Dietary Definitions
We take dietary labels seriously. Here's exactly what each filter means on Food 400° so you can browse with confidence.
🥚 Vegetarian
On Food 400°, vegetarian means lacto-ovo vegetarian. These recipes contain no meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish, and no ingredients derived from animal slaughter (like gelatin, lard, or animal rennet). They may contain:
• Eggs and egg products
• Dairy — milk, butter, cream, cheese, yogurt
• Honey
Recipes that contain chicken stock, beef broth, fish sauce, oyster sauce, Worcestershire sauce (which contains anchovies), or any other animal-based stock or sauce are not labeled vegetarian.
🌱 Vegan
No animal products of any kind — no meat, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, whey, casein, or other animal-derived ingredients. Plant-based milks (coconut, almond, oat, soy) and plant-based alternatives are fine. If a recipe is labeled vegan, it is also vegetarian.
💪 High Protein
At least 30% of the recipe's calories come from protein, or the recipe provides 25g or more of protein per serving. Calculated from estimated nutritional data using USDA FoodData Central values.
🥗 Low Carb
25% or less of the recipe's calories come from net carbs (total carbohydrates minus dietary fiber). This is an energy ratio, not an absolute gram count — a large chicken salad with 30g of carbs can still qualify as low-carb if protein and fat provide most of the energy, while a small glass of juice with 20g of carbs does not because nearly 100% of its energy comes from sugar.
A note on accuracy
Dietary classifications are generated through AI analysis of each recipe's full ingredient list, cross-referenced with the recipe title and category. Nutritional values are estimated using USDA FoodData Central data. While we do our best to be accurate, these labels are provided for convenience and should not replace your own judgment — especially if you have allergies or strict dietary requirements.
If you spot an error, let us know — we'd rather fix it than have someone eat something they shouldn't.