Sources of Recommendations

Paku is a food tracking app built to help you cultivate more mindful eating habits. It provides insights into how different foods and products may affect your body. However, Paku is not a medical device and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition.

We do not offer personalized dietary or medical guidance for individuals with specific health needs—such as food allergies, eating disorders, or diabetes. For any health-related concerns or treatment decisions, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Our mission is to help you understand the pros and cons of various foods and gently guide you toward healthier eating patterns through mindful tracking.

Paku's information is derived from publicly available sources listed below. We are not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, these sources.

Calorie Recommendations

Your recommended daily calorie intake is estimated using the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which calculates your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) — the number of calories your body needs to maintain basic functions at rest. Based on your BMR, activity level, and goal (such as maintaining, losing, or gaining weight), we estimate your total daily calorie needs.

• Females: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) − 161
• Males: (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) − (5 × age in years) + 5

BMI (Body Mass Index):

• About Body Mass Index (BMI) – CDC

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate):

• Mifflin MD, St Jeor ST, Hill LA, Scott BJ, Daugherty SA, Koh YO. A new predictive equation for resting energy expenditure in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990 Feb;51(2):241-7. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/51.2.241. PMID: 2305711.

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure):

• Hussain, Panwala & Mukesh, Patil & Upadhyay, Jitendrakumar & Boddula, Rajamouli. (2024). Comprehensive Review on BMI, TDEE, BMR, and Calories for Weight Management: Insights into Energy Expenditure and Nutrient Balance for Long-Term Well-Being. International Research Journal on Advanced Engineering and Management

Diet strategies for weight loss and weight gain:

• Kim JY. Optimal Diet Strategies for Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. J Obes Metab Syndr. 2021 Mar 30;30(1):20-31. doi: 10.7570/jomes20065. PMID: 33107442; PMCID: PMC8017325
• Bray GA, Redman LM, Rood J, de Jonge L, Smith SR. Effect of Overeating Dietary Protein at Different Levels on Circulating Lipids and Liver Lipid: The PROOF Study. Nutrients. 2020 Dec 11;12(12):3801. doi: 10.3390/nu12123801. PMID: 33322340; PMCID: PMC7763540
• Romieu I, Dossus L, Barquera S, Blottière HM, Franks PW, Gunter M, Hwalla N, Hursting SD, Leitzmann M, Margetts B, Nishida C, Potischman N, Seidell J, Stepien M, Wang Y, Westerterp K, Winichagoon P, Wiseman M, Willett WC; IARC working group on Energy Balance and Obesity. Energy balance and obesity: what are the main drivers? Cancer Causes Control. 2017 Mar;28(3):247-258. doi: 10.1007/s10552-017-0869-z. Epub 2017 Feb 17. PMID: 28210884; PMCID: PMC5325830.
• Ostendorf DM, Caldwell AE, Creasy SA, Pan Z, Lyden K, Bergouignan A, MacLean PS, Wyatt HR, Hill JO, Melanson EL, Catenacci VA. Physical Activity Energy Expenditure and Total Daily Energy Expenditure in Successful Weight Loss Maintainers. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2019 Mar;27(3):496-504. doi: 10.1002/oby.22373. PMID: 30801984; PMCID: PMC6392078.