Ever tried to eat clean, but
ended up eating your emotions instead?
Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. You want to eat healthy.
You try. You Google “quick high protein meals,” open 7 tabs,
get overwhelmed, and eventually order fries. Again.
That’s where this story begins with a craving. Not just for food, but for clarity.
BITEWISE
Role:
Research
Visual Design
Prototype
An AI-powered meal planner that actually gets your chaotic food life.
Overview
Deliverables
Visuals
Imagine this …
You’ve just come back from a 5 day “clean eating” reset. You're motivated,
your gut’s feeling lighter than your to-do list, and you’re ready to nourish
yourself for real this time.
You open your fridge and… blank stare.
Uhhh what do
I make?
what has protein
in it?
wait.. is rajma carbs?
What has protein in it?
That was me.
And probably millions of others who want to eat right but get lost between
macros, recipes, and real-life chaos.
That’s when I knew:
What if there was an app that planned your meals, tracked your macros,
and actually worked like your nutritionist bestie?
And just like that I got obsessed.
Not just with solving this problem, but designing something functional,
emotional and fun to use.
Something that’s nit boring like a spreadsheet, but still nerdy enough to
know your zinc levels.
The Problem -
Chaos in the Kitchen
The struggle is real… and very much daily.
Why eating clean still feels like rocket science in 2025 ?
we’re surrounded by nutrition info. Reels scream “high protein”, YouTube
says “low carb”, and your favorite influencer’s oat bowl costs more than
rent.
Meanwhile, we just wanna eat something that’s healthy, quick, and
doesn’t make us cry midweek.And yet, here’s what people (including me)
still struggle with:
Decision Paralysis
Too many recipes. Too much advice. Not enough clarity.
Macros? Math? Make it stop
Tracking macros is too complex or feels robotic.
Apps either show way too much data or just… none.
Users need something intuitive that tells them what they need, why
and how to get it.
What's in the fridge stays in the fridge
Existing apps don’t let users just say “I have paneer, capsicum, and
15 minutes now what?
We need smart suggestions based on real life ingredients (and time constraints)
The Goal - Building a product that actually gives
a fork.
When I started working on this project, I didn’t just want to design a pretty app.
I wanted to solve a problem I personally struggled with and that so many people
around me constantly talked about:
“How do I eat better without stressing over it 24/7?”
So I set out to design a solution that guides, inspires and simplifies instead
of overwhelming.
Here were my core goals:
Personalized Nutrition That Feels Effortless
Build a system that tailors food ideas and plans based on your actual life
your mood, your fridge, and most importantly your body.
Make Use of What You Already Have
Design a flow where users can upload a photo or list ingredients and get smart, nutritious and doable recipe
ideas.
Smarter Tracking Without the Stress
Track macros and goals without making it feel like a science project.
Research - Listening before designing
Before jumping into design, I wanted to get a grounded sense of what people
actually go through in their day-to-day when it comes to eating healthy.
I didn’t conduct formal interviews or surveys instead, I leaned into observational
and secondary research across online and offline spaces.
Here’s what I explored:
Online Community Listening
I spent hours reading through Reddit threads, YouTube comments, and
Twitter/X posts from real users venting about their nutrition struggles.
This gave me an unfiltered, honest peek into what frustrates them about
existing apps and what they actually wish they had.
Some common pain points are:
"I don’t know what to cook with what I have."
“I never know how much protein I’m actually eating.”
“I want variety but hate planning.”
“I just want someone to tell me what to eat.”
Offline Observations & Informal Chats
I also casually spoke to people around me friends, family, neighbors
(especially working women and housewives) to understand their
day-to-day eating patterns, how they plan meals, and where things
get difficult.
This gave me an unfiltered, honest peek into what frustrates them
about existing apps and what they actually wish they had.
Some common pain points are:
"Home cooked meal is great.. but what to eat and how much to eat?"
“We want to eat healthy... but what exactly should we cook?”
Aunty next door told me: ‘Beta I know boiled food is healthy, but I
can’t eat that every day. I want something tasty that doesn’t feel like
punishment.’
The Design Playground
(a.k.a. Wireframing & Concept Testing)
Once I had the idea and insights, it was time to translate all that mental
chaos into visual clarity. I started sketching basic wireframes nothing
fancy, just whiteboard and a lot of backspacing in my brain.
I knew I wanted a flow that felt instantly useful and not overwhelming.
Indian kitchens are already chaotic enough we don’t need an app
adding to the mess.
My early concepts explored questions like:
- What should the user see first when they open the app?
- How do I make planning meals feel like a friend helping, not a chore?
- How can I reduce cognitive overload for users who are already juggling
10 things at once?
Some ideas got trashed (RIP to my unnecessarily complex calorie graph),
some evolved. But the fun part? It started to come together.
