How are VitaPoints calculated?
VitaPoints sum up in one number what a food is worth for your balance: its calories, but also its quality. Two foods with the same calories do not always have the same points, and that is on purpose.
The rule, in 5 points
The calculation is made for 100 g of each food, from its official nutrition values, then scaled to the amount you eat.
1.Calories, the base
1 point per 60 kcal. The more calories a food has, the more it counts.
2.Saturated fat counts on top
+0.45 point per gram of saturated fat (butter, cheese, pastries, cured meats, fried food).
3.So do added sugars
+0.2 point per gram of added sugars (sodas, desserts, sweets). The natural sugar of fruit, milk and plain yoghurt only counts +0.12.
4.Protein and fibre lower the score
−0.11 point per gram of protein and −0.09 per gram of fibre (up to 10 g): they fill you up until the next meal. A food never goes below 0.
5.Fresh fruit and vegetables: 0 points
Plain, light fruit and vegetables (up to 90 kcal and 3 g of fat per 100 g): eat them without counting. Dried fruit, juice, compotes, fruit in syrup, avocado or cooked vegetable dishes keep their points.
Real examples
Calculated with the app’s formula, for a usual portion.
| Food (portion) | kcal | Points |
|---|
| 1 apple (150 g)Fresh fruit: 0 points. | 81 | 0 |
| Carrots (100 g)Fresh vegetable: 0 points. | 30 | 0 |
| Chicken breast (120 g)High in protein, little saturated fat. | 198 | 0 |
| Cooked white rice (150 g)Mostly calories, nothing to add. | 195 | 3 |
| 1 plain yoghurt (125 g)Natural milk sugar, protein. | 76 | 3 |
| ½ avocado (100 g)Good fats, but very rich: it keeps its points. | 160 | 3 |
| 1 glass of orange juice (20 cl)Juice is sugar without the fruit’s fibre. | 91 | 6 |
| 1 can of cola (33 cl)Added sugar only. | 132 | 9 |
| 1 croissant (60 g)Butter (saturated fat) and sugar. | 244 | 8 |
| 2 scoops of ice cream (100 g)Added sugar and saturated fat. | 191 | 10 |
| 1 Big Mac (232 g)Calories, saturated fat and sugar from the sauce and bun. | 530 | 12 |
Calorie for calorie, quality makes the difference
A chicken and rice meal (393 kcal) counts 3 points, while a single croissant (244 kcal) counts 8. The croissant has fewer calories but mostly butter and sugar; the meal keeps you full far longer.
Your daily points budget
Your budget comes from your calorie target, calculated from your profile: 1 point per 50 kcal of target. For a 1,800 kcal target, that is 36 points a day.
The budget is a little wider than calories alone, because saturated fat and sugar add points: a balanced day at your target fits in it, a day high in sugar and fat goes over. That is where points become useful.
With the Fitness section, workouts give points back: 1 bonus point per 100 kcal burned, about half the energy, as burn estimates are often optimistic.
Good to know
- Each journal entry is rounded up to the next point, so no portion looks free by mistake (fresh fruit and vegetables aside).
- In the search, points are shown for one serving when it is known, otherwise per 100 g: check the amount when you add it.
- If the formula changes, meals already logged keep their original points: your history does not move.
- Nutrition values come from the official Ciqual table (Anses) and from Open Food Facts for store-bought products and fast food.
- The formula is vita-fit’s own, built from public nutrition guidelines. It does not copy any commercial method.
Educational information, not a substitute for medical advice. See the history of changes.
