System and method for generating personalized meal plans

Abstract

A system for personalized meal planning is provided which includes a client device and a meal planning center configured to communicate with the client device and to receive a customer's information, including a weight designator, a gender designator, a goal designator, and an activity level designator. The meal planning center includes a storage device and a processing unit. The storage device is configured to store recipe template files having an ingredient designator and a plurality of recipe rule factors, which include a nutrient contribution value, a minimum ingredient value, and a maximum ingredient value. A plurality of recipe rule factors are each assigned to each ingredient designator. The processing unit is configured to determine a nutritional allowance based upon the customer information and to create a recipe that satisfies the nutritional allowance by using the recipe rule factors assigned to the ingredient. The meal planning center is further configured to transmit the recipe to the client device.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . In a computerized meal planning system, a method of meal planning comprising:
 providing a database comprising a plurality of recipe templates;   receiving user input via electronic transmission to a communications device of a meal planning system, wherein the user input comprises client information, the client information comprising a goal and at least one designator selected from a group comprising weight, gender, activity level, and lean body mass;   executing computer-readable instructions for assigning a plurality of nutritional allowances, including nutritional allowances for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, the plurality of nutritional allowances based on the client information;   executing computer-readable instructions for obtaining a recipe template from the database, the recipe template having a plurality of ingredient designators and a plurality of recipe rule factors assigned to an ingredient designator to include at least one contribution value per unit measurement of ingredient for at least one of the plurality of nutrients;   executing computer-readable instructions for setting a recipe allocation amount for each ingredient within a range bounded by a minimum allocatable amount and a maximum allocatable amount for each ingredient to satisfy the plurality of nutritional allowances within a predetermined range for each nutritional allowance, thereby resulting in a recipe having nutritional contributions of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats within the predetermined range for each of the plurality of nutritional allowances;   delivering the recipe with each ingredient and corresponding recipe allocation amount to a client device via electronic transmission;   providing updated client information via electronic transmission to the communications device of the meal planning system, the updated client information comprising at least one designator selected from a group comprising weight, gender, activity level, and lean body mass; and   determining if the goal has been satisfied based on the updated client information.   
     
     
         16 . A method of meal planning as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising a step after delivering the recipe and before providing updated client information comprising prompting the user to provide updated client information via electronic transmission. 
     
     
         17 . A method of meal planning as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the step of prompting the user to provide updated client information via electronic transmission is accomplished using electronic mail sent to the user. 
     
     
         18 . A method of meal planning as defined in  claim 15 , the recipe rule factors further comprising a nutritional priority value assigned to an ingredient designator annotating priority of use in satisfying of the plurality of nutritional allowances. 
     
     
         19 . A method of meal planning as defined in  claim 18 , the computer-readable instructions that set a recipe allocation amount for each ingredient designator further comprising:
 (a) instructions for determining if the nutritional allowance of a selected nutrient from the plurality of nutrients is satisfied with the plurality of ingredients set at default values and proceeding to the following steps if not satisfied;   (b) instructions for selecting an ingredient assigned the highest priority value for the selected nutrient;   (c) instructions for attempting to satisfy the nutritional allowance of the first nutrient by adjusting the recipe allocation amount of the selected ingredient from the minimum allocatable amount up to the maximum allocatable amount, proceeding to step (d) if not satisfied and skipping to step (f) if satisfied;   (d) instructions for selecting a subsequent ingredient assigned a subsequent priority along the ordinal range for the first nutrient;   (e) instructions for attempting to satisfy the nutritional allowance of the selected nutrient by adjusting the recipe allocation amount of the subsequent ingredient from the minimum allocatable amount up to the maximum allocatable amount, repeating step (d) if not satisfied and proceeding to step (f) if satisfied; and   (f) instructions for repeating steps (a) through (e) for all of the plurality of nutrients.   
     
     
         20 . A method of meal planning as defined in  claim 18 , the computer-readable instructions further including instructions that sequentially determine amounts for each ingredient based upon nutritional priority values. 
     
