How we calculate the calorie numbers you see on this site.
Transparency is the only credibility a nutrition site has. Here is exactly how every figure on CalorieSense is sourced, computed, reviewed, and updated under the editorial standards set by our publisher, Freedom Media.
Our data sources
Every calorie figure published on CalorieSense is built from one or more of the following authoritative sources. We do not invent numbers. We do not estimate. We compute from referenced data.
IFCT 2017
The Indian Food Composition Tables, published by the National Institute of Nutrition (Indian Council of Medical Research), Hyderabad. Covers 528 Indian foods with macro and micronutrient data.
USDA FoodData Central
United States Department of Agriculture’s nutrient database. Used for ingredients not listed in IFCT, or for cross-verification of overlapping items.
Peer-reviewed journals
Indian Journal of Medical Research, British Journal of Nutrition, AJCN, and equivalent peer-reviewed publications for any claim that goes beyond raw nutrient counts.
Kitchen testing
Real Indian portion sizes (medium roti, standard katori, regional variations) verified through home and small-restaurant cooking tests with weighing scales.
Our content workflow
Every published article goes through a four-step process before it appears on CalorieSense. This workflow is documented in Freedom Media’s internal editorial handbook and applied consistently across all our consumer information properties.
Research & data extraction
Base nutrient values are pulled from IFCT 2017 (primary) and USDA FoodData Central (secondary). Every figure is linked to a specific source row, not interpolated. Source attribution is logged in our internal content database for audit.
Indian portion calibration
Generic 100g serving sizes are converted to real Indian portion conventions: a medium roti is approximately 30g, one katori dal is approximately 150g, one ladle of sabzi is approximately 100g. These conventions are documented in our internal portion guide and reviewed quarterly against fresh kitchen tests.
Preparation modifiers
Common Indian cooking modifiers are added to the base figure: ghee at 45 kcal per teaspoon, oil at 40 kcal per teaspoon, masala tempering at 15 to 30 kcal per dish. Where home preparation varies significantly, we publish a range, not a single number.
Editorial review & publishing
Every article is reviewed by the editorial team for factual accuracy, source attribution, and clarity. YMYL content (related to medical conditions, weight loss claims, or specific health populations) receives an additional review pass focused on safety and appropriate caveats. Where available, content in specialised categories is reviewed by external credentialed advisors before publication.
External review & advisory
For specific high-stakes content categories, diabetes-related nutrition, pregnancy and breastfeeding, paediatric nutrition, eating disorder considerations, we engage external advisors with relevant clinical or academic credentials to review content before publication. These advisors are engaged on a per-article or per-category basis through Freedom Media’s contributor framework.
We deliberately do not publicly name individual reviewers without their written consent. Where a contributor has agreed to public attribution, their name and credentials are listed on the relevant article. Where consent is withheld, the article is published with a generic “reviewed by qualified contributor” note. We never claim a review that did not happen.
Open call for credentialed reviewers
CalorieSense is actively expanding its external advisor network. If you hold IDA registration, an MSc in Clinical Nutrition or Dietetics, or equivalent international credentials, and would like to review content in your area of specialisation, please write to partners@caloriesense.in.
Engagement is paid, transparent, and credit can be public or anonymous as you prefer.
What we never do
- Publish a calorie figure without an underlying source.
- Promote any commercial diet plan, supplement, or weight-loss product in exchange for payment. This restriction is enforced at the Freedom Media publisher level across all our properties.
- Make medical claims (cure, treat, prevent) about any food.
- Hide ranges. If the real-world preparation produces a 200 to 400 calorie range, we publish that range, not a single flattering number.
- Use AI-generated content without human editorial review and source verification.
- Attribute reviews to professionals who did not actually review the content.
- Publish content that demonises Indian foods or recommends unsustainable restrictions.
How we handle updates & corrections
Nutrition science evolves. Indian portion conventions vary by region. If we find an error, or if updated data becomes available, we update the article and add an update note at the bottom indicating what changed and when.
If you spot an error, please contact us with the article URL and the suspected mistake. We respond to corrections within 5 working days. Verified errors are corrected within 2 working days of confirmation. Significant corrections are logged in our public corrections page (forthcoming).
Use of AI in our editorial process
We use AI tools for drafting assistance, formatting, and consistency checks across the Freedom Media network. We do not use AI to invent calorie numbers, fabricate citations, or replace human editorial judgment. Every published article is reviewed by a human editor against original source data before going live. The numbers come from databases, not from language models. This policy is identical across every Freedom Media property.
Editorial independence
CalorieSense, like every Freedom Media property, is independently owned and is not affiliated with any food brand, supplement company, diet program, or healthcare provider. Our editorial decisions are not influenced by advertisers. If a page contains an affiliate link or a sponsored mention, it will be clearly disclosed inline and at the top of the article. Freedom Media’s commercial team is structurally separate from its editorial team and has no input into nutrition content.
Found something that does not match your kitchen?
Indian cooking is regional. If a portion size or preparation method on our site does not match yours, tell us. The more real-world inputs we get, the better the database becomes.