When VitalPlate plans a meal, it doesn’t just score the main dish. It adds up the nutrients across everything on the plate — the main, any sides, and a dessert — and combines all their ingredients, then scores the plate as a whole.
That means a great main with a very salty side can still come out as Caution — because the plate, together, is what you actually eat. It also means swapping one side can change the whole meal’s score.
Seeing a meal you didn’t expect at Caution or Avoid? Open it to see which item carries the flag, then swap that piece. See How meal plans are built.