These nutrition apps help you more easily maintain your nutrition and health for those times when you need that extra push.
Bag IQ
Apple, Android
The upside: this app is for those who like to shop online as well as those who shop at major grocery retailers. Purchases can be tracked and analyzed, giving you a snapshot of how your purchases may affect your health and wallet. For example, I naturally received a poor rating for cheesy flavored chips I bought and major kudos for buying kale! Woohoo! Simply seeing my score plummet from my moment of weakness for Cheetos was encouraging enough for me to shop for an alternative to satisfy my desire for something savory. If you’re the type that’s influenced and encouraged by scoring high, this could be a fun app for you.
The downside: it does not list local retailers. If you like shopping at your neighborhood health store or cooperative, you’re out of luck.
Hi.Q
Apple
The upside: more than 10,000 questions geared to test users’ health literacy on a range of subjects from cancer and weight loss to yoga and several other topics. Developed and created by medical professionals, this app is beautifully designed and easy to navigate. What’s more fun is that your health IQ is tested against your peers and other users while learning a thing or two to boot!
The downside: users are unable to review quizzes once they’ve been completed.
Before I Eat, Moment in the Zone
Apple, Android
The upside: designed to encourage mindful eating, it offers the ability to journal your feelings and events surrounding eating occasions. Great for those who struggle with emotional eating, it offers audio sessions and additional resources, and can allow users to differentiate if they’re eating emotionally or because they’re hungry.
The downside: you must be disciplined enough to use the app when you catch yourself eating impulsively, and if you’re lazy with apps like me, it might not work for you.
Delicion
iPad
The upside: a great app that contains a collection of soy-free, grain-free, gluten-free recipes reviewed by a registered dietitian. Recipes can be made to be vegetarian, paleo, vegan, and dairy-free with a simple drop-down menu, and users can even find recipes based on the season and ingredients. The app provides healthy tips and nutrition facts along with attractive photography of food. The recipes can be adjusted by scale and are neatly organized by theme.
The downside: unless you’re willing to dish out $24.99 for the full version, you’re restricted to a limited amount of recipes in the free version, and saving/sharing the recipes are a bit of a pain.
Panna
Apple
The upside: this app is a video cooking magazine for those who love to practice their culinary skills at home. At six issues a year, every issue offers a free recipe whether or not you pay for the subscription, which means you get six free recipes a year from world renowned master chefs. Each issue is $4.99, or a bargain at $14.99 for the annual subscription, containing 12–13 seasonal recipes. The best part is that none of the content expires, so you can build up savable favorites list.
The downside: the only downside to this app is that it isn’t free, but hey, sometimes you get what you pay for!
