IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Eat Real Food

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

7 Most Prevalent Themes

  1. Praise for protein prioritization and anti-processed foods
    Shift to high protein (1.2–1.6g/kg), veggies/fruits, whole grains over refined carbs welcomed. "I'm pleasantly surprised, this is actually really good." (overgard); "Nothing helped until I switched to this eating plan. It is impossible to overeat actual meat and veggies." (anon291).

  2. Concerns over saturated fats and red meat
    Warnings on heart disease, cancer risks from steak, dairy, butter. "Red meat has a link to colorectal cancer." (badc0ffee); "In over 24,000 participants... high saturated fatty acid intake was associated with an 8% increase in all cause mortality risk." (siliconc0w).

  3. Seed oils as harmful, saturated fats defended
    Consensus seed oils inflammatory/toxic; prefer animal fats, olive/avocado oil. "RFKjr is generally an idiot, but saturated fat = good, seed oil = bad is actually correct." (overgard); "The standard american diet CREATES a lot of inflammation." (overgard).

  4. Distrust of RFK Jr./administration credibility
    Vaccine skepticism, conspiracies undermine trust despite sensible guidelines. "Frankly I just don’t trust federal health info while RFK jr. Is at the helm." (Forgeties79); "We get a better food pyramid, but we also get antivax imbeciles." (api).

  5. Affordability/access barriers
    Healthy foods expensive; subsidies favor junk; SNAP limits debated. "Now make protein affordable." (throwfaraway4); "if you're poor and live in a food desert, it doesn't address the actual issues." (opinion3k).

  6. Website UX/design flaws
    Scrolljacking, unlabeled pyramid, animations frustrating. "This website is far too complicated, just show a clear, labeled image of the new pyramid." (pimlottc); "let me first post a shallow, obligatory complaint about the unreadability... due to egregious scrolljacking." (isoprophlex).

  7. Lobbying/industry influence
    Beef/corn subsidies distort; past pyramids corrupted. "The 'scientific foundation' PDF does disclose several financial relationships with the National Cattlemen's Beef Association." (burkaman); "Meat is too cheap due to subsidies." (the__alchemist).

🚀 Project Ideas

Protein Price Index (PPI)

Summary

  • A localized price-tracking dashboard and map that identifies the cheapest sources of high-quality protein (beef, chicken, eggs, Greek yogurt) in a user’s specific region.
  • Solves the "bonkers" price disparity between red/blue states and urban/rural areas mentioned by users, helping people "source protein well" by finding direct-from-farm deals or suburban price drops.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Budget-conscious families and "gym rats" tracking macros
Core Feature Map-based price comparison for specific protein staples
Tech Stack Python (Scrapy), React, Leaflet.js
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Affiliate links for bulk meat (Crowd Cow) or localized ads

Notes

  • "The disparity between prices in blue states and red states is bonkers... The closer you live to ranches and farms, the cheaper the meat."
  • This provides practical utility for users wanting to "make protein affordable" while navigating the high-protein targets of the new guidelines.

The Macro-Menu Generator

Summary

  • A meal-planning service that generates a 7-day menu hitting exactly 1.2–1.6g/kg protein targets and all micronutrients without exceeding a specific calorie limit.
  • Solves the frustration that government guidelines lack a "sample menu" that is actually mathematically balanced for various body weights.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Individuals following the "Real Food" guidelines for weight loss
Core Feature Linear-programming-based meal scheduler for macro/micro targets
Tech Stack Go (or Python), USDA FoodData Central API
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription (SaaS)

Notes

  • A commenter specifically wished for "a sample menu for one week that hits the daily recommended dose... without going over some calorie limit."
  • This moves the discussion from "political theory" to "actionable kitchen prep."

Affordable Protein Finder

Summary

  • Mobile app that scans locations for cheapest protein sources (chicken, eggs, beef) via crowdsourced prices, farm listings, and cross-state deals, solving rural/urban price disparities and food desert access.
  • Core value: Real-time savings up to 50% on healthy proteins by directing users to local ranches/farms or sales.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Budget-conscious families, SNAP users in food deserts
Core Feature GPS-based price comparison + farm direct purchase alerts
Tech Stack React Native, Google Maps API, Firebase for crowdsourcing
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Freemium with premium farm subscriptions

Notes

  • Addresses "the closer you live to ranches... serious savings" (observationist) and "make protein affordable" (throwfaraway4).
  • HN users would love practical utility for "monthly trip out to the boonies"; viral via sharing deals.

