TL;DR
Not one you can sign up for. MyFitnessPal opened an API to partner apps and devices in 2012, and its API site now says “We are not accepting requests for API access at this time.” There’s no public key, documentation, or sandbox. Every open-source “MyFitnessPal API”, from python-myfitnesspal to the MCP servers on GitHub, signs in as you and reads the website. If you need food data, USDA FoodData Central, Open Food Facts, and FatSecret have free, documented APIs. If you need your own food diary in a script or an AI agent, Calorie Cub has personal API keys and an MCP server.
What the MyFitnessPal API was
MyFitnessPal launched its API in October 2012 so fitness apps and devices could sync with its users’ diaries. It was never self-serve: partners applied and MyFitnessPal approved them. The integrations you see in MyFitnessPal’s connected apps run on that program.
The program is closed to newcomers. myfitnesspal.com/api redirects to MyFitnessPal’s API site, which says it isn’t accepting requests for API access. Developers at Exist and Mealime report applying without getting in. MyFitnessPal hasn’t announced a public API since.
MyFitnessPal’s API site ›TechCrunch on the 2012 launch ›The unofficial MyFitnessPal APIs
What you find when you search for a MyFitnessPal API on GitHub or PyPI are wrappers around the website. The best known, python-myfitnesspal, reads your diary, goals, and measurements by borrowing your browser’s MyFitnessPal cookies, because the sign-in page added a hidden captcha that stopped scripts from logging in. Most MyFitnessPal MCP servers are built on it, or on a session cookie you copy from your browser’s developer tools.
- •They act as you. Your session cookie, or your password, sits in a config file or on someone else’s server, with full access to your account.
- •They break without notice. Session cookies expire every few weeks, and a change to MyFitnessPal’s site or its Cloudflare bot protection can stop every wrapper at once.
- •They’re not allowed for products. MyFitnessPal’s terms restrict automated access, so you can script your own diary at your own risk, but you can’t build an app for other people on it.
If you need food and nutrition data
Most people searching for a MyFitnessPal API want its food database. These are documented and free to start, as of November 2026; check each provider’s terms before you ship.
USDA FoodData Central
What it has: US generic and branded foods, with lab-analyzed nutrients for many
Cost: Free
Access: Free data.gov API key
Limits: 1,000 requests an hour per IP by default
Open Food Facts
What it has: Packaged foods worldwide, looked up by barcode; open data under the ODbL
Cost: Free
Access: No key; send a User-Agent naming your app
Limits: 15 product reads and 10 searches a minute per IP
FatSecret Platform
What it has: Large global database, including branded and restaurant foods
Cost: Free Basic tier; Premier is paid, or free for startups, nonprofits, and students
Access: Sign-up; attribution required
Limits: Depend on the tier
Nutritionix
What it has: US branded and restaurant foods, plus natural-language parsing
Cost: Free key with limits; paid plans
Access: Sign-up
Limits: Depend on the plan
Calorie Cub’s own catalog is built the same way: USDA data for generic foods, each chain’s published nutrition for more than 70 US restaurants, and Open Food Facts and FoodData Central for barcodes.
FoodData Central API guide ›Open Food Facts API documentation ›FatSecret Platform editions ›If you need a food diary you can read and write
A food database doesn’t give you anyone’s log. If what you wanted from MyFitnessPal was your own diary in a spreadsheet, a script, or an AI agent, Calorie Cub has an official way in. Create a personal API key in Settings › API keys and send it as a bearer token to the REST API or the MCP server:
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer cc_…" "https://caloriecub.com/api/diary?date=2026-11-08"
A key acts for one account, yours, and you can revoke it in Settings at any time. Assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT connect through the MCP server with a normal sign-in instead of a key.
API keys
Free: 1, read only
Pro: Up to 5, read or read and write
Requests a day (keys and MCP tools)
Free: 200
Pro: 2,000
Bursts
Free: 120 reads and 30 writes a minute
Pro: 120 reads and 30 writes a minute
Connected assistants
Free: 1, read only
Pro: Unlimited, read and write
Tracking in the app is free with no limits. Pro is $6.99 a month, or $39.99 a year with a 3-day free trial.
Auth, scopes, and API keys (auth.md) ›The MCP server: tools, limits, and errors ›Moving your MyFitnessPal history
MyFitnessPal’s CSV export is a Premium feature, and the file arrives by email. On a free account you can still ask MyFitnessPal for a copy of your data under privacy laws such as GDPR and the CCPA. Calorie Cub imports the CSV export on the web: unzip it and choose the Nutrition-Summary and Measurement-Summary files in Settings. Meals arrive as totals per meal with their nutrients, because the export doesn’t list individual foods, and weigh-ins arrive as weights.
How MyFitnessPal alternatives compare ›Questions people ask
Does MyFitnessPal have a public API?
No. Its API has only ever been open to approved partners, and as of November 2026 its API site says it isn’t accepting requests for access.
How do I get a MyFitnessPal API key?
You can’t at the moment. There’s no self-serve sign-up, and MyFitnessPal isn’t approving new partners. Unofficial libraries use your browser session instead of a key.
Does python-myfitnesspal still work?
It reads your diary using your browser’s MyFitnessPal cookies, so it works while that session is valid and MyFitnessPal doesn’t change its site. It’s unofficial, so it can stop working at any time.
Can I use MyFitnessPal with ChatGPT or Claude?
Not through an API. MyFitnessPal’s ChatGPT app answers nutrition questions without connecting your account, and there’s no MyFitnessPal connector for Claude. Community MCP servers sign in as you.
What’s the best free nutrition API?
USDA FoodData Central for generic US foods, and Open Food Facts for packaged foods by barcode. Both are free, and Open Food Facts doesn’t need a key.
Does Calorie Cub have an API?
Yes. Personal API keys work with the REST API and the MCP server: read only on the free plan, read and write on Pro, with a daily request limit on each.
Other guides
Use ChatGPT to help you diet ›ChatGPT diet plan and meal plan prompts ›Is ChatGPT accurate for calories? ›Use Claude to help you diet ›Use Gemini to help you diet ›Use Grok and Grok Bot to help you diet ›AI calorie counter: photo, voice, or chat ›How logging meals by chat works ›Calorie tracker MCP server for any client ›Is there a MyFitnessPal MCP server? ›MyFitnessPal alternatives compared ›Cal AI alternatives ›Try Calorie Cub free
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