It has been several months since we all set New Years resolutions. Are you still on track with your resolution to eat better? If not, consider these top 5 food and nutrition apps from LifeHacker.com’s user poll. Keeping track of what you eat has been proven help you make healthier food choices. These smartphone apps will make those choices easier.
1. My Fitness Pal. Free on the iOS or Android platform, this app has one of the largest food databases. It helps you log restaurant and home-cooked meals and supports a large number of restaurant menus. As long as you log your food you’ll have a complete picture of your diet. Some users even reported logging meals before they ate, so they knew the proper portion sizes.
2. LoseIt. A food and activity tracker, LoseIt helps with daily caloric goals and portion sizes. The app has barcode scanners to quickly add in servings of packaged foods or ingredients. The “challenges” in the activity logs will help you take your fitness goals to the next level.
3. SparkPeople. A network of sites containing a ton of information, recipes, nutrition news, and tips. It allows you to track meals, add home-cooked foods or use the search feature for restaurant dishes. Track your exercise and activity, you’ll have all your daily information in one place. Upgrade from the free version and you will get personalized motivational coaching.
4. CRON-O-Meter. Simpler than the other tools, this service allows you to track your intake, activity and exercise. It’s a less complex format and easy to use especially if you are just starting out. The downside is that you cannot connect to external devices or fitness trackers (FitBit, etc).
5. FatSecret. A twist on the usual food log, this app allows you to keep a personal journal so you can match up what you eat with how you feel. Sign up for this free service and you can begin tracking your meals and exercise levels. It also has a build in tool to share recipes with community members so you don’t have to copy and paste them.
Now that you know the top 5 nutrition apps, give them a try. And congratulations on continuing to work toward your fitness and diet goals!
