Healthy eating apps are also called nutrition apps. They may encourage healthy eating by helping you make better food choices. Healthier food choices are mostly ‘whole’ or less processed foods. Choose unsaturated fats instead of saturated fats, foods with little or no added sugar and foods that are low in salt (sodium). Read more about healthy eating.
App reviews – nutrition apps
The following nutrition apps have been reviewed.
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Ate Food Journal: Easy +Visual
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Tips on how to use nutrition apps safely
While nutrition apps have the potential to help you make healthier food choices, they must be used with caution. Here are some tips on how to use nutrition apps safely.
- Avoid getting too fixated and becoming overly obsessed with specific numbers each day, especially with features like calorie counting and portion size. This can lead you to lose sight of the overall nutrition picture. Being healthy isn’t just about the way you look or how much you weigh. Read more: What is healthy eating.
- Although nutrition apps may ask for your age, weight, height and gender, they do not have the sophisticated functionality to give you personalised diet advice best suited to your activity level and health needs. For personalised advice, it is best to seek professional advice from a dietitian or nutritionist. To find a registered dietitian in Auckland, see Auckland DHB nutrition(external link) and for all of New Zealand, see Find a dietitian(external link).
- While weight loss is the main motivator for some people to use nutrition apps, be aware that goals like reaching a target weight within a target date must be realistic. Having unrealistic expectations can be harmful and lead to nutritional deficiencies and eating disorders. It is best to get professional advice about what is the best approach for you.
