Meal Plan AI takes the blank-page problem out of nutrition programming. Enter your calorie and macro targets, describe what you're looking for (e.g., "vegan plan with 4 meals"), and Bridge generates a full day of meals with food suggestions, portion sizes, and per-meal macro breakdowns, all to align with the targets.
Two Ways to Generate a Meal Plan
Both paths open the same generation experience. The difference is how your targets get set.
From a Day Card (Direct)
Choose this when: You already have calorie and macro targets set on a day card.
From the Nutrition Engine:
Choose this when: You're starting from scratch and want Bridge to calculate targets from a member's profile (age, weight, height, activity level).
Option 1: Generate from a Day Card
Here's how it works:
Open your nutrition program in the Builder and navigate to the day card you want to populate.
Fill in all four targets: Total Calories, Protein, Carb, Fat, and a meal plan description. The Generate with AI button appears once all targets are set.
Click Generate with AI to open the Customize Meal Plan modal.
Adjust the Caloric Adjustment slider to shift calories up or down (±25% in 5% increments). Each increment shows an estimated weight change tooltip (e.g., "+0.5 lb/wk") and your macro targets update in real time.
Enter a prompt in the Customize your meal plan field (up to 200 characters). A few ideas: "4 meals, high protein, meal prep friendly" or "gluten-free, 3 meals and 2 snacks for game day."
Click Generate and review the output.
Choose what to do next:
Insert places the plan into the day card description and updates targets to Custom Macro Split.
Copy sends the output to your clipboard without changing targets.
Back returns to the prompt screen with settings preserved so you can regenerate.
Option 2: Generate from the Nutrition Engine
Choose this when: You want Bridge to calculate targets from a member's profile before generating.
Open the Nutrition Engine from the Nutrition module on the Home Page, a member's Athlete Profile, or the Builder right-side options.
Enter the member's info (age, weight, height, gender), select their activity level, and choose a macro split.
Click Calculate Targets. Bridge computes targets based on the member's TDEE. Need a refresher? Check out [Defining Absolute and Percentage-Based Targets for Nutrition Programs].
Adjust the Caloric Adjustment slider, enter your Meal prompt, and click Generate.
What the AI Output Looks Like
Every plan follows a consistent structure: total meal count, per-meal macro breakdowns, food suggestions with portion sizes, and meal notes.
Meal 1: Breakfast
520 kcal | 40g P | 55g C | 15g F
Suggestion: Greek yogurt, 1 cup · Mixed berries, ½ cup · Granola, ¼ cup · Honey, 1 tbsp Notes: Light and quick, great for early training days.
The AI targets accuracy within 5% of your displayed values. No manual calculation needed from you!
Before You Generate
Your total calorie target must be at least 1,000 kcal and within ±10% of the calories calculated from your macros (Protein + Carb + Fat). If they're off, you'll see an error asking you to adjust before generating.
If your day card already has content, Bridge asks you to confirm before overriding.
Day card descriptions support up to 5,000 characters.
AI-generated meal plans are not reviewed by a healthcare professional. Always review the output before assigning it to your members.
Related Articles
Nutrition Quick Start Guide for Coaches – Get started building and assigning nutrition programs.
Defining Absolute and Percentage-Based Targets for Nutrition Programs – Understand target calculation methods and when to use each one.
If you have any additional questions, reach out to us at support@bridgeathletic.com