MyFitnessPal MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI assistants like Claude to interact with your MyFitnessPal data, including food diary, exercises, body measurements, nutrition goals, and water intake.

Features

Prerequisites

• Python 3.10+ (check with python3 --version)
• pip 21.3+ (for pyproject.toml support; upgrade with pip install --upgrade pip)
• MyFitnessPal account
• One of the following for authentication:
• Your MFP username/email and password (recommended), OR
• Chrome or Firefox with an active MyFitnessPal login session

Authentication Options

This MCP supports multiple authentication methods:

Installation

Option 1: Install from Source (Recommended)

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/myfitnesspal-mcp-python.git
cd myfitnesspal-mcp-python

# Create virtual environment (use python3.10+ on macOS/Linux)
python3 -m venv venv
# On macOS, you may need to specify version: python3.12 -m venv venv

# Activate virtual environment
source venv/bin/activate  # macOS/Linux
# On Windows: .\venv\Scripts\activate

# Upgrade pip (required for pyproject.toml support)
pip install --upgrade pip

# Install the package in editable mode
pip install -e .

Option 2: Install with pip (when published)

pip install mfp-mcp

Note: Option 2 requires the package to be published to PyPI. For now, use Option 1.

Verify Installation

After installation, verify the server can start:

# With venv activated
python -m mfp_mcp.server

You should see the server waiting for input (it communicates via stdio). Press Ctrl+C to stop.

To test authentication (optional):

MFP_USERNAME="your_email" MFP_PASSWORD="your_password" python -c "
from mfp_mcp.server import get_mfp_client
client = get_mfp_client()
print('Authentication successful!')
"

Configuration for Claude Desktop

Step 1: Locate Your Config File

Step 2: Add the MCP Server Configuration

If the file doesn't exist, create it. Add or merge the following configuration:

#### Option A: With Credentials (Recommended - No Browser Required)

macOS Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "myfitnesspal": {
      "command": "/Users/yourname/myfitnesspal-mcp-python/venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["-m", "mfp_mcp.server"],
      "env": {
        "MFP_USERNAME": "[email protected]",
        "MFP_PASSWORD": "your_password"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windows Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "myfitnesspal": {
      "command": "C:\\Users\\YourName\\myfitnesspal-mcp-python\\venv\\Scripts\\python.exe",
      "args": ["-m", "mfp_mcp.server"],
      "env": {
        "MFP_USERNAME": "[email protected]",
        "MFP_PASSWORD": "your_password"
      }
    }
  }
}

#### Option B: Without Credentials (Browser Cookie Fallback)

macOS Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "myfitnesspal": {
      "command": "/Users/yourname/myfitnesspal-mcp-python/venv/bin/python",
      "args": ["-m", "mfp_mcp.server"]
    }
  }
}

⚠️ Important: Use full absolute paths to the Python executable in your virtual environment. Replace yourname/YourName with your actual username.

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

After saving the config file, completely quit and restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect.

Step 4: Verify Connection

In Claude Desktop, you should see a hammer icon (🔨) indicating MCP tools are available. Try asking:

"Show my MyFitnessPal diary for today"

Authentication Methods

The MCP server supports three authentication methods, tried in this order:

1. Environment Variables (Recommended)

Set MFP_USERNAME and MFP_PASSWORD in your Claude Desktop config's env section. This is the most reliable method and doesn't require a browser.

"env": {
  "MFP_USERNAME": "[email protected]",
  "MFP_PASSWORD": "your_password"
}

2. Stored Session Cookies

After successful authentication, session cookies are saved to ~/.mfp_mcp/cookies.json. These persist for 30 days, so you won't need to re-authenticate frequently.

3. Browser Cookies (Fallback)

If no credentials are provided and no stored cookies exist, the server falls back to reading cookies from Chrome or Firefox. You must be logged into myfitnesspal.com in your browser.

