Open product evidence
Keola AI calorie estimate benchmark
A fixed, image-only test on 30 independently labelled cafeteria meals. Every prediction is shown below, including large errors.
Run 6 September 2026 · Dataset: Nutrition5k · Official depth test split · Selection hash 59097b72a929…
What this result says
Keola's mean absolute calorie error was 112.5 kcal. 63.3% of estimates were within 30% of the labelled value, and the analyzer underestimated by 66.6 kcal on average. This supports using photo analysis as a correctable estimate—not an exact measurement.
112.5 kcal
Mean absolute error
24.9%
Median percentage error
43.3%
Within 20%
30/30
Successful analyses
Test protocol
- Population: the official Nutrition5k depth test split.
- Eligibility: 200–900 kcal, 150–800 g, and at least two labelled ingredients.
- Selection: deterministic, calorie-stratified sample using seed 20260906.
- Input: one overhead RGB image per dish; no ingredient, weight, or text hints.
- System: the same production food-image analysis function used by Keola at the run date.
- Primary metric: absolute error between predicted and labelled total calories.
Nutrition5k repositoryResearch paperDownload every result (JSON)
All 30 results
“Label” is the Nutrition5k total. Percentage error is absolute, so it does not show direction; compare the two calorie columns for over- or underestimation.
| Dish | Keola description | Label | Estimate | Error |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1564428144 | Grilled chicken wing with a side of arugula salad. | 205 kcal | 85 kcal | 58.6% |
| 1563565323 | Grilled chicken with pesto and corn on the cob. | 230 kcal | 210 kcal | 8.5% |
| 1565898158 | Grilled fish with brown rice and green beans. | 240 kcal | 280 kcal | 16.5% |
| 1558030435 | Bacon with roasted potatoes and honeydew melon. | 247 kcal | 210 kcal | 15% |
| 1560801829 | A slice of pepperoni pizza with roasted potatoes and cauliflower florets. | 257 kcal | 355 kcal | 38.2% |
| 1564689138 | Mixed green salad with chickpeas, cucumbers, and red onions. | 268 kcal | 250 kcal | 6.8% |
| 1561662869 | Grilled chicken breast with steamed vegetables and a small piece of corn on the cob. | 284 kcal | 300 kcal | 5.5% |
| 1562776497 | Scrambled eggs with roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts. | 292 kcal | 308 kcal | 5.5% |
| 1562774206 | Scrambled eggs with roasted potatoes, mixed green salad, and mixed fruit (cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries). | 299 kcal | 310 kcal | 3.8% |
| 1560800988 | Cauliflower, mixed greens, and brown rice. | 315 kcal | 145 kcal | 53.9% |
| 1558546663 | A plate with a medium apple, a handful of almonds, and a cup of spinach. | 331 kcal | 309 kcal | 6.6% |
| 1561405411 | Grilled chicken with couscous and a mixed salad of arugula, broccoli, and red peppers. | 332 kcal | 391 kcal | 17.7% |
| 1560368464 | Grilled chicken breast with cucumber slices. | 349 kcal | 173 kcal | 50.5% |
| 1562963289 | Two slices of pizza with a side salad with dressing. | 350 kcal | 550 kcal | 57.2% |
| 1560526552 | Scrambled eggs with a mixed salad, roasted potatoes, and pineapple chunks. | 359 kcal | 390 kcal | 8.6% |
| 1565898361 | Beef strips with spinach and brown rice. | 371 kcal | 317 kcal | 14.5% |
| 1562700593 | Roast beef with a mixed salad containing chicken and a side of mashed potatoes. | 386 kcal | 440 kcal | 14.1% |
| 1560367926 | Slice of pizza with olives and jalapeños and a chicken wing. | 409 kcal | 365 kcal | 10.7% |
| 1560367952 | Pizza slice topped with spinach. | 415 kcal | 292 kcal | 29.6% |
| 1560367980 | A slice of pizza topped with spinach and asparagus. | 421 kcal | 312 kcal | 26% |
| 1565118729 | Roast beef with steamed vegetables. | 435 kcal | 335 kcal | 23.1% |
| 1563389600 | Grilled chicken breast with cherry tomatoes. | 451 kcal | 250 kcal | 44.6% |
| 1564773942 | Grilled chicken breast with broccoli, cherry tomatoes, and pineapple. | 492 kcal | 237 kcal | 51.8% |
| 1561654392 | Scrambled eggs with bacon and a mixed green salad. | 494 kcal | 330 kcal | 33.2% |
| 1564773976 | Grilled chicken breast with broccoli, pineapple, cherry tomatoes, olives, and grilled fish. | 516 kcal | 363 kcal | 29.7% |
| 1565894910 | Two slices of cheese pizza with a chocolate cookie. | 537 kcal | 700 kcal | 30.3% |
| 1565711570 | Scrambled eggs with bacon, hash browns, and Brussels sprouts. | 604 kcal | 380 kcal | 37.1% |
| 1558376984 | A plate with a medium apple, almonds, red grapes, sausage slices, and a small handful of spinach. | 672 kcal | 511 kcal | 23.9% |
| 1558376483 | Sliced sausage with almonds, grapes, and cantaloupe. | 735 kcal | 525 kcal | 28.6% |
| 1565898230 | Grilled chicken breast with brown rice, mixed salad greens, green beans, and beef stew with vegetables. | 780 kcal | 455 kcal | 41.7% |
Limitations
- Small sample; uncertainty intervals are not reported.
- Nutrition5k contains cafeteria meals and does not represent every cuisine or camera condition.
- The labels describe the plated dish, while real users may eat a different amount.
- Model-provider updates can change results even when Keola code is unchanged.
This test does not measure whether conversational corrections improve the result. It also does not establish safety for clinical decisions.
Try a meal—and correct the estimate
Keola's intended workflow includes the context this benchmark deliberately removes. Send one real meal in WhatsApp with no account or card required for the first analysis.
Try one meal