Food or Trash is a free, independent tool that helps you figure out whether something you're eating is genuinely nutritious or ultra-processed junk. We rate over 1,300 items on a simple 0–100 scale based on one principle: whole foods are food, everything else is suspect.
Type any food into the search bar and get an instant verdict — no sign-up, no paywall, no sponsored results. If the item isn't in our curated database, an AI classifier analyses it using the same whole food framework.
Mainstream nutrition advice has been shaped by decades of food industry lobbying, flawed studies, and government guidelines that prioritised grain and seed oil producers over public health. The USDA food pyramid told a generation to eat 6–11 servings of grains a day while demonising natural fats. The sugar industry paid Harvard scientists to blame fat for heart disease. Seed oils went from industrial lubricants to "heart-healthy" staples through aggressive rebranding.
Most AI chatbots and nutrition apps are trained on this same biased data. Ask them whether canola oil is healthy and they'll parrot the FDA's qualified health claim. Food or Trash takes a different approach: we start from first principles about what humans have eaten for thousands of years and score everything against that baseline.
Every item is scored on a 0–100 scale using a three-tier system:
Tier 1 — Curated Database
Over 1,300 items hand-classified and scored. Whole, unprocessed foods score highest. Ultra-processed products, seed oils, and artificial ingredients score lowest. Each item includes an explanation of its rating.
Tier 2 — AI Classification
Items not in the database are classified by AI as whole food, combination, or processed — then scored accordingly. The AI is prompted with the same whole food principles as our curated ratings.
Tier 3 — Ingredient Decomposition
Combination foods (like a salad or stir-fry) are broken down into individual ingredients. Each ingredient is scored separately, then a weighted composite score is calculated.
Food or Trash is an independent project built and maintained by a solo developer who got tired of conflicting nutrition advice. It is not affiliated with any food company, supplement brand, or health organisation. The site is funded by voluntary donations and non-intrusive advertising.
Food or Trash is an educational tool, not medical advice. It reflects one evidence-based perspective on nutrition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personal dietary decisions.