How an automatic meal planner can work from nutrition targets

It proposes a starting plan, not a perfect diet

An automatic meal planner is useful when it can work around what is already planned, show why each suggestion was chosen and let you change the result. MorselMetrics Autofill considers reviewed catalogue recipes for the dates and empty meal slots you select. It can plan for one or two adults, with each person’s own portions and reference profile.

The search uses the plan’s reported nutrient amounts to prefer combinations that move each selected person closer to their applicable daily references or optional personal targets. It also considers the dietary preference, reviewed ingredient exclusions, equipment, preparation time, allowed portion size, recipe-family repeats and applicable upper-reference checks. Existing meals stay in place.

1. Set the person before setting the target

Start in Household settings. Save the adult’s age and reference group so MorselMetrics can select the matching Australian and New Zealand Nutrient Reference Values. An RDI is an intake level designed to meet the needs of nearly all healthy people in a particular life-stage and sex group; an AI is used when an RDI cannot be set. They are reference values, not a diagnosis or a personal prescription. The official NRV introduction explains the distinctions.

Optional personal targets can then express a planning preference for a particular date range. MorselMetrics keeps these separate from the published references. You can enter a daily amount, an increase from the person’s reference, or simply ask Autofill to prioritise a nutrient. Use a clinician’s advice for a medically prescribed target; the planner does not derive one from symptoms or health conditions.

1. Open the planner and choose Autofill. In week view, choose one to seven dates; a one-day allowance shows one day only.
2. Select empty meal slots. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack can be included separately. Filled slots are not replaced.
3. Select one or two adults. Check the saved reference shown for each person.
4. Review preferences. Choose the dietary preference, exclusions, largest personal portion, optional targets, time and equipment.
5. Preview suggestions. This creates a reviewable proposal; it does not yet change the plan or shopping list.

2. Read the preview as a calculation

Suppose one adult has three meals already entered for Tuesday and asks Autofill to propose dinner. The following figures are illustrative arithmetic, not food-composition values or recommended intakes. They show how to read a preview when data are complete—and when they are not.

The protein calculation is 52 + 18 = 70 g. The calcium calculation is 780 + 310 = 1,090 mg. Neither percentage says the suggested dinner is “healthy” overall. For iron, the visible 11.3 mg is a reported subtotal; the missing value is not zero, so MorselMetrics does not treat the comparison as complete.

The Australian Food Composition Database reports 58 core nutrients and may report other components depending on data availability. That is why checking coverage belongs inside the selection process, not as an afterthought.

3. Review the food, portion and remaining gaps

In the preview, start with whether you would actually cook and eat the meals. Then check the details in this order:

• People and portions: the proposed portion is personal; the prepared amount can be larger when more than one person is included or food remains unassigned.
• Existing meals: Autofill includes their reported contributions. A missing portion makes that person’s comparison incomplete.
• Still below reference: a preview may leave some nutrients below a reference. It should say so rather than filling every gap with implausible portions.
• Incomplete data: open the nutrient detail. “Not reported” means the comparison cannot be completed from the selected records.
• Practical fit: check time, equipment, repetition and exclusions. Ingredient exclusions are based on reviewed recipe records; they do not certify allergen safety or kitchen cross-contact.
• Upper references: a selection check can avoid adding to a reported amount above an applicable upper reference. It cannot prove safety when exposure data are incomplete.

Use Try another for one unlocked slot or Try different unlocked meals for the proposal. A reroll may keep a meal when no other eligible combination fits. The preview tells you what changed instead of promising novelty.

4. Treat the result as a draft you can improve

Autofill searches a reviewed recipe catalogue under the selected constraints; it does not search every possible food or prove that a complete solution exists. Search limits, a narrow dietary filter, missing equipment, a small recipe pool or strict repetition settings can leave a slot empty. A plan can also remain below a reference or unresolved after the best available suggestion.

Each day is assessed separately. A strong Wednesday cannot erase an incomplete Tuesday inside the selection logic. After adding the meals, inspect the planner’s day and week views, then adjust a meal manually if needed. The weekly planning guide shows how to do that without rebuilding the whole plan.

A reference comparison describes planned food data. It does not establish what was eaten, absorbed or required for a particular medical situation. A persistent concern about intake, supplements or symptoms belongs with an appropriately qualified health professional.

Keep exploring

Reviewed 12 October 2026 against MorselMetrics Autofill, personal-target, nutrient-comparison and planner code. Source checks: Australian and New Zealand Nutrient Reference Values (Eat for Health) and Australian Food Composition Database Release 3 (FSANZ), linked above. Example numbers are labelled illustrative calculations, not values for named foods or individual advice.