She ate the chart on the left for eleven years. Keto, then Whole30, then a year of counting calories in an app, then low carb again because surely she had done it wrong the first time.
High protein. Moderate carbs. Low fat. Exactly what every plan she followed told her to do.
The chart on the right is what a macronutrient profile can look like for someone with a very different set of genetic variants. More than double the carbohydrate. A third less protein.
Nobody had ever shown her that second number. No diet book asks for it, because no diet book can know it.
“Totally different than what I ever thought it would be. Higher carb for one thing, and I have been low carb for a long time.”
GenoPalate analysis feedback, 2026“Because my report is so different than I expected, it will take time to get my head around what I am allowed to eat and what is not helpful for me.”
Post-consultation feedback, GenoPalate customerOne saliva sample at home. No blood draw, no clinic visit.
Why the gap exists in the first place
Every eating plan you have ever read was built on population averages. Take a few thousand people, measure what happens, publish the ratio that worked for most of them.
That ratio is real. It is also a composite. It describes a person assembled out of thousands of other people, and that person is not standing in your kitchen at 3 p.m. wondering why the handful of almonds did not help.
Genetics does not explain everything about how you eat. Nobody serious claims it does. But the ratio question is one of the things it does speak to, and the answer has been sitting in your DNA your entire life, unread.
“Particularly helpful was getting off the treadmill of low-carb dieting once I saw the data and the studies suggesting that a lower fat and higher carb and protein diet works best for people with my genes.”
Verified customer review, November 2020Where the second number comes from
GenoPalate is a nutrition report built from your own DNA, analysed in a CLIA-certified, CAP-accredited lab in the United States. It reads more than 650,000 genetic variants and scores over 300 whole foods against what it finds.
It was founded by Sherry Zhang, PhD, a genomics scientist with 18 years in obesity genomics and a faculty appointment at the Medical College of Wisconsin. More than 175,000 people have used it.
The macro split is page one. The rest of the report is the part people end up quoting to their friends.
Micronutrient priorities
Which vitamins and minerals your genetics suggest need closer attention. Vitamin D, folate, B12, zinc and others.
How you handle caffeine
Fast metaboliser or slow. This is the finding people write in about most, usually because it explains an afternoon they have been having for years.
Dairy, gluten and alcohol markers
Variants associated with how your body processes them, so you test the ones that apply to you instead of cutting everything at once.
300+ foods, scored for you
An actual ranked list. A grocery run stops being a debate with yourself in aisle four.
FSA and HSA eligible.
What a macro split will not do for you
You have read enough health marketing to be suspicious, and you should be. DNA-based diets have taken real criticism over the years, including from congressional investigators, and a lot of it was earned by companies promising more than the science supports.
- It is not a diagnosis. The report will not tell you that you have a disease, and it is not a substitute for your doctor.
- It does not explain everything. Sleep, stress, medication, training and what you actually enjoy eating all matter. Some of them matter more than your genes.
- It will not be right about every line. Genetics is probability, not prophecy.
“There were some things I found spot-on (slow caffeine metabolism, need more zinc), and others that were not... I like that you can choose a diet or sensitivity and it will tailor foods for your needs.”
Verified customer review, 3 stars, November 2020That is a three-star review, and it is on this page on purpose. A company that trusts its own report can afford to show you the middling ones.
What the split genuinely does is narrow the search. Instead of testing diets on yourself one year at a time, you start from a ratio built out of your own biology, then check it against how you actually feel. GenoPalate has also put its program through a peer-reviewed study, published in BMC Nutrition in April 2026 (Guillen-Ahlers et al., BMC Nutr 12, 96).
And the question everybody asks next: what happens to my DNA?
- “We don't sell your data. Period.”
- De-identified and encrypted, kept separate from your name and email inside the company.
- Your saliva sample is securely destroyed after the CLIA-certified US lab analyses it.
- Never shared with insurers or employers, and never used for research, without your explicit consent.
- Permanent deletion on request, no questions asked, plus a full copy of your own file.
The full breakdown, including the caveat most DNA companies leave out →
The part that makes the number stick
A ratio on a screen is easy to read once and forget. What makes it change a week of eating is having a registered dietitian read it with you.
In GenoPalate's own member survey, 94% rated their coach extremely or very effective at explaining their personalized recommendations, and 92% left a session confident about reaching their goals.
“Not only did I find out WHY I've been low in vitamin D, but the macros profile helps explain why I might need healthy carbs and not keto.”
Terri M., GenoPalate member“I ran a few DNA tests with a few companies and this one had the clearest results with actionable steps.”
Verified customer review, October 2021Already tested with 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage or FamilyTreeDNA? Skip the kit and upload the file you already own. Here is how that works →
Find the number no diet asked you for
Save 10%, applied on site. FSA and HSA eligible.
See your macro splitDelete your data at any time, no questions asked.
Is this a blood test?
No. It is a saliva collection kit you use at home. No needles, no clinic visit, no fasting.
How long until I get my split?
Allow two to three weeks with the collection kit. If you already have raw DNA data from 23andMe, AncestryDNA, MyHeritage or FamilyTreeDNA, you can upload it instead and get results in about 24 hours.
Is this medical advice?
No. GenoPalate is a nutrition and wellness report. It is not a diagnostic test, it does not diagnose or treat any condition, and it is not a replacement for your physician. Talk to your doctor before making significant changes, especially if you are managing a health condition or taking medication.
What if my split is close to what I already eat?
Then you have confirmation instead of a correction, which several reviewers say was worth it on its own. The rest of the report, nutrient priorities, caffeine, and the scored food list, is where they found the surprises.
Can I use FSA or HSA funds?
Yes. Details are on their FSA/HSA page.
175,000+ members · CLIA-certified US lab · FSA and HSA eligible