``` This shows your full project path (e.g., `mcp-foodguidecanada`) 3. **Open Claude Desktop settings**: - Navigate to Settings (⌘ + ,) → Developer → Edit Config 4. **Add the server configuration**: Replace the paths below with your actual paths from steps 1 and 2: ```json { "mcpServers": { "FoodGuideSousChef": { "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/python3", "args": [ "path/to/mcp-foodguidecanada/src/server.py" ], "cwd": "path/to/mcp-foodguidecanada" } } } ``` **Common Python paths by system**: - **Homebrew (Mac)**: `/opt/homebrew/bin/python3` - **System Python (Mac)**: `/usr/bin/python3` - **Anaconda**: `/opt/anaconda3/bin/python3` - **Linux**: `/usr/bin/python3` 5. **Save and restart Claude Desktop**: - Save the configuration file - Completely quit and restart Claude Desktop - The server will now be available in your conversations ### Troubleshooting - If the server doesn't appear, check the Claude Desktop logs for error messages - Verify Python 3.8+ is installed: `python3 --version` 4. **Restart Claude Desktop**: - The server will now be available in your conversations ## 🏗️ Project Structure Here's how the comprehensive nutrition platform is organized: ### 🗂️ **Root Files** * **`main.py`**: Command-line interface for testing (alternative to MCP server) * **`requirements.txt`**: Python dependencies for the entire platform * **`IMPLEMENTATIONS.md`**: Development roadmap and architecture plans ### 📁 **`src/` Folder - Core Platform** * **`server.py`**: Main MCP server with **42+ specialized tools** across 6 categories: - Recipe discovery and management tools - Database and session management tools - Math and calculation tools - CNF nutrition analysis tools - EER energy requirement tools - DRI dietary reference intake tools * **`config.py`**: Platform configuration including database settings and Health Canada endpoints * **`cli.py`**: Command-line interface for development and testing #### 📁 **`api/` Folder - Health Canada Integrations** * **`search.py`**: Canada's Food Guide recipe search and filtering * **`recipe.py`**: Detailed recipe extraction and ingredient parsing * **`cnf.py`**: Canadian Nutrient File food search and nutrition data retrieval * **`eer.py`**: Energy Expenditure Requirements from DRI tables * **`dri.py`**: Dietary Reference Intake tables and macronutrient recommendations #### 📁 **`db/` Folder - Database & Calculation Layer** * **`connection.py`**: SQLite database connection and management * **`schema.py`**: Database schema and virtual session management * **`queries.py`**: Database operation tools registration * **`cnf_tools.py`**: CNF nutrition analysis and unit conversion tools * **`math_tools.py`**: Recipe scaling, calculations, and arithmetic tools * **`eer_tools.py`**: Energy requirement calculation and profile management * **`dri_tools.py`**: DRI analysis and adequacy assessment tools #### 📁 **`models/` Folder - Data Structures & Validation** * **`recipe.py`**: Recipe data models with ingredient parsing * **`filters.py`**: Search filter management and caching * **`cnf_models.py`**: CNF food and nutrition data models * **`eer_models.py`**: EER calculation and profile models * **`dri_models.py`**: DRI table and assessment models * **`math_models.py`**: Calculation tool input/output models * **`db_models.py`**: Database operation models #### 📁 **`utils/` Folder - Support Functions** * **`url_builder.py`**: Canada's Food Guide URL construction * **`downloader.py`**: Recipe export functionality (JSON/Markdown) ### 📁 **Storage & Data** * **`cache/`**: Filter data and temporary file storage * **`docs/`**: Additional documentation and guides * **`downloads/`**: Recipe export output directory * **`foodguide_data.db`**: SQLite database for persistent favorites storage ### 🔄 **Platform Architecture**: 1. **MCP Server Layer**: `server.py` exposes 42+ tools to AI assistants 2. **Health Canada APIs**: Live integration with CNF, DRI, and recipe databases 3. **Database Layer**: Virtual sessions (memory) + persistent favorites (SQLite) 4. **Calculation Engine**: Math tools for scaling, nutrition analysis, and comparisons 5. **LLM Integration**: Intelligent unit conversion and decision-making workflows ## ⚠️ Known Issues and Limitations ### Data Dependencies - **Multiple Website Dependencies**: Functionality depends on Canada's Food Guide, Health Canada CNF database, and DRI tables maintaining consistent structure - **Internet Required**: All nutrition data is fetched