Our principles
Information about food and health can affect people’s bodies when it’s wrong. That’s why we publish the standards StepMeal runs on.
1. Safety comes before results
However fast you want to lose weight, we never design a plan below our safety limits. If a calculation hits a limit, it’s adjusted automatically and the reason is shown on screen.
| Standard | What it means |
|---|---|
| Basal metabolic rate floor (goals other than weight loss) | We never plan below your basal metabolic rate |
| Basal metabolic rate floor (weight loss) | We allow down to 95% of your basal metabolic rate and never go lower |
| Absolute minimum intake | Never below 1,500 kcal for men · 1,200 kcal for women, under any circumstances |
| Maximum deficit | We never cut more than 25% below your maintenance calories |
| Fat ceiling | Plans are built to stay within 115% of your fat target |
| Allergies | Ingredients you list as allergies are excluded without exception |
2. No exaggerated claims
In health services, sensational copy draws people in for a while but loses their trust in the end. We don’t use the following.
- Specific weight-loss guarantees like “lose 5 kg in a week”
- Absolute words like “guaranteed”, “definitely” or “works for everyone”
- Hype like “miracle” or “perfect”
- Claims that a particular food cures a disease
Instead, we use wording that matches the actual strength of the evidence, like “generally” or “results vary from person to person”.
3. We don’t replace medical care
This service provides general nutrition information. It isn’t meant to diagnose or treat any disease and can’t replace a medical professional’s judgment. If you have a medical condition or take medication, be sure to talk to a professional.
4. We don’t change content for advertisers
There are currently no ads or sponsorships on this service. Even if we introduce them in the future, we won’t change nutrition information or recommendations at an advertiser’s request. Sponsored content will always be labeled as such.
5. We fix mistakes and keep a record
Nutrition standards change. The Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans were in fact revised in 2025, changing the recommended ratios for protein and carbohydrates. When standards change, we update the related guides and show the last review date on each one.
If you spot an error, please let us know. We’ll check it, correct it and reflect the change.