Glossary

Showing 39 terms

BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)

Your basal metabolic rate — calories burned at complete rest.

BMR is the energy your body needs to maintain life-sustaining functions (breathing, heart rate, body temperature) at complete rest. Usually calculated via the Mifflin-St Jeor formula: 10 × weight (kg) + 6.25 × height (cm) − 5 × age ± sex offset. A 30-year-old woman at 70 kg and 170 cm has a BMR around 1,450 kcal.

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure)

Your total daily calorie needs, including activity.

TDEE = BMR × activity factor. Factor ranges from 1.2 (sedentary) to 1.9 (heavy labor + daily training). A person with TDEE 2,400 kcal needs roughly that much to maintain weight. For weight loss, subtract 250–750 kcal. For muscle building, add 200–400 kcal.

Macronutrients (Macros)

Protein, carbs and fat — the three energy-providing nutrients.

Protein (4 kcal/g) builds muscle and promotes satiety. Carbs (4 kcal/g) are the body's fast fuel. Fat (9 kcal/g) is critical for hormones and vitamin absorption. A balanced split: 25–35% protein, 30–50% carbs, 20–35% fat. Alcohol is often counted as a fourth macro (7 kcal/g).

Protein

Building block for muscles, skin, enzymes — the most satiating nutrient.

Recommended intake for active people is 1.6–2.2 g per kg body weight. A 70 kg person should consume 110–155 g protein per day. Best sources: chicken, fish, eggs, dairy, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans), tofu. Protein is more satiating than carbs and fat — critical for weight loss.

Carbohydrates

The body's primary energy source — especially during high-intensity activity.

Carbs break down to glucose and are stored as glycogen in muscles and liver. Complex carbs (oats, potatoes, whole grain, legumes) digest slowly. Simple carbs (sugar, white flour) cause rapid blood sugar spikes. For weight loss: 100–250 g/day is common. For muscle/endurance: 4–7 g/kg body weight.

Fat (Lipids)

Energy-dense nutrient — essential for hormones and vitamin absorption.

Fat provides 9 kcal/g (twice that of protein and carbs). Subgroups: saturated (butter, meat), monounsaturated (olive oil, avocado), polyunsaturated (oily fish, nuts, seeds). Omega-3 from fish is anti-inflammatory. Minimum recommended intake: 0.8 g/kg body weight, but never below 50 g/day for hormone function.

Fiber

Indigestible carbs that promote satiety and feed gut bacteria.

The Swedish Food Agency recommends 25–35 g fiber per day. Swedes average only 18–20 g. Good sources: oats, whole grain, legumes, fruit, vegetables. Fiber slows blood sugar spikes, promotes satiety, and feeds gut bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids.

GI (Glycemic Index)

Measure of how quickly a food raises blood sugar.

Scale 0–100. Low GI (<55): oats, lentils, whole grain, apple. Medium (56–69): banana, buckwheat. High (70+): white bread, rice, potato. Low-GI foods keep you full longer and produce steadier blood sugar. GI is affected by fiber, fat and protein in the meal.

Calorie (kcal)

Unit of energy in food — technically kilocalorie.

1 kcal = energy needed to heat 1 kg of water by 1°C. Food labels always show kilocalories (kcal), even though 'calorie' is used colloquially. 1 kcal = 4.184 kJ. An average adult burns 1,800–2,500 kcal per day.

Satiety hormones

Hormones that signal fullness to your brain.

The key ones are leptin, GLP-1, PYY and cholecystokinin (CCK). Leptin is produced by fat cells and signals long-term energy status. GLP-1 and PYY are released in the gut after meals for acute satiety. Fiber, protein and high-volume food trigger their release — which is why cabbage salad feels more filling than pasta per calorie.

Micronutrients

Vitamins and minerals — nutrients the body needs in small amounts.

Unlike macronutrients, micronutrients provide no energy but are essential for thousands of bodily processes. Vitamin D, iron, B12 and iodine are the most common deficiencies in Sweden. A varied diet of vegetables, legumes, fish and whole grain covers needs without supplements — except vitamin D during dark months.

Calorie deficit

Eating fewer calories than you burn — the foundation of weight loss.

1 kg of fat equals about 7,700 kcal. A daily deficit of 500 kcal gives roughly 0.5 kg weight loss per week. Sustainable deficits: 10–25% below TDEE. Larger deficits lead to muscle loss, hunger and metabolic adaptation. Protein + strength training preserves muscle during dieting.

Weight loss

Reduction in body weight, usually through a calorie deficit.

