In recent times of viruses, both new and old, it has become especially important for people to prioritize their health. In order to do so, many have made it their goal to have healthier eating and drinking habits in order to strengthen their immune systems.
Although it can be a bit overwhelming at first, there are tons of free apps out there to help users with this daunting task. From apps with built-in food label scanners to ones with macro tracking to even one on managing digestive issues alone, these apps are dedicated to helping users everywhere lead better and healthier lives.
MyNetDiary
MyNetDiary is a popular calorie tracker app available on both iPhone and Android. It was ranked first in Forbes Health Best Calorie Counter Apps of 2022 list. This app helps users track their calories from each meal, made easier with a barcode scanner and a huge database of different kinds of food, from a bacon and egg sandwich from Starbucks to plain whole milk.
There are additional features like water and exercise tracking, daily coaching tips, and weigh-in reminders. The app is also compatible with Apple Watch.
Cara Care
Cara Care is an app dedicated to helping users with their digestion and manage conditions like IBS, IBD, GERD, Celiac, dyspepsia, and food intolerances. They have a food and symptom tracker, personalized diet plans, as well as a medical log to record important information such as workouts, sleep, and pain.
This app is overall just a great way for people to understand and overcome their gut issues. Users of Cara Care also have access to their own personal dietitian who can provide support and answer all and any questions.
Shopwell
Shopwell is a free mobile app that helps users understand what they're buying in grocery stores. It has a built-in barcode scanner that translates nutrition labels and provides a score based on personal information, such as dietary goals, allergies, and health concerns, and expert knowledge from registered dietitians.
This way, users can find products that are a better match for their needs, goals, and lives. It even has a new feature where people can create lists of their favorite foods and share them with family and friends.
Yummly Recipes & Cooking Tools
Yummly is a great resource to have for meal planning and finding healthy recipes. It's personalized to each user's own taste preferences, allergies, and dietary needs. It has a ton of different kinds of recipes, along with step-by-step guidance, video tutorials, timers, and other tools to make cooking a lot easier.
It even has a special feature where users can input the ingredients they have on hand and Yummly will return recipes that match. The app also integrates with Apple's Health App by tracking the nutritional information of whatever recipe is made.
Waterlogged
Waterlogged is one of the best water tracking apps for both Android and iOS devices. It helps users meet their daily water intake goals by providing personalized reminders to build up the habit.
It has a helpful feature where users can add photos as custom glasses to quickly log their water. There are graphs available in the app that help visually display people's water consumption throughout the day, week, or year. In addition, the app uses different kinds of volume measurements, including ounces, milliliters, and liters, for users all over the world.
Lifesum
Lifesum is a free app for food and exercise tracking, meal plans, and delicious recipes. It helps users have an overall healthier lifestyle, with a weekly LifeScore detailing what went well throughout the week and how users can improve going forward.
It tracks calories, macros, and habits like drinking water and eating fruits and vegetables. There is also a huge variety of meal plans and specialized diets, from high protein to 5:2 fasting, with corresponding recipes. It has everything people need to stay healthy all in one place.
AllergyEats
AllergyEats is a free app available on Android and iOS devices that is perfect for anyone with food allergies. It provides lists of allergy-friendly restaurants anywhere in the U.S., from Disney World parks to New York City to Washington D.C.
Its lists are curated based on user ratings and there are tons of reviews describing people's real-life experiences at these locations. It also includes access to menus and allergy menus to make eating out at home, on the road, or on vacation a lot easier and safer.
MyPlate Calorie Counter
MyPlate Calorie Counter is an app that helps users keep track of their meals, nutrients, and progress over time. It has a huge database of various foods as well as a barcode scanner to make logging meals much easier. There is also a Progress section with charts to summarize users' data on calories, protein, fat, and more.
It helps guide users who might feel a little lost with its 8-Week Meal Plan, snack and meal suggestions included. The app also has workout videos and healthy recipes all put into one place for easy access.
Fooducate
Fooducate is an app available to download on iPhones and Android. It won the Healthy Eating category in US Surgeon General's Healthy Apps Challenge. Fooducate helps users eat healthier with its nutrition tracker to log food intake and exercise and monitor macros, sugar intake, and sleep.
The app also has a scanner that analyzes the nutrition label of products and brings to light ingredients like trans fats, additives, and high fructose corn syrup. It then returns a grade based on each user's personal goals and allergies.
MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is one of the most popular food tracker and health apps out there. It won GQ's 2020 "Best Fitness App" award and currently has over 200 million users (per Business of Apps). It has calorie, nutrition, and water trackers alongside its database of over 14 million different kinds of foods.
Users can personalize the app to their own goals, from calories to macros to protein intake, and there are also a ton of workouts and delicious recipes available. Additionally, MyFitnessPal users can connect their accounts with over 50 other apps, including Fitbit and Apple Health.