Replace MyFitnessPal with your own macro tracker that agents can log to
Scratching his own itch, he built Macros, a private MyFitnessPal replacement with meals, presets and custom foods that pulls from OpenFoodFacts and supports MCP.
Source
joshstrange on Hacker News · 2026-10-20
Written in our own words. Credit to the original author. Link checked 2026-10-23.
What they did
Scratching his own itch, he built Macros, a private MyFitnessPal replacement with meals, presets and custom foods that pulls from OpenFoodFacts and supports MCP.
Result (as claimed)
He can tell an agent "Log my normal breakfast" and it's tracked.
Tools they used
Cost: Pricing depends on the tools you pick; check each official pricing page.
Set it up
Define the job
Say exactly what you want done and what the agent may and may not do on your behalf.
Share only what is needed
Give AI coding agent the minimum files or access required. Avoid sharing passwords in chat when a safer login flow exists.
Review the plan
Ask the agent to show its plan or draft before it acts, and approve each step that has real consequences.
Check the result
Confirm the outcome yourself (order placed, request sent, document understood) and keep a record.
Copy the full setup prompt
Paste into your agent and it will walk you through the setup, asking before anything that sends, posts or spends.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Claude Code. Goal: Replace MyFitnessPal with your own macro tracker that agents can log to What the original author did: Scratching his own itch, he built Macros, a private MyFitnessPal replacement with meals, presets and custom foods that pulls from OpenFoodFacts and supports MCP. Reported result (as claimed by the author): He can tell an agent "Log my normal breakfast" and it's tracked. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50164955 Tools they used: AI coding agent, MCP, OpenFoodFacts Category: Personal & life Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Codex. Goal: Replace MyFitnessPal with your own macro tracker that agents can log to What the original author did: Scratching his own itch, he built Macros, a private MyFitnessPal replacement with meals, presets and custom foods that pulls from OpenFoodFacts and supports MCP. Reported result (as claimed by the author): He can tell an agent "Log my normal breakfast" and it's tracked. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50164955 Tools they used: AI coding agent, MCP, OpenFoodFacts Category: Personal & life Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
You are helping me set up this AI use case end to end in Grok Bot. Goal: Replace MyFitnessPal with your own macro tracker that agents can log to What the original author did: Scratching his own itch, he built Macros, a private MyFitnessPal replacement with meals, presets and custom foods that pulls from OpenFoodFacts and supports MCP. Reported result (as claimed by the author): He can tell an agent "Log my normal breakfast" and it's tracked. Source: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50164955 Tools they used: AI coding agent, MCP, OpenFoodFacts Category: Personal & life Please: 1. Ask me 3 short questions about my situation (accounts I have, budget, what I want the output to look like). 2. Propose a step-by-step plan using these tools or cheaper alternatives, with the time and cost of each step. Use official pricing pages; say "check pricing" if unsure. 3. Then do the setup with me one step at a time, waiting for my OK before anything that sends messages, posts publicly, spends money or deletes data. 4. Finish with a checklist to run it again next time.
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Guides for this use case
How to build private apps just for yourself with AI · How to use AI agents for fitness and health · How to plan meals and groceries with AI agents · How to build an MCP server for AI agents
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