Are you trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy lifestyle or simply keep track of your daily diet? Calorie counting apps can help! These apps offer a quick and easy way to track your calorie intake, macronutrients, exercise routines and even water consumption. The only problem is choosing which app to download. Look no further than the list below of the best apps for calorie counting, according to expert recommendations.
When every calorie counts, a new study says you should do your workout in the morning. Researchers found that morning gym-goers not only reap more rewards but also burn more calories throughout the day. Biological processes work differently depending on the time of day, due to each cell’s circadian rhythm — the system which regulates the sleep-wake cycle over 24 hours. So, if you’re looking to maximize your calorie burn, it might be time to set that alarm clock a little earlier and hit the gym in the morning!
Now that you know when to work out, you should also know for how long. The CDC recommends getting in 150 minutes throughout the week. How many candy bars would that burn off? Currently, it would take some calculating to figure it out, but researchers in the United Kingdom say calorie labels should start including that information! Their hypothesis is that a physical activity calorie equivalent on food labels would make it easier to understand the real impact of what you’re eating. And it would give you an idea of how much time you’d need to exercise each week to maintain a healthy weight.
With the help of the best calorie counting apps, you can not only track your diet, but also your movement and much more. Some apps even have a feature that lets you share your stats with friends. So, essentially, the app that works for you, your lifestyle and your goals is what makes it the best. Download a few from the list below and give them a try. Who knows, they might just be the missing piece to your wellness puzzle! Did we miss any? Let us know in the comments below!
The List: Best Calorie Counting Apps Most Recommended by Experts
1. MyFitnessPal
Active knows a thing or two about burning and consuming calories, and the website ranks MyFitnessPal as number one: “MyFitnessPal is one of the most popular calorie counters on the market today — and it’s not hard to understand why. Not only does the app calculate your weight and determine your recommended daily caloric intake, but it also has an exercise log and an easy-to-use food diary. The basic level of the app is available for free.”
“The home page provides a clear picture of how many calories you’ve consumed during the day. In addition, it shows your remaining recommended intake and how many calories you’ve burned by exercising. If you’re using a fitness tracking device, MyFitnessPal can likely sync with it to include its data in the exercise log,” Healthline says.
Livestrong.com thinks you’ll be right at home with a supportive community of like-minded calorie counters: “Because of their early start and ongoing popularity, they have the ‘World’s Largest Online Community,’ available to users 24/7. MyFitnessPal keeps their main offerings fairly streamlined: helpful articles, tracking and progress. With over 14 million foods in their database, you are sure to find the exact food on your plate.”
2. Noom
This app isn’t just a calorie counter! Verywell Fit explains the features: “For those wanting a robust calorie counter, live support, coaching, and accountability, look no further than Noom. Between the ease of scanning barcodes and labels to live support and thousands of recipes, Noom will take your calorie counting goals to the next level.”
“Noom helps users learn about behaviors that lead to unhealthy food choices and eating habits, such as social triggers or emotional eating. It focuses on reducing daily calorie intake by helping you learn which foods are green, or have low-calorie density, and which foods are red, or have high-calorie density. This intuitive learning, paired with a strong support system that includes virtual coaching, is what gives up to 78 percent of Noom users weight loss results,” SI.com adds.
Insider explains how this app is so successful: “Noom is unique in that it not only pairs you with a health and nutrition expert to craft a plan individual to you, but it also takes into account a variety of factors like age, height, weight, activity level, target goals, medical history, and personal goals. The program Noom creates for you suggests which foods to eat, how much physical activity to do, and other healthy habit reinforcement. The goal is to give you the tools you need to adjust your current lifestyle gradually, making small changes that can be sustained over time.”
3. Lose It!
Love a good challenge? Parade says the Lose It! weight loss challenges may be motivating for you: “Lose It! is very beneficial for those looking for community support. If you like to be challenged … then this app may be for you.”
“With more than 27 million foods in its database, this best calorie tracker app is a fit for foodies who are always putting new recipes and unfamiliar ingredients to the test. The app offers a barcode scanner and the ability to log your food just with a photo, making tracking your eats — plus their caloric values and macronutrient profiles — easy,” Shape writes.
Good Housekeeping offers a mind-boggling statistic about this app’s success: “It’s hard to argue with more than 112 million pounds, which is the collective weight loss of Lose It! users, according to the website. Lose It! comes up with a personalized calorie budget based on your height, weight and age.”
4. Cronometer
GeekFlare recommends this app for its features: “Live better and more innovative with Cronometer app that allows users to track calories, record health data, biometrics, and exercise pattern. Cronometer offers a wide range of features that can help discover the nutritional value of what one consumes beyond counting calories.”
And MedicalNewsToday calls this app the best for healthcare professionals: “Cronometer is another calorie counter app that comes with: custom diet settings, an intermittent fasting timer, diet support [and] a meal and nutrient tracker. There is also a Pro version for doctors, dietitians, and nutritionists, with pricing starting from $24.95 per month.”
“Users like that the app is customizable, contains intuitive tracking, offers easy importing for favorite home recipes and has features to account for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Plus, it syncs with multiple apps and devices,” writes Good Housekeeping.
5. MyNetDiary
Women’s Health raves about this app’s easy-to-use technology and community forum: “This app to scan food for calories allows you to scan the barcodes of your food, calculating calorie intake on the spot. According to MND they have more than 988,000 foods in their database – pretty impressive. It beats most other diet apps as it has a community forum that gives you the chance to speak with fellow users looking to share tips, motivation, and recipe ideas. A perfect tool for those on the go.”
It even comes friend recommended: “My friend swears by MyNetDiary and claims that it is the best app in the world — which is why I gave it a whirl. The app is extremely simple to use, has a great and clean UI, and provides many options, even in the free version. You can either use the barcode scanner to get data off a pack, or you can view nutrient breakdowns in the app. You can also choose the food type you wish to eat with their extensive diet plans,” Volumetree says.
That sums up the top five best calorie counting apps! But there are many more out there. If you think the experts missed one of the best ones, tell us which one helps you count calories (and probably, do much more).
You might also be interested in:
- Best Ways to Lower Cholesterol
- Best Fruit for Weight Loss
- Best Fitness Trackers
- Most Nutritious Fish
Sources:
- Active
- Healthline
- Livestrong.com
- Verywell Fit
- SI.com
- Insider
- Parade
- Shape
- Good Housekeeping
- GeekFlare
- MedicalNewsToday
- Women’s Health
- Volumetree
Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links.
Nutritonix
I’ve used all the apps above, but for Nutritionix has by far the most comprehensive food database. Nearly every item I scan is in the database, AND has the correct information. It’s ALSO free!