Sustainable weight loss is 0.5–1% of body weight per week. An 80 kg person can expect 0.4–0.8 kg/week. Faster pace usually means muscle loss and water fluctuations. Long-term, habits (meal planning, sleep, movement) matter more than specific diets.

GLP-1

Satiety hormone that drugs like Ozempic mimic.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 is a hormone released in the gut after meals. It slows stomach emptying, reduces appetite, and improves blood sugar control. Ozempic (semaglutide) and Wegovy are synthetic GLP-1 analogs. Naturally stimulated by protein-rich food, fiber (especially beans), and fermented food.

Ozempic / Wegovy

Semaglutide — GLP-1 analog used for diabetes and weight loss.

Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes, Wegovy for weight loss. Both contain semaglutide. Results: 10–17% weight loss over 12+ months. Side effects: nausea, muscle loss (up to 40% of weight lost), digestive issues. Costs 1,500–3,000 SEK/month in Sweden without subsidy.

Intermittent fasting (16:8)

Time-restricted eating — usually 16 hours fasting and 8 hours eating.

Not a diet but an eating-window strategy. Typical: eat between 12:00 and 20:00, fast the rest. Research shows weight loss effects mainly come from total calorie intake — not fasting itself. Benefits: easier to maintain a deficit, less snacking. Not recommended for pregnant women, people with eating disorders, or type 1 diabetes.

Cabbage (nature's Ozempic)

Low-calorie, high-fiber cabbage that naturally stimulates satiety hormones.

100 g cabbage contains 25 kcal, 2 g fiber and almost no fat. Its high water volume + fiber triggers stretch receptors in the stomach and the release of GLP-1 and PYY. Hence the nickname 'nature's Ozempic'. Fun fact: cabbage is the cheapest of all vegetables, around 8–15 SEK/kg.

Yo-yo effect

Weight regain after loss — cyclical weight change.

Caused by extreme diets that aren't sustainable. When calorie intake rises again, often combined with less movement and worse metabolic health, weight returns — sometimes exceeding the starting point. Solution: slower weight loss (0.5% body weight/week), strength training, and behavior changes you can actually sustain 10+ years.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion)

Perceived effort on a 1–10 scale — how hard a set feels.

RPE 10 = max effort, nothing left in the tank. RPE 8 = 2 reps left to failure. RPE 6 = easy. Used in autoregulated training: if you hit target reps at RPE <7, increase weight next session. RPE 9–10 consistently = reduce volume or deload.

Progressive overload

The foundational principle of gradually increasing training demand for continued progress.

Muscles only grow if challenged beyond what they're used to. Methods: add weight, more reps, more sets, shorter rest, better technique. Beginners can add weight weekly; advanced lifters need longer cycles (months). Progression should be small but consistent — 2.5–5% per week is realistic.

MRV (Maximum Recoverable Volume)

The maximum training volume you can recover from without overtraining.

Part of RP's (Renaissance Periodization) volume landmarks: MEV (Minimum Effective Volume) → MAV (Maximum Adaptive Volume) → MRV. Exceeding MRV gives no extra muscle growth and increases injury risk. Typical: 12–20 sets per muscle group per week for advanced lifters.

Deload week

A week of reduced training volume for recovery.

Scheduled after 4–8 weeks of progression, when RPE starts creeping to 9–10 on normal sessions. Typical: 40–60% of normal volume, or same weights but fewer sets. Purpose is to let the nervous system and connective tissue recover without losing strength. Without deload, most people stall after 6–8 weeks.

Periodization

Structured planning of training in phases over time.

Block periodization: Accumulation (4w, volume) → Transmutation (3w, strength) → Realization (2w, peaking) → Deload (1w). Alternatives include linear, undulating or conjugate periodization. Purpose: avoid stagnation and peak on time — critical for competitive athletes, but principle applies to recreational training too.

Meal planning (weekly menu)

Planning in advance what you'll eat over a week.

Includes: selecting recipes, writing shopping list, preparing food (meal prep). Swedish households that plan weekly save 150–250 SEK/week and reduce food waste by 30% per Konsumentverket. Maximum savings come from planning around store campaigns.

Campaign optimization

Planning the weekly menu around the store's weekly promotions.

Swedish grocery stores release new promotions every Monday (ICA, Willys) or Tuesday (Coop). Average campaign gives 20–40% discount. Building recipes around campaign items instead of the reverse saves households 600–1,000 SEK/month. Smaklig's AI does this automatically based on your chosen store.

Food waste

Food that is thrown away despite being edible.

Swedish households throw away an average of 19 kg of food per person per year — worth 6,000 SEK according to Livsmedelsverket. Causes: misbuying, poor storage planning, unfinished portions. Households that plan weekly reduce waste by 30%. Tips: FIFO in the fridge (first in, first out), one leftover day per week, freeze food before it spoils.

