FoodSignals FAQ
The questions we get asked most — answered plainly. Can't find yours? There's a contact link at the foot of the page.
What is FoodSignals?
FoodSignals is a dietitian-led nutrition and symptom tool for people on a GLP-1. It helps you track your protein and nutrients, log how meals and symptoms line up day to day, and find recipes scored against common GLP-1 side effects. It was created by Ruby Marusic, an Accredited Practising Dietitian, out of her own clinic work. Think of it as practical support for the in-between-appointments reality of eating on a GLP-1.
Is this medical advice?
No. FoodSignals provides general dietary information based on nutritional science and GLP-1 tolerability research. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. Always talk to your prescribing doctor, pharmacist or registered dietitian before changing your diet while on a GLP-1, and never use the app to make decisions about your medication.
Do I need to be on a specific medication?
No — it works for anyone on a GLP-1, whatever the brand or dose. The scoring and tracking are built around how these medications tend to affect appetite, digestion and tolerance in general, not around any one product. Your onboarding calibrates the app to your own situation.
Is it free?
Yes — it's free during our closed trial. We're building FoodSignals alongside the people using it, so there's no charge to join and no credit card needed. If we ever introduce paid features, we'll give you plenty of notice first.
Do I need to download an app?
No. FoodSignals works right now in your phone's browser — no download, no app store, no waiting. A native iOS and Android app is coming soon with the same features, but you don't need to wait for it to get started today.
How do I use the app?
Log what you eat, and note how you feel. That's the whole habit — everything else in the app is built out of those two things. Setting up takes about ten minutes and you only do it once; after that, logging a meal takes a few seconds. We've written a step-by-step guide with a picture of every screen, for people who don't consider themselves good with technology: one walkthrough for the setup questions, and a separate one for using it day to day.
How does the scoring work?
Every recipe gets a Food Signals Score: a 0–100 rating of how well it tends to be tolerated on a GLP-1, plus individual scores for common side effects like nausea, low appetite, fatigue, bloating and constipation. Each ingredient is assessed on properties like how easy it is to digest, its fat and fibre, and its protein density, then combined by how much of each ingredient a recipe uses. No recipe scores perfectly for everything — the individual scores are there so you can prioritise what matters most to you right now.
How the Food Signals Score works →
How does it understand my symptoms?
You log your meals, symptoms, water and injection timing on one timeline, and the app helps you notice how they tend to line up over time. It surfaces patterns in your own data — the foods and timing that tend to show up around your rougher days — so you can plan ahead and talk it through with your dietitian. It doesn't predict or diagnose anything; it just makes your own patterns easier to see.
What data do you collect, and do you sell it?
Your meal, symptom and injection logs are health-sensitive information, and we treat them under the Australian Privacy Principles. For injections specifically, we only record the timing and whether your dose is new, the same, increased or decreased — never the medication name or the dose amount. We store only what the app needs to work — for example, we keep derived targets rather than your raw personal measurements. We never sell, trade or license your data, and we never use it for advertising or profiling. Full details are in our privacy policy.
Can I share it with my dietitian or doctor?
That's coming soon. A dietitian console — where you can share your timeline with your provider — is on the roadmap, and it will only ever work with your explicit, in-app consent that you can withdraw at any time. For now, many people simply bring the app to their appointment and talk through what they're seeing.
How do I delete my data?
You're in control. You can access, correct, export or delete your data at any time from within the app. When you ask us to delete it, that's completed within 30 days and confirmed by email.
Is this affiliated with a drug company?
No. FoodSignals is an independent nutrition and symptom-tracking tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or funded by any pharmaceutical or medication manufacturer, and it does not sell, supply, prescribe or recommend any medication.
Who made it?
FoodSignals was created by Ruby Marusic, an Accredited Practising Dietitian based in Newcastle, Australia. She's a Clinical Trial Coordinator and Dietitian at the Hunter Diabetes Centre, where she works on GLP-1 medication trials, and she sees private clients in gut health, women's health and chronic disease. It started as a spreadsheet she built to score recipes for her own patients — and she still reads every piece of early feedback herself.
How do I join the closed trial?
Head to our early-access page and pop in your details — it takes a minute, it's free, and you can start using the app in your browser straight away. We read every sign-up, and your feedback shapes what we build next.
Still have a question? Get in touch and we'll get back to you.
FoodSignals provides general dietary information based on nutritional science and GLP-1 tolerability research. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and it does not diagnose, treat or prevent any condition. Always consult your prescribing doctor, pharmacist or registered dietitian before making dietary changes while on a GLP-1 medication. Do not use this site or app to make decisions about your medication.