Final Verdict
Calorie counter apps make it easy and convenient to keep up with your eating habits and track your progress toward your goals, whether you are trying to lose weight, maintain, or eat a more balanced diet. If you are looking for detailed insights into your eating habits to help you make a sustainable change with meal plans and community support, download Lifesum, our pick for healthy eating. Lifesum is easy to use and stick to, with motivational and educational features.
Guide to Choosing the Best Calorie Counter Apps
What Is a Calorie Counter App?
A calorie counter app is a program you can use on your mobile device to keep track of all the calories you consume and burn throughout the day. The main feature of calorie counter apps is the ability to record calories and nutritional information. But many calorie counter apps have other helpful tools, such as activity trackers, barcode scanners, meal planners, support forums, workout videos, and the ability to sync with wearable trackers or other devices or apps.
How Do I Choose the Best Calorie Counter App for Me?
Many apps can count calories, but good ones should do more by offering a broader insight into overall nutritional health. Our top pick, Lifesum, focuses more broadly on healthy eating by emphasizing food quality and including features such as meal plans and shopping lists. This app and others also allow you to log foods with a barcode scanner.
You should also consider which app balances your calorie-counting needs and budget. MyFitnessPal, for example, is loaded with features and programs, but if all you need is basic calorie counting on budget, the app may not be worth its $19.99-a-month cost. For basic needs, free apps like Calorie Counter by FatSecret should suffice, while Lifesum offers a compromise with calorie counting as well as educational features for just a few dollars a month.
If motivation is your biggest hurdle, you may want to opt for a calorie counter that sends you reminders. Among Lifesum’s many features are optional support and reminder notifications. ControlMyWeight is also a good option for a more pared-down calorie counter with push notifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the Difference Between a Calorie Counter App and Nutrition App?
Calorie counter apps are designed to turn your smartphone into a food and activity calculator and tracker. Nutrition apps—also referred to as macro tracking apps—are very similar to calorie counter apps as they give you one place to log and monitor calories and nutrients. Where they may differ is in the charts, graphs, and data they display. For example, a nutrition app may share more insight into the amount of protein or carbohydrates you’re consuming, whereas a calorie counter may be set up just to display a running tally of your daily calories.
Can Counting Calories Help Me Lose Weight?
Many experts and studies point to counting calories as one of the best ways to lose weight. However, it's often more complex than that, and a sustainable plan should include a broader approach to diet and exercise, with a goal of losing no more than one or two pounds per week. By tracking the number of calories you’re consuming and burning, you can get motivated to hold yourself accountable and succeed in your weight loss goals. But any such plan still should start with a consultation with a doctor or registered dietitian.
How Many Calories Should I Eat per Day?
The best apps do the calculating for you. What you need to do is accurately enter the foods you eat. Many apps even have barcode scanners that allow you to scan packaged foods for quick calculations. It's still important to remember that not all calories are created equal. A healthy diet also needs to consider nutritional content, activity level, and more.
How Do Calorie Counting Apps Determine How Much I Should Eat?
Most apps calculate how many calories you should eat each day based on your current weight, height, age, gender, and goal weight. Some also base this number on how much exercise you are getting. It is always a good idea to consult a doctor or nutritionist about whether your goals and calorie intake are right for you, especially if you have any medical conditions.
Methodology
To be considered for this list, a calorie counter app must have a free version that provides enough features to make it helpful and worth using. We also considered the food database, and if it included a barcode scanner for quick entry. Apps that allow you to track calories from popular restaurants and grocery-store items were also given priority. Other features that helped in our reviews included recipe ideas, meal plans, and the ability to track exercise or other activities. And finally, we looked at several online reviews and customer ratings to gain insight into the daily use of the calorie counter apps.