Price per serving

The cost of one meal portion, based on the ingredient share of total price.

Calculation: (total ingredient cost) ÷ (number of servings the recipe yields). Count only the amount you use — 1 onion from a bag, not the whole bag. A typical Swedish dinner costs 20–40 SEK/serving. Under 25 SEK counts as budget; under 15 SEK as super-budget.

Bulk buying

Buying large packages for a lower per-kg/per-liter price.

Works best for dry staples (oats, rice, pasta, lentils, oil) where large packages are often 30–50% cheaper per kg. Less effective for fresh produce where campaigns usually beat bulk prices. Requires storage space and freezer. Savings: 300–500 SEK/month.

Shopping list

A list of ingredients and products to buy at the store.

Households that shop with a list buy 20–30% fewer impulse items. Effective lists are sorted by store layout (produce → meat → dairy → dry goods) and include quantities. Apps like Smaklig automatically aggregate ingredients from the week's recipes and normalize units (dl → ml, tbsp → g).

Allergen

Substance that can trigger an allergic reaction.

EU labeling requires 14 allergens to be marked: gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soy, milk, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulfites, lupin, mollusks. In Smaklig, every AI-generated recipe is validated against the user's allergy profile — if an allergen is found, the recipe is blocked entirely, never just flagged.

Blanching

Brief boiling followed by ice bath — preserves color and nutrition.

Vegetables are placed in boiling water for 30 seconds to 3 minutes, then directly into ice water. Stops enzyme activity, preserves bright color and vitamin C, and lightly softens fibers. Used before freezing or as prep for quick stir-frying.

Sous vide

French low-temperature cooking technique in vacuum-sealed bag.

Food is placed in vacuum bag and heated in circulating water bath at exact temperature (e.g. 55°C for medium-rare steak) for hours. Produces perfectly even cooking edge-to-edge — impossible in a pan. Requires sous vide circulator (1,000–2,500 SEK) and vacuum sealer or Ziploc bags with water-displacement method.

Crockpot (slow cooker)

Electric pot that slow-cooks food at low heat for 6–10 hours.

Perfect for tough cuts like pork shoulder, chuck roast and chicken on the bone — connective tissue breaks down to gelatin. Pros: start in the morning, dinner ready when you come home; low energy use. Don't lift the lid mid-cook — you lose 20 minutes of heat. Add dairy and fish at the end.

Reduction

Evaporating liquid to concentrate flavor and sauce.

Liquid (wine, stock, cream) is simmered uncovered until volume drops 30–75%. Flavors concentrate, sauce thickens. Classic technique: reduce red wine by half for meat sauces. Note: salt also concentrates — salt tasting should happen AFTER reduction, not before.

Umami

The fifth basic taste — 'meaty' or savory.

Identified by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1908. Comes from glutamate and ribonucleotides. Rich sources: parmesan, soy sauce, fish sauce, dried mushrooms, tomato paste, miso, anchovies. Combined, these amplify each other strongly — a dab of tomato paste + parmesan + some soy in a pasta sauce makes a huge difference.

Maillard reaction

Chemical reaction that gives seared surfaces their brown color and flavor.

Amino acids and sugars react at 140–165°C, forming hundreds of new flavor molecules. That's why seared chicken tastes more than boiled, bread more than raw dough. Requires a dry surface and hot pan — meat placed in water or on lukewarm iron steams instead. Tip: always pat meat dry with paper before searing.

ICA campaign week

Monday–Sunday — ICA's weekly campaign period.

New promotions are released every Monday morning and run until Sunday evening. Prices vary between stores (Maxi, Kvantum, Supermarket, Nära) and regions. ICA Maxi generally has the best campaign prices, ICA Nära the worst. Member prices via the ICA card are often 15–25% lower than shelf price.

Coop campaign week

Tuesday–Sunday — Coop's weekly campaign period (differs from ICA).

Unlike ICA, Coop releases new campaigns on Tuesdays. Campaigns are regional (same across, e.g. all of Stockholm/Mälardalen) rather than per store. Stora Coop and Coop Nära have separate flyers. Member prices require Coop membership (free).

Konsumentverket (Swedish Consumer Agency)

Swedish government agency that publishes reference budgets for households.

Annually publishes a reference budget for food, clothing, hygiene and household. 2026: food for 1 adult costs 3,400–3,900 SEK/month with standard home cooking. Used by enforcement agencies and social services for debt restructuring. Based on the Swedish Food Agency's nutrition recommendations.