Visuals
view in details
105
Fats
80
Proteins
250
Carbs
1320
Kcal
Today, 20 March
1320
Kcal left
Eaten
435
Kcal
Total
1755
Kcal
Edit goals
24g
Fats
56g
Protein
200g
Carbs
Tuna Salad
394kcal
10 Ing
20 min
Nutritional info
Quinoa & Vegetable
Nutritional Summary
Calories : 350 Kcal
Fats: 10g
Protein: 12g
Carbs: 48g
Macro-nutrients
Fiber
7g
Vitamin A
40%
Vitamin c
60%
Iron
15%
Magnesium
20%
Zinc
10%
Add
Smart Recipe Generation
AI-powered recipe based on what’s in your kitchen
March 2025
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3 Week Weight
Loss
21-days meal plan
View plan
milk
eggs
wheat flour
Add
What’s in your kitchen?
Let’s create something amazing!
Generate
Breakfast
(07:00 - 10:00)
Lunch
(12:00 - 14:00)
Dinner
(18:00 - 20:00)
105g/250g
80g/89g
250g/350g
Micro breakdown
You’ve consumed most of your carbs already. Try focusing on protein-rich options next!
Fats
Proteins
Carbs
Onboarding
One of the hardest but most rewarding challenge i worked on was creating
the onboarding flow. The challenge was to capture enough user data to
personalize their experience without overwhelming users. so with the help
of AI tool called Base 44 i structured UX flow and then refine it in Figma.
Onboarding UX flow
Homepage
The homepage acts as the user's personal nutrition dashboard a
clean, intuitive space showing daily calorie breakdown, macronutrients,
and meal logs at a glance. It highlights meals by time slots (like
breakfast/lunch/dinner), making it easy to track what you ate and how
it fits into your daily goals. Quick logging, visual meal cards, and a
friendly tone make staying on track feel effortless.
Recipe page
This screen provides a detailed view of a recipe and macronutrient
breakdown (fat, protein, carbs). Users can view both Ingredients and
Step-by-step Directions via a toggle. The UI is clean and interactive,
with checklists for ingredients and start timers embedded in the
directions for a guided cooking experience.
Generate recipes with the help of AI
Ever stared at your kitchen shelf thinking, " what can i even make with this?"
Say less.
Bread
Cheese
Tomatoes
Spinach
Eggs
Mediterranean sandwich
285kcal
100g
25g
Fat
50g
Protein
100g
Carbs
25 min
Spinach pesto egg sandwich
285kcal
100g
25g
Fat
50g
Protein
100g
Carbs
25 min
This feature turns your random ingredients into delicious, nutrition-balanced meals
using AI. Just type (or snap a photo of) what's in your kitchen like bread, eggs, cheese
and tap Generate. Boom! Recipes tailored to what you have, not what you wish you had.
Search page
The Search tab lets users quickly find recipes and nutritionist-
approved meal plans tailored to their needs. From quick filters like
Breakfast, Dinner, Under 15 minutes to curated 21-day plans like
Keto reset or Vegan for week, everything’s organized for effortless
discovery.
Why this matters ?
We often look at athletes and celebs and think, “Ohh.. Eating
healthy must be expensive, hard, and they have experts who
makes personalized food plan for them, who will do it for me?”
I don’t want that to be the narrative. I believe anyone can eat
well if they have options, if it’s fun, and if someone (even AI!)
helps them along the way. In a world full of smart phones and
smart TVs, why not have a smart, personalized food plan too?
Designing this taught me that UX can be the bridge between
intention and action and I’m here to build that bridge.
What I learned ?
Designing this taught me how powerful food + UX can be in
making healthy living less overwhelming and more joyful.
I realized that good design isn’t just about aesthetics it’s
about empathy, clarity, and creating a sense of ease.
I’m constantly learning, and this project was one more
step in becoming a designer who builds with both purpose
and care.
Next project
Bites – The Bitewise Design System
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#408B40
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#BFD8BF
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24g
Fats
56g
Protein
200g
Carbs
Tuna Salad
394kcal
10 Ing
20 min
24g
Fats
56g
Protein
200g
Carbs
Fruits bowl
394kcal
10 Ing
20 min
24g
Fats
56g
Protein
200g
Carbs
Mango shake
394kcal
10 Ing
20 min
20g
Fat
55g
Protein
75g
Carbs
Mango shake
394kcal
250g
20 min
Sunday
20 March
Log meals
Welcome back
Vaibhavi
Breakfast
(07:00 - 10:00)
Lunch
(12:00 - 14:00)
Dinner
(18:00 - 20:00)
view in details
105
Fats
80
Proteins
250
Carbs
1320
Kcal
9:41
1320
Kcal left
105g/250g
Fats
80g/89g
Proteins
250g/350g
Carbs
Progress Indicators
The secret ingredient behind Bitewise’s clean, consistent UI? A system called Bites.