Security Note on Credentials

Your MyFitnessPal credentials in the Claude Desktop config are stored locally on your machine. The config file is only readable by your user account. However, if you're concerned about storing credentials:

1. Use Option B (browser cookies) instead
2. Or use a dedicated MyFitnessPal account for API access
3. Session cookies are stored in ~/.mfp_mcp/cookies.json with restricted permissions

Usage Examples

Once configured, you can interact with your MyFitnessPal data through Claude:

Food Diary

"Show me what I ate today"
"Get my food diary for 2026-01-05"
"What meals did I log yesterday?"

Track Weight Progress

"Show my weight history for the past 30 days"
"Log my weight as 232.5 pounds"
"What's my weight trend this month?"

Search Foods

"Search MyFitnessPal for chicken breast"
"Find nutrition info for Greek yogurt"
"Look up calories in a banana"

Check Goals vs Actual

"Compare my nutrition goals to what I actually ate today"
"Am I on track with my protein intake?"
"How many calories do I have left today?"

Exercise Log

"What exercises did I log today?"
"Show my workout from yesterday"

Nutrition Reports

"Show my calorie intake over the past week"
"What's my average protein intake this week?"
"Generate a nutrition report for January"

Project Structure

myfitnesspal-mcp-python/
├── Dockerfile              # Container deployment
├── pyproject.toml          # Package configuration
├── README.md               # This file
└── src/
    └── mfp_mcp/
        ├── __init__.py     # Package initialization
        └── server.py       # MCP server implementation

Development

Setup Development Environment

# Clone and enter directory
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/myfitnesspal-mcp-python.git
cd myfitnesspal-mcp-python

# Create virtual environment (Python 3.10+ required)
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate

# Upgrade pip and install with dev dependencies
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Run Tests

pytest

Code Formatting

black src/
isort src/
ruff check src/

Type Checking

mypy src/

Docker Deployment

⚠️ Note: Docker deployment requires mounting your browser's cookie database for authentication.

# Build the image
docker build -t mfp-mcp .

# Run with Chrome cookies mounted (Linux example)
docker run -it --rm \
  -v ~/.config/google-chrome:/root/.config/google-chrome:ro \
  mfp-mcp

Troubleshooting

"python: command not found" or wrong Python version

Problem: Python is not in PATH or you need to specify version.

Solutions:

1. On macOS/Linux, use python3 instead of python
2. Check your version: python3 --version (must be 3.10+)
3. If needed, install Python 3.12 via Homebrew: brew install [email protected]
4. Then create venv with: python3.12 -m venv venv

"pip install -e ." fails with "setup.py not found"

Problem: Your pip version is too old to support pyproject.toml builds.

Solution: Upgrade pip first:

pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e .

"Failed to authenticate with MyFitnessPal"

Problem: The server can't authenticate with your credentials or read browser cookies.

Solutions:

1. If using credentials: Double-check your MFP_USERNAME and MFP_PASSWORD in the config
2. If using browser cookies: Make sure you're logged into myfitnesspal.com in Chrome or Firefox
3. Try logging out and back in to MyFitnessPal
4. Clear browser cookies and log in fresh
5. On macOS, grant Full Disk Access to Claude Desktop:

• System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
• Add Claude.app

"No module named 'mfp_mcp'"

Problem: Package not installed or wrong Python environment.

Solutions:

1. Ensure you're using the correct Python from your virtual environment
2. Reinstall the package: pip install -e .
3. Verify the path in your Claude Desktop config points to the venv Python:

   /path/to/project/venv/bin/python  # macOS/Linux
   C:\path\to\project\venv\Scripts\python.exe  # Windows

Tools not appearing in Claude Desktop

Problem: MCP server not connecting.

Solutions:

1. Check the config file syntax (must be valid JSON - use a JSON validator)
2. Use absolute paths in the configuration (no ~ or relative paths)
3. Restart Claude Desktop completely (Cmd+Q on macOS, then relaunch)
4. Check Claude Desktop logs:

• macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\

Empty responses or no data

Problem: Authentication works but no data returned.

