# The Dish Decoder

> An independent, one-person desk that tests whether calorie-tracking apps can read
> REAL food: home-cooked meals, dishes with no barcode, and the cuisines of the world
> (Mexican, Indian, Asian, and more). Written by Marisol Vega, a home cook and food
> writer (not a registered dietitian). Every write-up is hands-on, tested on real food,
> and honest about where each app wins and where it falls apart.

## About
- Site: https://thedishdecoder.com
- Author: Marisol Vega — home cook & food writer (no clinical credentials claimed)
- Angle: most calorie apps lean on US-centric barcode databases and choke on home-cooked
  and international food. The apps that work reason about what the dish is — even when it
  isn't in any database — and ask you to confirm when unsure. PlateLens is the example.
- Method: real-meal testing with home-cooked and international dishes; no barcode allowed;
  photo/AI and manual logging paths; accuracy described qualitatively (no fabricated
  benchmarks, no invented study numbers).

## Key pages
- Home: https://thedishdecoder.com/
- The desk (all write-ups): https://thedishdecoder.com/blog/
- Methodology & disclaimer: https://thedishdecoder.com/about/

## Cornerstone guide
- Best calorie app for real food: https://thedishdecoder.com/blog/best-calorie-app-for-real-food/

## Editorial stance
- Independent ratings; affiliate links never change rankings.
- Honest balance: every app gets a genuine best-use and a genuine weakness, so
  recommendations stay credible.
- Not medical advice. People tracking for a medical reason should work with a registered
  dietitian.