Food data access and delivery system

1 . A method of using a computing device having a user interface and capable of scanning a coded tag wherein the coded tag is encoded with a venue network ID that enables the computing device to connect to a database storing a list of menu items from a venue uniquely associated with the venue network ID, and wherein at least one menu item in the list of menu items comprises at least two meal components, comprising the steps of:

scanning the coded tag and using the venue network ID to identify the list of menu items, and the at least one menu item comprising the at least two meal components associated with the at least one menu item;

presenting through the user interface the at least one menu item and the at least two meal components associated therewith in response to scanning the coded tag;

accepting a first selection through the user interface identifying one meal component presented, said meal component defining a selected meal component;

identifying a number of different meal components associated with the selected meal component and presenting each different meal component through the user interface;

accepting a second selection through the user interface identifying one of the different meal components and modifying the at least one menu item to include the different meal component selected in place of the selected meal component; and

presenting nutritional information associated with the at least one menu item as modified through the user interface.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: storing the nutritional information in a tracking log accessible through the computing device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

accepting a user-defined nutritional criterion through the user interface; and

removing menu items from the list of menu items that do not satisfy the user-defined nutritional criterion.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of:

presenting only the different meal components that satisfy the user-defined nutritional criterion.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising the step of:

presenting the different meal component only when the nutritional information associated with the at least one menu item as modified with the inclusion of the different meal component satisfies the user-defined nutritional criterion.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

identifying a number of add-on meal items associated with the at least one menu item;

presenting the add-on meal items through the user interface;

accepting a third selection through the user interface identifying one add-on meal item so presented and modifying the at least one menu item to include the identified add-on meal item; and

presenting nutritional information associated with the at least one menu item as modified through the user interface.

7 . A method of using a computing device having a user interface and capable of scanning a coded tag, wherein the coded tag is encoded with a venue network ID that enables the computing device to connect to a database storing a list of menu items from a venue uniquely associated with the venue network ID, and wherein at least one menu item in the list of menu items comprises at least two meal components comprising the steps of:

scanning the coded tag to identify the list of menu items and the at least one menu item comprising the at least two meal components associated with the at least one menu item;

presenting through the user interface the at least one menu item and the at least two meal components associated therewith in response to scanning the coded tag;

accepting a first selection through the user interface identifying one meal component presented, said meal component defining a first selected meal component;

removing the first selected meal component and modifying the at least one menu item to exclude the first selected meal component; and

presenting nutritional information associated with the at least one menu item as modified through the user interface.

8 . The method of claim 7 , comprising the steps of:

accepting a second selection through the user interface identifying one meal component presented, said meal component defining a second selected meal component;

identifying a number of different meal components associated with the second selected meal component and presenting each different meal component through the user interface;

accepting a third selection through the user interface identifying one of the different meal components and modifying the at least one menu item to include the different meal component selected in place of the second selected meal component; and

presenting nutritional information associated with the at least one menu item as modified through the user interface.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:

accepting a user-defined nutritional criterion through the user interface; and

removing menu items from the list of menu items that do not satisfy the user-defined nutritional criterion.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of:

presenting the different meal component only when the nutritional information associated with the at least one menu item as modified with the inclusion of the different meal component satisfies the user-defined nutritional criterion.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:

accepting a user-defined nutritional criterion through the user interface; and

removing menu items from the list of menu items that do not satisfy the user-defined nutritional criterion.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising the steps of:

identifying a number of add-on meal items associated with the at least one menu item;

presenting the add-on meal items through the user interface;

accepting a second selection through the user interface identifying one add-on meal item so presented and modifying the at least one menu item to include the identified add-on meal item; and

presenting nutritional information associated with the at least one menu item as modified through the user interface.

13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:

identifying a number of add-on meal items associated with the at least one menu item;

presenting the add-on meal items through the user interface;

accepting a fourth selection through the user interface identifying one add-on meal item so presented and modifying the at least one menu item to include the identified add-on meal item; and

presenting nutritional information associated with the at least one menu item as modified through the user interface.

14 . A system for accessing nutritional data using a coded tag encoded with a venue network ID that enables a computing device to connect to a database storing a list of meal choices from a venue uniquely associated with the venue network ID, and wherein at least one of the meal choices in the list of meal choices comprises at least two meal components, comprising:

a computing device comprising a processor, a memory, and a user interface;

an electronic scanning device integrated into the computing device capable of scanning the coded tag;

machine-readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to at least:

decode the coded tag to obtain at least one meal choice and a plurality of default meal components for the at least one meal choice;

present the at least one meal choice and the plurality of default meal components through the user interface;

obtain a first user input through the user interface indicating a selection of one default meal component within the plurality of default meal components;

obtain a list of substitutable meal components for the selected default meal component;

present the list of substitutable meal components for the selected meal component through the user interface;

obtain a second user input through the user interface indicating a selection of a substitutable meal component from the list of substitutable meal components;

obtain nutritional information for the at least one meal choice presented based at least in part on the selection of the substitutable meal component from the list of substitutable meal components; and

present the nutritional information through the user interface.

15 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising:

a tracking log interfaced with the computing device, wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to further:

obtain a third user input through the user interface directing the computing device to store the nutritional information in the tracking log; and

in response to the third user input, store the nutritional information in the tracking log.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the coded tag comprises a QR code.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the machine-readable instructions that cause the computing device to obtain the at least one meal choice, the plurality of default meal components for the at least one meal choice, and the list of substitutable meal components further cause the computing device to at least:

send a search query to a nutrition information system for an item matching at least one criteria; and

receive the at least one meal choice, the plurality of default meal components for the at least one meal choice, and the list of substitutable meal components for individual ones of the plurality of default meal components in response to the search query.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the machine-readable instructions that cause the computing device to obtain the at least one meal choice, the plurality of default meal components for the at least one meal choice, and the list of substitutable meal components further cause the computing device to at least:

filter the nutritional information for the at least one meal choice against a predefined user criterion; and

present the at least one meal choice, the plurality of default meal components for the at least one meal choice, and the list of substitutable meal components for individual ones of the plurality of default food components to an extent that the nutrition information for the at least one meal choice satisfies the predetermined user criterion.

19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the machine-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the computing device to at least:

obtain a third user input through the user interface initiating a search for a list of add-on items associated with the at least one meal choice presented;

present the list of add-on items through the user interface;

obtain a fourth user input through the user interface indicating a selection of at least one selected add-on item from the list of add-on items;

obtain nutritional information for each selected add-on item; and

update the nutritional information for the at least one meal choice based on the nutritional information for each selected add-on item.