NutriHelp Mobile App 2026

A cross-platform mobile application built with Expo (React Native) to help users track nutrition, scan food barcodes, discover recipes, and manage health and wellness goals.

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Prerequisites

Tool	Version
Node.js	18 LTS or later
Expo CLI	npm install -g expo-cli
EAS CLI	npm install -g eas-cli
Android Studio	Latest stable

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Backend API

Resource	URL
Base URL	https://nutrihelp-backend-deployment.onrender.com
Swagger Docs	https://nutrihelp-backend-deployment.onrender.com/api-docs

The backend is hosted on Render. All API calls from the app go through EXPO_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL. Check the Swagger docs for available endpoints, request/response schemas, and to test calls directly.

Note: Render free tier spins down after inactivity — the first request may take ~30 seconds to wake the server.

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Run Locally

# 1. Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/Gopher-Industries/NutriHelp-App-2026.git
cd NutriHelp-App-2026

# 2. Install dependencies
npm install
npx expo install

# 3. Copy environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# EXPO_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL is already set in .env.example — no change needed

# 4. Start the dev server
npx expo start

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Run on Android Emulator

1. Open Android Studio → Virtual Device Manager → create a Pixel 6 AVD (API 33).
2. Start the AVD.
3. With the Expo dev server running, press a in the terminal.

Emulator setup steps: Open Android Studio → More Actions → Virtual Device Manager → Create Device → Phone → Pixel 6 → Next → API 33 (download if needed) → Finish.

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Run on Physical Android Device

Use the development build APK (see Build Development APK below). Install the APK on your device, then run:

npx expo start --dev-client

Scan the QR code or connect via LAN — full hot-reload without Expo Go.

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Build Development APK

# Login to EAS
eas login

# Build locally (outputs an .apk)
eas build --platform android --profile development --local

Distribute the generated .apk to team members for device testing.

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Environment Variables

Copy .env.example to .env and fill in the required values:

Variable	Description	Pre-filled?
EXPO_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL	Backend API base URL	Yes — Render deployment
EXPO_PUBLIC_API_BARCODE_URL	Barcode lookup API URL	No
EXPO_PUBLIC_AI_MODEL_URL	AI/ML model endpoint	No
EXPO_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL	Supabase project URL	No
EXPO_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY	Supabase anonymous key	No
EXPO_PUBLIC_FIREBASE_CONFIG	Firebase config JSON string	No

Never commit .env to git.

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Branch Strategy

Branch	Purpose
main	Production-ready, protected — PRs required, 1 approval minimum, no direct pushes
feature/M-XX-description	Individual feature work (e.g. feature/M-13-login-screen)

Workflow: create a feature/ branch from main → open PR → get 1 approval → merge directly into main.

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Project Structure

src/
├── api/           # API clients and fetch helpers
├── context/       # React context providers
├── hooks/         # Custom React hooks
├── utils/         # Utility/helper functions
├── navigation/    # React Navigation stacks, tabs, drawers
├── screens/       # Screen components grouped by domain
│   ├── auth/
│   ├── home/
│   ├── meal/
│   ├── recipes/
│   ├── scan/
│   ├── health/
│   ├── community/
│   ├── wellness/
│   └── account/
├── components/    # Shared UI components
└── styles/        # Global styles and Tailwind CSS
assets/            # Images, fonts, icons