Clear Food Pyramid Visualizer

Summary

  • Web tool generating customizable, labeled static images/PDFs of the pyramid with servings, avoiding scrolljacking and complexity.
  • Core value: Instant, printable/shareable visuals for quick reference without government site frustration.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Parents, educators skeptical of gov sites
Core Feature Drag-drop customizer for personal macros + export to image/PDF
Tech Stack Svelte, Canvas API, Tailwind CSS
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Fixes "this website is far too complicated... show a clear, labeled image" (pimlottc) and "egregious scrolljacking" (isoprophlex).
  • High discussion potential as HN hates bad UX; utility for printing weekly plans.

High-Protein Meal Planner

Summary

  • AI-powered app creating weekly menus hitting 1.2-1.6g/kg protein targets with affordable ingredients, batch cooking, and time estimates under 30min/meal.
  • Core value: Personalized plans for busy users, e.g., carnivore/keto variants avoiding allergens like legumes.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Working parents, diabetics on carnivore/keto
Core Feature Input weight/allergies → grocery list + recipes with calorie/protein breakdown
Tech Stack Next.js, OpenAI API, Nutritionix API
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription ($4.99/mo)

Notes

  • Solves "sample menu for one week that hits... every vitamin" (criddell) and "healthy family eating that doesn’t require an hour every day" (literallyroy).
  • HN keto/carnivore crowd (tracker1) would engage; practical for "impossible to overeat meat and veggies" (anon291).

SNAP Healthy Swap Optimizer

Summary

  • Tool analyzing SNAP budgets to swap junk for equivalent-calorie healthy foods (e.g., chicken vs. chips), factoring restrictions on candy/soda.
  • Core value: Maximizes nutrition/calories within budget, suggesting cheap frozen veggies/meat deals.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience SNAP recipients in food deserts
Core Feature Budget input → optimized cart with % healthier swaps
Tech Stack Vue.js, USDA API, local grocery scrapers
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Affiliate grocery links

Notes

  • Tackles "poor people... bodega... only food options" (opinion3k) and SNAP debates on candy/soda.
  • Utility sparks policy discussion; quotes like "tax dollars... consequences" (idopmstuff) highlight need.

Seed Oil vs. Healthy Fat Scanner

Summary

  • Barcode scanner app rating products on seed oils/saturated fats with alternatives, using evidence summaries to cut through debates.
  • Core value: Neutral fact-checks (e.g., "jury out on seed oils") for shopping decisions amid conflicting advice.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Confused shoppers debating fats (seed oils vs. butter)
Core Feature Scan → oil profile + swaps (avocado oil) + study links
Tech Stack Flutter, Open Food Facts API, custom ML for labels
Difficulty High
Monetization Hobby

Notes

  • Resolves "seed oils health... opinions across the board" (BeetleB) and "saturated fat = good, seed oil = bad" (overgard).
  • HN loves data-driven tools; potential for nutrition debates with cited sources.

Local Farm Direct Marketplace

Summary

  • Platform connecting users to ranchers/farmers for bulk buys (e.g., monthly meat/eggs), with delivery or pickup scheduling.
  • Core value: 30-50% savings vs. stores, trending down prices as noted in rural areas.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience HN users near farms wanting "pasture raised" (tracker1)
Core Feature Geo-matched listings + subscription boxes
Tech Stack Rails, Stripe, Mapbox
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: 10% transaction fee

Notes

  • Directly from "go to farmers... serious savings" (observationist) and "chicken breast... $2.50/lb" (Alupis).
  • Appeals to self-reliant HN; utility for bulk freezing as in "Turkeys for the deep freezer" (tracker1).

Personalized Nutrition Tracker

Summary

  • App tracking protein/fiber/fats with self-experiment logs (weight, energy, inflammation via CRP input), warning on excess (e.g., >1.6g/kg).
  • Core value: N=1 testing for diets like carnivore, adjusting for lean body weight/alpha-gal allergies.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Biohackers, diabetics experimenting (tracker1 groups)
Core Feature Photo-log meals → auto-nutrient calc + trend graphs
Tech Stack React, TensorFlow.js for food recognition, Supabase
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: Pro analytics ($9.99/mo)

Notes

  • For "try different diets to see how your body reacts" (RealityVoid) and "protein target... per kilogram" confusion (sudobash1).
  • HN self-experimenters would fork/discuss; quotes like "stall when not eating enough" drive utility.

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