Food & Drink APIs
Recipes and nutrition information
This directory lists 19 food & drink APIs. 3 of them require no API key and support CORS, so you can call them directly from browser JavaScript with no backend and no sign-up. Every entry shows whether it needs authentication, serves over HTTPS and allows cross-origin requests, so you can pick one that fits your stack before you read a single doc page.
Best Food and Drink APIs for Developers
A food and drink API allows developers to access recipe databases, nutritional information, ingredient substitutes, restaurant listings, and meal planning data. These APIs power cooking apps, diet trackers, and food delivery platforms.
Start with TheMealDB and TheCocktailDB for a recipe or drinks app, both work with the shared test key 1, then a Patreon pledge unlocks full search once you ship. Open Food Facts suits packaged food data best, a free crowdsourced database of ingredients, allergens, and Nutri Score with no key required. Open Brewery DB has no signup, key, or rate limit, the easiest pick for a brewery locator. For real nutrition numbers, Edamam and Spoonacular go further but bill fast past a small free quota.
Hobby built beer and liquor APIs disappear often, the old Punk API and LCBO API both went offline, so confirm a project is maintained before you build on it. Food data also carries licensing terms, Open Food Facts runs under the Open Database License and expects attribution when reused.
What to check before you pick one
- Nutritional accuracy: APIs sourced from official food databases like USDA provide more reliable macro and micronutrient data.
- Dietary filters: Support for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergen filters is essential for inclusive recipe apps.
- Ingredient substitution: APIs that suggest ingredient alternatives add value for users with dietary restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are food and drink APIs?
Food and drink APIs provide programmatic access to recipe databases, nutritional information, ingredient lists, restaurant data, meal plans, and dietary restriction filters for culinary applications.
Is there a free recipe API?
TheMealDB offers a free recipe API with no API key required for basic access, covering thousands of recipes with ingredients, instructions, and images across many cuisines.
How do I get nutritional data for foods using an API?
The USDA FoodData Central API provides free nutritional data for thousands of foods. Pass a food name or FDC ID and receive macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals in JSON format.