Wolfram Language™

Visualize Nutrition in Terms of Daily Recommended Values

The Wolfram Knowledgebase includes not only detailed properties and nutritional information for more than 37,000 "Food" and 1000 "FoodType" entities, but also data on Daily Recommended Values for 176 nutrients. Together, these extensive datasets allow virtually any meal's nutritional content to be explored computationally, then intuitively visualized using a simple plot.

In[1]:=

EntityValue["Nutrient", "EntityCount"]

Out[1]=

Retrieve a list of nutrient Daily Recommended Values based on a 2000 Calorie/day diet.

In[2]:=

allDailyValues = Append[DeleteMissing[ EntityValue["Nutrient", "DailyValue", "EntityAssociation"]], Entity["Nutrient", "Energy"] -> Quantity[2000, ("LargeCalories")/("Days")]]*Quantity[1, "Days"]

Out[2]=

Map food properties to nutrients.

In[3]:=

propertyNutrientRules = {EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteSodiumContent"] -> Entity["Nutrient", "Sodium"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteTotalCarbohydratesContent"] -> Entity["Nutrient", "TotalCarbohydrates"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteTotalFatContent"] -> Entity["Nutrient", "TotalFat"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteTotalFiberContent"] -> Entity["Nutrient", "TotalFiber"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteIronContent"] -> Entity["Nutrient", "Iron"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteTotalCaloriesContent"] -> Entity["Nutrient", "Energy"]};

Encode a typical breakfast using EntityGroup and EntityInstance.

In[4]:=

breakfast = EntityGroup[{ EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", { EntityProperty["Food", "CookingMethod"] -> Entity[ "CookingMethod", "HardBoiled"], EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "Egg"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[2, "Servings"]], EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", {EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "Bacon"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[3, "Slices"]], EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", {EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "HashBrown"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[1, "Servings"]], EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", {EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "OrangeJuice"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[2, "Servings"]] }];

Construct a "compass plot" showing radially nested hexagons indicating 50%, 100% (marked in green), and 150% of Daily Recommended Values for six primary nutrients.

In[5]:=

compassPlot[ent : _EntityGroup | {__EntityGroup}, opts : OptionsPattern[Graphics]] := Module[{data, n, circlePoints, dailyValues, scaledData, coordinates, fillStyle, opacityStyle, pointStyle, labelCoordPairs, missingPositions, rMax}, (* Get data, total up nutrients *) data = EntityValue[ Replace[ent, eg_EntityGroup :> {eg}], {EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteTotalCarbohydratesContent"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteTotalFatContent"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteSodiumContent"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteTotalFiberContent"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteIronContent"], EntityProperty["Food", "AbsoluteTotalCaloriesContent"]}, "PropertyAssociation" ]; data = Merge[data, Total]; (* Get DailyValues, scale data to DailyValues *) dailyValues = Keys[data] /. propertyNutrientRules /. allDailyValues; scaledData = 100*AssociationThread[ Keys[data], (Values[data]/dailyValues) /. {_Missing -> Quantity[0, "Grams"]}]; (* Compute the coordinates for each of the points *) n = Length[data]; circlePoints = CirclePoints[n]; missingPositions = Cases[MapIndexed[If[Not[FreeQ[#, _Missing]], #2] &, Values[data]], _Integer, Infinity]; coordinates = Normal@AssociationThread[Keys[scaledData], circlePoints*Values[scaledData]]; (* Precompute the label-coordinate pairs *) labelCoordPairs = Thread[Keys[data] -> circlePoints] /. {_Missing -> Quantity[0, "Grams"]}; fillStyle = Opacity[0.5, Black]; opacityStyle = Opacity[0.01, Black]; pointStyle = Blue; rMax = 150; (* Create the plot *) Graphics[{ (* Add lines from the center outwards to indicate "axes" for the \ nutrients *) {Thin, Opacity[0.75], Gray, Dashed, Line[{{0, 0}, #}]} & /@ (rMax*circlePoints), (* For each position, draw a triangle and a line (taking missing values into account) *) MapIndexed[ With[{currentPosition = First[#2], nextPosition = Replace[First[#2] + 1, (n + 1) -> 1]}, { (* For each position, draw a triangle (origin -> point -> next point) *) { fillStyle, EdgeForm[], Polygon[ {{0, 0}, coordinates[[currentPosition, 2]], coordinates[[nextPosition, 2]]}, VertexColors -> { fillStyle, If[MemberQ[missingPositions, currentPosition], opacityStyle, fillStyle], If[MemberQ[missingPositions, nextPosition], opacityStyle, fillStyle] } ] // If[MemberQ[missingPositions, nextPosition | currentPosition], Tooltip[#, Missing["NotAvailable"]] &, Identity] }, (* Connect two points if neither of them are missing data *) If[ FreeQ[missingPositions, nextPosition | currentPosition], {Thickness[0.0033], Gray, Line[{coordinates[[currentPosition, 2]], coordinates[[nextPosition, 2]]}]} ] } ] &, coordinates[[;; -1, -1]]], (* For each non-missing position, put a small point *) { pointStyle, PointSize[0.0100], Tooltip[Point[coordinates[[#, 2]]], Grid[{{ToString[ Round[100*(data[[#]]/dailyValues[[#]]), 0.1]] <> " %", "", coordinates[[#, 1]]}, {data[[#]], "of", dailyValues[[#]]}}]] } & /@ Complement[Range[n], Flatten[missingPositions]], (* Radially nested polygons to indicate 50%, 100%, 150%, etc... of DV *) Table[ {Thin, Opacity[0.75], Sequence @@ If[r === 100, {Thick, Darker@Green}, {Gray, Dashed}], Tooltip[Line[r*Join[circlePoints, circlePoints[[;; 1]]]], ToString[r] <> "%"]}, {r, 50, rMax, 50}], (* Label the axes afterwards so that they aren't covered/ unreadable *) {Text[ Style[StringTrim@ StringReplace[ EntityValue[#1, "Description"], ("absolute" | "content") -> ""]], (rMax*1.175)*#2]} & @@@ labelCoordPairs }, opts ] ]

In[6]:=

compassPlot[breakfast]

Out[6]=

Specify lunch and dinner in addition to breakfast.

In[7]:=

lunch = EntityGroup[{ EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", {EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "PeanutButter"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[2, "Tablespoons"]], EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", {EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "Bread"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[2, "Slices"]], EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", {EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "Jelly"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[1, "Servings"]] }];

In[8]:=

dinner = EntityGroup[{ EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", {EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "Spaghetti"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[1, "Servings"]], EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", {EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "Meatball"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[3, "Items"]], EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", { EntityProperty["Food", "BrandName"] -> Entity[ "FoodBrandName", "Bertolli"], EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "Sauce"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[1.5, "Servings"]], EntityInstance[Entity[ "Food", { EntityProperty["Food", "Flavor"] -> Entity[ "FoodFlavor", "Cola"], EntityProperty["Food", "FoodType"] -> ContainsExactly[{ Entity["FoodType", "CarbonatedBeverage"]}], EntityProperty[ "Food", "AddedFoodTypes"] -> ContainsExactly[{}]}], Quantity[1, "USSodaCanVolumes"]] }];

Visualize incremental nutrition coverage after each meal.

In[9]:=

Grid[Partition[ MapThread[ compassPlot[#1, PlotLabel -> #2] &, {Rest[ FoldList[ Append, {}, {breakfast, lunch, dinner}]], {"After Breakfast", "After Lunch", "After Dinner"}}], UpTo[2]]]

Out[9]=