The VitalPlate Shopping Buddy is a Chrome browser extension that rides along with you on Instacart. As you browse, it reads the product names on the page and checks them against your plan — so the foods your plan says to avoid are flagged right where you’re shopping, before they ever reach your cart.
It’s the same scoring you already trust in the app, brought to the place where the decisions actually happen. If you’re new to how VitalPlate scores food, see Understanding your food scores.
What it does while you shop
- Flags items to avoid. As products appear on the Instacart page, the Shopping Buddy marks the ones your plan says to skip with an Avoid or Caution label.
- Keeps your list beside you. Your VitalPlate shopping list shows alongside the page, so you can tap an item to drop it straight into Instacart’s search.
- Uses your real plan. Verdicts reflect your conditions, medications, allergies, and food sensitivities — the same health profile the app uses.
The three verdicts
| Label | What it means |
|---|---|
| Good fit | No flags — this product fits your plan. (Shown as the absence of a warning.) |
| Caution | Worth a closer look — something here is borderline for your plan. |
| Avoid | Your plan flags this product as one to skip. |
The Shopping Buddy is read-only. It never touches your cart and never touches your Instacart login — it only reads the product names that are already visible on the page and checks them against your plan. See What the Shopping Buddy can and can’t see.
What you need
- The Chrome browser on a computer.
- A VitalPlate account — you sign in with the same passwordless email code you use in the app.
- The extension installed from Chrome. See Install the Shopping Buddy.
The Shopping Buddy is decision support, not medical advice. It helps you spot foods to avoid, but the final call is always yours — and your doctor’s or dietitian’s.