Food tracking apps are a popular tool for those looking to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or simply be more mindful of their eating habits.
They can help you become more aware of what you’re consuming, track your nutrient intake, and set and achieve your health and wellness goals.
In this blog post, we’ll go over how to use a food tracking app, including signing up, creating recipes, scanning barcodes, and manually entering foods. We’ll also explain the importance of logging your food and provide some tips to make it easier. Finally, we’ll compare the free and paid plans of MyFitnessPal, a popular food tracking app, to help you decide which one is right for you.
So, how do you use a food tracking app?
First, you’ll need to sign up for an account. This usually just involves entering your email and creating a password.
Next, you can start creating recipes or meals that you frequently eat. This is a great way to save time and make logging your food a breeze. Just enter the ingredients and serving sizes for each recipe, and the app will do the rest! You can also use the app’s built-in barcode scanner to quickly add packaged foods to your food diary. Just aim your phone’s camera at the barcode and let the app do the rest.
If you can’t find a particular food in the app’s database, you can always manually enter it. Just enter the name of the food, the serving size, and the nutritional information (if you have it).
But why is logging your food important?
For one, it helps you become more aware of what you’re eating. This can be especially helpful if you’re trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or stick to a particular diet. It can also be a useful tool for tracking your nutrient intake and making sure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. Here are a few tips to make logging your food easier:n
- Don’t stress too much about being perfect. If you forget to log a food here and there, it’s not the end of the world. Just do your best and remember: “if it’s not perfect, nobody dies.”
- Try to be as accurate as possible when entering serving sizes. A kitchen scale can be a helpful tool for this.
- Experiment with different tracking methods to see what works best for you. Some people prefer to log their food as they eat it, while others prefer to log it all at once at the beginning of the day.
- Connect with friends or join support groups within the app for motivation and accountability.
Now, let’s compare the free and paid plans of MyFitnessPal.
The free plan includes access to the app’s database of over 11 million foods, the ability to search and add foods to your diary, the ability to create and save recipes, a barcode scanner for logging packaged foods, tools for tracking exercise and setting goals, and the ability to connect with friends for support and motivation.
The paid plan, called MyFitnessPal Premium, includes all the features of the free plan, plus advanced nutrition and exercise tracking tools, personalized meal plans and exercise recommendations, the ability to set and track custom goals, an ad-free experience, and the ability to import data from other fitness apps and devices.
Whether you choose the free plan or upgrade to MyFitnessPal Premium, a food tracking app can be a useful tool for reaching your health and wellness goals. Happy logging!
