Menu Planning & Calorie Calculation Software
Ycater is a catering menu-planning software that calculates per-portion calories and cost together, using a built-in USDA-based reference table. In bulk-meal businesses, menu planning and stock/cost tracking are usually run in disconnected tools. In Ycater, menus, recipes, and stock share the same data: when you add a dish to a menu, the raw-material quantity needed for that day's production is calculated automatically.
From recipe to menu
You define each dish by ingredient quantities (e.g. "1 portion of lentil soup: 40 g red lentils, 10 g onion, ..."). When you add that dish to a daily or weekly menu, the raw-material quantity needed for the planned number of portions flows into the stock module.
Where do the calorie values come from?
Calorie values come from a built-in reference table compiled from the USDA FoodData Central public food composition database. The value can also be edited manually for any product. Ycater never generates calorie values for any product using an AI estimate; calorie information only ever comes from this reference table or from a value the user enters manually.
Per-portion visibility
Once a recipe is complete, per-portion calories and raw-material cost appear on the same screen; when planning a menu you evaluate nutrition value and cost at the same time.
Who is it for?
Suited for corporate cafeterias, catering businesses serving school and institutional meal programs, and teams that need to report per-portion nutrition values.
Frequently asked questions
Are calorie values estimated by AI?
No. Ycater never generates calorie values for any product using an AI estimate; calorie information only ever comes from the built-in USDA-based reference table or from a value the user enters manually. That distinction matters for businesses whose nutrition reporting is subject to regulatory review.
Can I override a value from the reference table?
Yes, the suggested calorie value for any product can be edited manually; if you have your own measurement or supplier data, you can enter it in place of the reference-table value.
Does calorie data update automatically when a recipe changes?
Yes, changing an ingredient quantity in a recipe automatically recalculates the per-portion calorie value as well; no separate step is needed.
Want to see the menu and calorie module with your own recipes?