API Ninjas MCP Server for Claude Code 8 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development. Add API Ninjas as an MCP server in one command and Claude Code will discover every tool at runtime. ideal for automation pipelines, CI/CD integration, and headless workflows via Vinkius.
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# Your Vinkius token. get it at cloud.vinkius.com
claude mcp add api-ninjas --transport http "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure
About API Ninjas MCP Server
Connect to API Ninjas and access a comprehensive suite of health and fitness tools through natural conversation.
Claude Code registers API Ninjas as an MCP server in a single terminal command. Once connected, Claude Code discovers all 8 tools at runtime and can call them headlessly. ideal for CI/CD pipelines, cron jobs, and automated workflows where API Ninjas data drives decisions without human intervention.
What you can do
- Exercise Search — Search 1000+ exercises by name, type, muscle group and difficulty with step-by-step instructions
- Calories Burned — Calculate calories burned for various activities based on weight and duration
- Body Fat — Estimate body fat percentage using the US Navy method
- BMR & TDEE — Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate and Total Daily Energy Expenditure
- Nutrition — Get nutritional info for any food item (calories, protein, carbs, fat)
- Sleep — Get recommended sleep duration based on age and gender
- Steps — Calculate calories burned and distance from step count
The API Ninjas MCP Server exposes 8 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to Claude Code in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.
How to Connect API Ninjas to Claude Code via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the API Ninjas MCP Server with Claude Code.
Install Claude Code
Run npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code if not already installed
Add the MCP Server
Run the command above in your terminal
Verify the connection
Run claude mcp to list connected servers, or type /mcp inside a session
Start using API Ninjas
Ask Claude: "Using API Ninjas, show me...". 8 tools are ready
Why Use Claude Code with the API Ninjas MCP Server
Claude Code provides unique advantages when paired with API Ninjas through the Model Context Protocol.
Single-command setup: `claude mcp add` registers the server instantly. no config files to edit or applications to restart
Terminal-native workflow means MCP tools integrate seamlessly into shell scripts, CI/CD pipelines, and automated DevOps tasks
Claude Code runs headlessly, enabling unattended batch processing using API Ninjas tools in cron jobs or deployment scripts
Built by the same team that created the MCP protocol, ensuring first-class compatibility and the fastest adoption of new protocol features
API Ninjas + Claude Code Use Cases
Practical scenarios where Claude Code combined with the API Ninjas MCP Server delivers measurable value.
CI/CD integration: embed API Ninjas tool calls in your deployment pipeline to validate configurations or fetch secrets before shipping
Headless batch processing: schedule Claude Code to query API Ninjas nightly and generate reports without human intervention
Shell scripting: pipe API Ninjas outputs into other CLI tools for data transformation, filtering, and aggregation
Infrastructure monitoring: run Claude Code in a cron job to query API Ninjas status endpoints and alert on anomalies
API Ninjas MCP Tools for Claude Code (8)
These 8 tools become available when you connect API Ninjas to Claude Code via MCP:
get_bmr
Requires weight (kg), height (cm), age and gender. Returns BMR value in calories/day. Calculate Basal Metabolic Rate
get_body_fat
Requires waist, neck and height measurements (in cm). For women, also requires hip measurement. Returns body fat percentage and category (lean, fitness, acceptable, obese). Estimate body fat percentage
get_calories_burned
Requires activity name, weight (kg) and duration (minutes). Returns activity name, duration, calories burned and MET value. Calculate calories burned for an activity
get_exercises
Supports filtering by name, type (cardio, olympic_weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, strength, stretching, strongman), muscle (abdominals, abductors, adductors, biceps, calves, chest, forearms, glutes, hamstrings, lats, lower_back, middle_back, neck, quadriceps, traps, triceps) and difficulty (beginner, intermediate, expert). Returns exercise name, type, muscle worked, equipment needed, difficulty level and step-by-step instructions. Search exercises by name, type, muscle or difficulty
get_nutrition
Returns calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, fiber and sugar per 100g serving. Get nutrition info for a food item
get_sleep
Returns recommended sleep range and whether current sleep is adequate. Get recommended sleep duration
get_steps
Requires step count and optionally weight (kg), height (cm), age and gender for more accurate calculations. Calculate calories and distance from steps
get_tdee
Requires weight (kg), height (cm), age, gender and activity level. Returns TDEE value in calories/day with breakdown by activity level. Calculate Total Daily Energy Expenditure
Example Prompts for API Ninjas in Claude Code
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your Claude Code agent to start working with API Ninjas immediately.
"Find chest exercises for beginners."
"What's the nutritional info for a banana?"
"Calculate my BMR. I'm 30 years old, male, 80kg, 180cm."
Troubleshooting API Ninjas MCP Server with Claude Code
Common issues when connecting API Ninjas to Claude Code through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
Command not found: claude
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-codeConnection timeout
API Ninjas + Claude Code FAQ
Common questions about integrating API Ninjas MCP Server with Claude Code.
How do I add an MCP server to Claude Code?
claude mcp add --transport http "" in your terminal. Claude Code registers the server and discovers all tools immediately.Can Claude Code run MCP tools in headless mode?
How do I list all connected MCP servers?
claude mcp in your terminal to see all registered servers and their status, or type /mcp inside an active Claude Code session.Connect API Ninjas with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
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Google's framework for building production AI agents.
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TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect API Ninjas to Claude Code
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 8 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.