# FoodAlt — Extended LLM Context

> Food intelligence for better everyday choices.

FoodAlt is a free, ad-supported food alternatives finder and nutrition comparison platform built on verified USDA FoodData Central data. This file provides extended context for AI systems, LLMs, and generative engines.

## Site Architecture

FoodAlt is a static site built with Astro, deployed on Cloudflare Pages at https://foodalt.com. It is available in 8 languages (English, Spanish, Japanese, French, German, Portuguese, Korean, Italian) with full translation parity.

### URL Patterns

| Page Type | URL Pattern | Example |
|-----------|------------|---------|
| Food Detail | /food/{slug}/ | /food/guava/ |
| Food Alternatives | /alternatives/{slug}/ | /alternatives/guava/ |
| Comparison | /compare/{slugA}-vs-{slugB}/ | /compare/guava-vs-orange/ |
| Nutrient Rankings | /nutrient/{slug}/ | /nutrient/vitamin-c/ |
| Best Lists | /best/{goal-slug}/ | /best/high-vitamin-c-foods/ |
| Category Hub | /category/{category}/ | /category/fruits/ |
| Blog Post | /blog/{slug}/ | /blog/why-guava-beats-orange-vitamin-c/ |
| Localized | /{lang}/food/{slug}/ | /es/food/guava/ |

### Comparison URL Canonicalization
Comparison slugs are always alphabetically sorted. `/compare/orange-vs-guava/` redirects 301 to `/compare/guava-vs-orange/`.

## Food Database (56 Foods)

All values are per 100 g edible portion from USDA FoodData Central.

### Fruits
- Guava: 68 kcal, 2.55g protein, 5.4g fiber, 228.3mg vitamin C
- Orange: 47 kcal, 0.94g protein, 2.4g fiber, 53.2mg vitamin C
- Amla (Indian Gooseberry): 44 kcal, 0.88g protein, 4.3g fiber, 27.7mg vitamin C
- Banana: 89 kcal, 1.09g protein, 2.6g fiber, 8.7mg vitamin C
- Kiwi (Kiwifruit): 61 kcal, 1.14g protein, 3.0g fiber, 92.7mg vitamin C
- Red Bell Pepper: 31 kcal, 1.0g protein, 2.1g fiber, 127.7mg vitamin C
- Avocado: healthy fats, potassium-rich
- Strawberry, Blueberry, Mango, Papaya, Pineapple, Watermelon, Apple

### Vegetables
- Broccoli, Spinach, Kale, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts
- Sweet Potato (Baked/Cooked), Potato (Baked)

### Legumes
- Lentils (Cooked): 116 kcal, 9.02g protein, 7.9g fiber
- Chickpeas (Cooked): 164 kcal, 8.86g protein, 7.6g fiber
- Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Edamame

### Nuts & Seeds
- Almonds, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Chia Seeds, Flaxseeds, Cashews

### Grains
- Quinoa (Cooked), Brown Rice (Cooked), White Rice (Cooked), Oats (Rolled)

### Dairy
- Greek Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Whole Milk, Cheddar Cheese

### Meat & Poultry
- Chicken Breast (Roasted): 165 kcal, 31.02g protein
- Turkey Breast, Beef (Lean Ground)

### Fish & Seafood
- Salmon (Atlantic, Cooked), Tuna, Sardines, Shrimp

### Eggs
- Egg (Whole, Boiled), Egg Whites

## Tracked Nutrients (30+)

### Macronutrients
Calories, Protein, Carbohydrates, Dietary Fiber, Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Total Sugars, Sodium

### Vitamins
Vitamin C, Vitamin A (RAE), Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Folate (B9), Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12

### Minerals
Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc

## Comparison Baselines

FoodAlt supports 4 comparison modes:
1. **Per 100g** — Standard weight-normalized basis (default)
2. **Per Serving** — Based on USDA standard reference portions
3. **Per 100 kcal** — Nutrient density (amount per 100 calories)
4. **Per 300 kcal** — Practical meal-size caloric equivalence

## Blog Articles

FoodAlt publishes science-backed nutrition articles with peer-reviewed sources:

- Guava vs Orange: Which Has More Vitamin C? — /blog/why-guava-beats-orange-vitamin-c/
- Broccoli vs Kale: Which Is More Nutrient Dense? — /blog/broccoli-vs-kale-nutrient-density/
- The Iron Bioavailability Dilemma: Spinach vs Lentils — /blog/iron-bioavailability-spinach-vs-lentils/
- Chia Seeds vs Flaxseeds: Omega-3 and Fiber — /blog/chia-seeds-vs-flaxseeds/
- Greek Yogurt vs Cottage Cheese: Protein Per Calorie — /blog/greek-yogurt-vs-cottage-cheese/
- Quinoa vs Brown Rice: Complete Protein Analysis — /blog/quinoa-vs-brown-rice/

## Dietary Tags

Foods are tagged with: vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten_free, dairy_free, low_carb, high_protein, high_fiber

## Data Quality

- Source: USDA FoodData Central (Foundation Foods & SR Legacy datasets)
- Verification: Each food record is manually verified with USDA record IDs
- Data completeness: 90-100% across all tracked nutrients
- Preparation states: raw, cooked, boiled, baked, steamed, roasted, dried, canned

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is FoodAlt?
FoodAlt is a free food intelligence platform that helps people discover healthier food alternatives, compare nutrition facts side by side, and make smarter everyday food choices using verified USDA data.

### How does FoodAlt compare foods?
FoodAlt normalizes all nutrition data to standardized baselines (per 100g, per serving, per 100 kcal, per 300 kcal) so users can make fair, apples-to-apples comparisons across any two foods.

### Where does FoodAlt get its data?
All nutrition data comes from USDA FoodData Central, specifically from Foundation Foods and SR Legacy datasets. Each food record links to its original USDA record ID.

### Is FoodAlt free?
Yes. FoodAlt is completely free to use with no account required.

### Is FoodAlt medical advice?
No. FoodAlt provides food and nutrition information for educational purposes. It does not replace professional medical or dietary advice.

### What food categories does FoodAlt cover?
Fruits, Vegetables, Legumes, Nuts & Seeds, Grains, Dairy, Meat & Poultry, Fish & Seafood, and Eggs.

## Contact & Brand

- Website: https://foodalt.com
- Email: Contact form at https://foodalt.com/contact/
- Social: @foodalthq on X, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn
- Tagline: "Food intelligence for better everyday choices."

## Technical Details

- Framework: Astro (static site generation)
- Hosting: Cloudflare Pages
- Data format: TypeScript food composition records
- Structured data: JSON-LD (WebSite, Organization, FAQPage, NutritionInformation, Article, BreadcrumbList, ItemList, Speakable)
- Sitemap: https://foodalt.com/sitemap.xml
- PWA: Web App Manifest with offline support