App or service that gives you better food choices

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gavpedley
gavpedley Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Is there an app or service where you can enter what you would normally eat and it then tells you healthier alternatives to foods you are currently eating?

Replies

  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,987 Member
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    The problem is that "healthy" is very subjective.

    What is "healthy" and appropriate for one person may not be for another. It depends on your goals, any health problems you may have, and personal preference.

    I think a service like that would be far too general.

    You could talk to a registered dietician for help with substitutions that are personalized for you. Or, if you have specific things you'd like to swap out, just post them here. Other users here are very helpful and the advice is free.
  • perryc05
    perryc05 Posts: 215 Member
    edited June 2022
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    I just Googled your thread title "App or service that gives you better food choices" and found this:
    "The FoodSwitch mobile App empowers consumers to make better food choices by providing simple health information on a scanned product and suggesting healthier alternatives to 'switch' to"
     https://www.georgeinstitute.org/projects/foodswitch
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
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    I have an App simply called ‘Food Scanner’ which does what I think you’re asking for. I can’t tell you whether it works brilliantly or not because the things I’ve scanned into it so far have all been green-lighted so no swaps suggested! 😂

    I also use another App called ‘Yuka’ that is a little more complicated to use and is still under development so you do end up having to enter package info and take ‘shots’ of the barcode, nutrition panel and ingredients panel of the items so it can be entered into their database for future users. Which can be time consuming, but over time I think it’s worth doing when you can.

    Of the two, I prefer Yuka (also assesses cosmetic items and cleaning products etc) but I use ‘Food Scanner’ more often because it’s the faster option.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,853 Member
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    I think others have given great answers, but I'd encourage to to also consider whether "healthy" is really a food by food issue, or more about an overall way of eating. For example, if I haven't had much in the way of healthy fats today, nuts might be a good choice, but if I'm short on protein or certain micronutrients, they wouldn't be all that helpful. Broccoli is a healthy food, but doesn't help me if I need more fats. And so forth. Just a thought.
  • goal06082021
    goal06082021 Posts: 2,130 Member
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    "Healthy" is relative - you might need to make different swaps depending on what you're actually trying to accomplish. If you're trying to change your diet in a particular way that is "healthier" for medical or philosophical reasons, that will also inform the choices you make in comparison to someone with different medical/philosophical reasons for eating in a particular way.

    You may want to take the time to learn a little bit about nutrition; you don't need to go out and get a degree in food science, but familiarizing yourself with what macronutrients are and what they do and why they're important is probably a good first step. The best way of eating is the one that is sustainable for you - in terms of access to ingredients, time/inclination for food preparation, satiety, preferred flavor profiles, and sufficient nutrition to keep your body functioning and fuel your day-to-day activities. Obviously, that's going to vary person-to-person; what works for me may not work for you.

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