live from Health Canada websites - **Data Quality**: Recipe and nutrition accuracy depends on Health Canada's data quality and updates ### Performance Considerations - **Web Scraping Overhead**: Recipe search may be slower than direct APIs due to HTML parsing - **Virtual Session Memory**: Large datasets in virtual sessions consume RAM (auto-cleanup helps) - **Bulk Operation Limits**: Some tools have built-in limits to prevent resource exhaustion ### Calculation Accuracy - **LLM-Dependent Unit Conversion**: Non-standard units like "4 fillets" require LLM reasoning for accurate conversion - **Math Verification Recommended**: Complex calculations should be spot-checked for accuracy - **Ingredient Parsing Limitations**: Unusual ingredient formats may not parse correctly ## 📋 Reference This platform provides **42+ specialized tools** across 6 major categories. Below are representative examples from each category. ### 🍲 Recipe Discovery Tools #### `search_recipes` Search Canada's Food Guide with advanced filtering. - **Parameters**: `search_text`, `fruits`, `vegetables`, `proteins`, `meals`, `appliances`, `collections`, `max_pages` - **Returns**: Array of recipe metadata with titles, URLs, and slugs #### `get_recipe` Extract complete recipe details from URL. - **Parameters**: `url` (required) - **Returns**: Full recipe with ingredients, instructions, prep time, tips #### `add_to_favorites` Save recipes to persistent SQLite storage. - **Parameters**: `recipe_url`, `notes` (optional) - **Returns**: Confirmation with recipe stored in database ### 🗄️ Database & Session Tools #### `store_recipe_in_session` Store recipes in virtual memory sessions. - **Parameters**: `session_id`, `recipe_data` - **Returns**: Confirmation with parsed ingredient data #### `simple_recipe_setup` Combined recipe transfer, parsing, and nutrition preparation. - **Parameters**: `session_id`, `recipe_url` - **Returns**: Complete recipe setup for analysis ### 🧮 Math & Calculation Tools #### `scale_recipe_servings` Scale entire recipes using parsed ingredient data. - **Parameters**: `session_id`, `recipe_id`, `target_servings` - **Returns**: Scaled ingredient amounts with units #### `bulk_math_calculator` Process multiple calculations in one operation (3x-10x efficiency gain). - **Parameters**: `calculations` (array of expression objects) - **Returns**: All calculation results in single response ### 🥗 CNF Nutrition Analysis Tools #### `search_and_get_cnf_macronutrients` Search Canadian Nutrient File and retrieve nutrition data. - **Parameters**: `food_name`, `max_results` - **Returns**: CNF foods with complete macronutrient profiles #### `calculate_recipe_nutrition_summary` Analyze unit matching for LLM-driven conversion workflow. - **Parameters**: `session_id`, `recipe_id` - **Returns**: Unit matching analysis with conversion recommendations #### `bulk_get_cnf_macronutrients` Process multiple CNF foods efficiently. - **Parameters**: `food_codes` (up to 20 foods) - **Returns**: Batch nutrition data with 90% tool call reduction ### ⚡ Energy Requirements (EER) Tools #### `get_eer_equations` Fetch Energy Expenditure Requirements from Health Canada. - **Parameters**: `equation_type`, `pal_category` - **Returns**: Live EER equations with coefficients in JSON format #### `create_user_profile` Create profiles for repeated EER calculations. - **Parameters**: `profile_name`, `age`, `gender`, `height`, `weight`, `pal_category` - **Returns**: Stored profile for calculation workflows ### 📊 Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) Tools #### `get_macronutrient_dri_tables` Fetch complete DRI tables from Health Canada. - **Parameters**: None (fetches all current DRI data) - **Returns**: Complete macronutrient recommendations (EAR, RDA, AI, UL) #### `compare_intake_to_dri` Assess nutritional adequacy against Health Canada standards. - **Parameters**: `age_range`, `gender`, `intake_data` - **Returns**: Adequacy assessment with risk evaluation --- <div align="center"> <p>Made with ❤️ for Canada's Food Guide</p> <p> <a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/" target="_blank">Canada's Food Guide</a> <a href="https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/cnf-fce/?lang=eng" target="_blank">Health Canada's Canadian Nutrient File</a> <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/healthy-eating/dietary-reference-intakes/tables.html" target="_blank">Health Canada's Dietary Reference Intakes</a> </p> </div>