     
         21 . A meal planning system for automated meal planning comprising:
 a communications device configured to receive user input from a client device, the user input comprising client information and a meal program designator, the client information including at least one designator selected from a group comprising weight, gender, goal, activity level, and lean body mass, the meal program designator indicating a maximum recipe preparation time;   a data storage device configured to provide a plurality of recipe templates, wherein each of the plurality of recipe templates comprise a plurality of ingredient designators and a plurality of recipe rule factors assigned to at least one ingredient designator, wherein each of the recipe rule factors comprise at least one contribution value per unit measurement of ingredient for at least one of a plurality of nutrients, wherein each of the recipe rule factors further comprise a nutritional priority assigned to an ingredient designator annotating priority of use in satisfying one of the plurality of nutritional allowances, each of the plurality of recipe templates further comprise a recipe preparation time;   a computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored therein, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for retrieving a plurality of designated recipe templates from the data storage device, each of the plurality of designated recipe templates comprising a recipe preparation time less than or equal to the maximum recipe preparation time indicated by the meal program designator, obtaining a recipe template from the plurality of designated recipe templates, creating a recipe based on the recipe template obtained from the plurality of designated recipe templates, having prescribed nutritional contributions of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, wherein the prescribed nutritional contributions are based upon a client's nutritional allowances for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, wherein the client's nutritional allowances for carbohydrates, proteins and fats are calculated according to the client information, and instructions for setting a recipe allocation amount for each ingredient within a range bounded by a minimum allocatable amount and a maximum allocatable amount for each ingredient, thereby resulting in the recipe having the prescribed nutritional contributions of carbohydrates, proteins and fats; and   at least one processing unit configured to execute the instructions on the computer-readable medium, thereby generating the recipe;   wherein the communication device is further configured to deliver the recipe to a client device via electronic transmission.   
     
     
         22 . A meal planning system for automated meal planning as defined in  claim 21 , wherein the communications device is further configured to send electronic mail to a user, wherein the electronic mail prompts the user to submit updated user input, wherein the communications device is configured to receive updated user input from a client device. 
     
     
         23 . A meal planning system for automated meal planning as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the client information comprises a goal, wherein the system further comprises updated user input, wherein the updated user input comprises at least one designator selected from a group comprising weight, gender, activity level, and lean body mass, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise determining if the goal has been satisfied based on the updated user input. 
     
     
         24 . A meal planning system as defined in  claim 21 , wherein the at least one processing unit comprises a plurality of processing units. 
     
     
         25 . A meal planning system as defined in  claim 24 , wherein each processor of the plurality of processing units is in communication with the data storage device, the computer-readable medium and the communications device, and is configured to execute the instructions on the computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         26 . A meal planning system as defined in  claim 24 , wherein the plurality of processing units in the aggregate is in communication with the data storage device, the computer-readable medium, and the communications device, and is configured to execute the instructions on the computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         27 . A meal planning system as defined in  claim 21 , the recipe rule factors further comprising a nutritional priority value assigned to an ingredient designator annotating priority of use in satisfying of the plurality of nutritional allowances. 
     
     
         28 . A meal planning system as defined in  claim 27 , the computer-readable instructions that set a recipe allocation amount for each ingredient further comprising:
 (a) instructions for determining if the nutritional allowance of a selected nutrient from the plurality of nutrients is satisfied with the plurality of ingredients set at default values and proceeding to the following steps if not satisfied;   (b) instructions for selecting an ingredient assigned the highest priority value for the selected nutrient;   (c) instructions for attempting to satisfy the nutritional allowance of the first nutrient by adjusting the recipe allocation amount of the selected ingredient from the minimum allocatable amount up to the maximum allocatable amount, proceeding to step (d) if not satisfied and skipping to step (f) if satisfied;   (d) instructions for selecting a subsequent ingredient assigned a subsequent priority along the ordinal range for the first nutrient;   (e) instructions for attempting to satisfy the nutritional allowance of the selected nutrient by adjusting the recipe allocation amount of the subsequent ingredient from the minimum allocatable amount up to the maximum allocatable amount, repeating step (d) if not satisfied and proceeding to step (f) if satisfied; and   (f) instructions for repeating steps (a) through (e) for all of the plurality of nutrients.   
     
     
         29 . A computer-readable medium comprising:
 computer-readable instructions for processing client information received via electronic transmission to a communications device of a meal planning system, the client information comprising a goal and at least one designator selected from a group comprising weight, gender, activity level, and lean body mass;   computer-readable instructions for assigning a plurality of nutritional allowances, including nutritional allowances for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, the plurality of nutritional allowances based on the client information;   computer-readable instructions for obtaining a recipe template from a database, the recipe template having a plurality of ingredient designators and a plurality of recipe rule factors assigned to an ingredient designator to include at least one contribution value per unit measurement of ingredient for at least one of the plurality of nutrients;   computer-readable instructions for setting a recipe allocation amount for each ingredient within a range bounded by a minimum allocatable amount and a maximum allocatable amount for each ingredient to satisfy the plurality of nutritional allowances within a predetermined range for each nutritional allowance, thereby resulting in a recipe having nutritional contributions of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats within the predetermined range for each of the plurality of nutritional allowances;   computer-readable instructions for delivering the recipe with each ingredient and corresponding recipe allocation amount to a client device via electronic transmission;   computer-readable instructions for processing updated client information received via electronic transmission to the communications device of the meal planning system, the updated client information comprising at least one designator selected from a group comprising weight, gender, activity level, and lean body mass; and   computer readable instructions for determining if the goal has been satisfied based on the updated client information.