Solutions:

1. Verify you have data logged in MyFitnessPal for the requested date
2. Check the date format (YYYY-MM-DD)
3. Try a recent date where you know you have entries

Double parentheses in terminal prompt like "((venv) )"

Problem: VS Code/Cursor Python extension bug with venv prompt.

Solutions:

1. Update the Python extension in VS Code/Cursor
2. Or manually fix the venv activate script - change line ~70 in venv/bin/activate:

   # Change from:
   PS1="("'(venv) '") ${PS1:-}"
   # To:
   PS1="(venv) ${PS1:-}"

API Reference

mfp_get_diary

Get food diary for a specific date.

• date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD format, defaults to today
• response_format: "markdown" or "json"

mfp_search_food

Search the MyFitnessPal food database.

• query (required): Search term
• limit (optional): Max results (default 10, max 50)
• response_format: "markdown" or "json"

mfp_get_food_details

Get detailed nutrition for a food item.

• mfp_id (required): MyFitnessPal food ID from search results
• response_format: "markdown" or "json"

mfp_add_food_to_diary

Add a food item to your diary for a specific meal and date.

• mfp_id (required): MyFitnessPal food ID from search results (use mfp_search_food first)
• meal (optional): Meal name - "Breakfast", "Lunch", "Dinner", or "Snacks" (default: "Breakfast")
• date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD format (default: today)
• quantity (optional): Number of servings (default: 1.0)
• unit (optional): Unit/serving size description (e.g., "1 cup", "100g")

Example workflow:

1. Use mfp_search_food to find a food item and get its mfp_id
2. Use mfp_add_food_to_diary with the mfp_id to add it to your diary

mfp_get_measurements

Get body measurement history.

• measurement (optional): "Weight", "Body Fat", "Waist", etc.
• start_date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD (default 30 days ago)
• end_date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD (default today)
• response_format: "markdown" or "json"

mfp_set_measurement

Log a body measurement for today.

• measurement (optional): Type (default "Weight")
• value (required): Numeric value

mfp_get_exercises

Get exercise log for a date.

• date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD (default today)
• response_format: "markdown" or "json"

mfp_get_goals

Get daily nutrition goals.

• date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD (default today)
• response_format: "markdown" or "json"

mfp_set_goals

Update nutrition goals.

• calories (optional): Daily calorie goal
• protein (optional): Daily protein in grams
• carbohydrates (optional): Daily carbs in grams
• fat (optional): Daily fat in grams

mfp_get_water

Get water intake for a date.

• date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD (default today)

mfp_set_water

Log water intake for a date.

• cups (required): Number of cups of water (e.g., 2.5 for 2.5 cups). Note: MyFitnessPal uses cups as the unit (1 cup = ~237ml)
• date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD format (default: today)

mfp_get_report

Get nutrition report over a date range.

• report_name (optional): "Net Calories", "Protein", "Fat", "Carbs"
• start_date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD (default 7 days ago)
• end_date (optional): YYYY-MM-DD (default today)
• response_format: "markdown" or "json"

Security & Privacy

• Credentials: If using username/password authentication, credentials are stored in your Claude Desktop config file which is only readable by your user account. Session cookies are cached in ~/.mfp_mcp/cookies.json for 30 days.
• Browser Cookies: As a fallback, the server can read your browser cookies to authenticate with MyFitnessPal.
• Local Only: The server runs locally on your machine via stdio transport. No data is sent to any third-party servers.
• No External Transmission: Your MyFitnessPal data is only transmitted between your computer and MyFitnessPal's servers (myfitnesspal.com).

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• python-myfitnesspal - The underlying library for MyFitnessPal access
• MCP Python SDK - Model Context Protocol framework
• Anthropic - Claude and the MCP specification