The best calorie counting apps offer a variety of methods for scanning food, including taking a photo of a food product, scanning the barcode, and more. Some calorie-tracking apps occasionally offer a daily calorie intake plan tailored to your specific needs and health goals. They create a comprehensive database and visualize our eating habits, diet plans, etc. But before we start with the best calorie counter apps for Android, let us understand some basics.
What Is a Calorie?
A calorie is the unit of energy available in food. It’s a measurement of how much energy your body needs to carry out daily functions, and it’s measured in terms of kilocalories (kcal). That might sound like a lot, but once you start breaking it down, you’ll see that it’s not as difficult as you think to ensure you’re getting the right amount each day. For example, if you want to maintain weight, your body only needs about 2,000-2,500 calories daily. And if you’re looking to lose weight, dropping to 1,200-1,500 can be enough. Of course, these are just general guidelines–everyone’s body is different and will require different amounts of energy depending on factors like age and activity level (look out for calorie calculators later in this article). But no matter what your goals are regarding calories, using an app can make things a lot easier.
How Do These Calorie Counters Work?
The app will ask you to input your weight, height, and activity level. It will then calculate how many calories you need to eat per day to maintain your current weight. You can also use these apps to track the calories you consume daily. This information can help you lose or gain weight over time. The data is usually fed by professionals based on the ingredients present. For packaged foods, the information is fed as per the nutrition label almost always present on the label.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Calorie Counting App?
When it comes to counting calories, many people think that the process is tedious and difficult. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. There are a number of great calorie-counting apps on the market that can make the task much easier for you. One big benefit of using a calorie counter app is that you can easily keep track of your daily caloric intake. This information can then be used to help you reach your weight loss or muscle gain goals. Additionally, many apps give users access to detailed nutrition information for thousands of foods. This data can be extremely helpful in making healthy lifestyle choices. Another great benefit of using a calorie tracking app is that they often offer personalized tips and advice based on your individual needs and goals. Finally, one last thing worth mentioning about calorie-counting apps is that they can often help motivate you to stick with your dieting goals. Many apps feature social networking components that allow you to connect with friends and family members who are also using the app. This can provide you with extra support and encouragement when times get tough.
What Are the Downsides to Using Calorie Counters?
There are no real downsides to using a calorie-tracking app, but there are a few things you should be aware of. First, ensure the app is easy to use and provides insight into your health and daily caloric intake. Second, be aware that some apps may be unreliable or have inaccurate entries. So before you log any food in, always double-check the information to get a more accurate macro breakdown.
Best Calorie Counter Apps for Android
Now, let us take a look at some of the best calorie tracking apps that you can use to your advantage to achieve a healthy lifestyle and a fit body.
1. Calorie Counter by Lose It – Best for Weight Loss
Calorie Counter by Lose It is a top calorie counting app with a customized weight loss plan, meal planning, workout schedule, and insights into your eating and behavior trends. However, most of these features are limited to premium users. But the ability to measure water consumption, macronutrients, food intake, calorie count, and blood pressure is one of the many comprehensive tracking features that go beyond standard calorie counting. The app claims to have a database of more than 32 million food items and is compatible with Google Fit. We can set our weight goals in the app. Then the app automatically helps us with our daily calorie intake and the exercises we need to do. A special focus is on a food diary, where we can enter all the foods we have eaten during our diet.
2. MyFitnessPal – Most Downloaded Calorie Tracking app
When it comes to calorie counting and diet tracking, MyFitnessPal is one of the best apps out there. It’s simple to use, with a no-frills design, and you can quickly enter the foods you’ve eaten throughout the day. It is a unique app with incredibly healthy recipes for anyone new to the world of cooking, along with the total calories consumed for each recipe. You’ll also get various posts from other MyFitnessPal users that you can use to help you reach your weight goal. The application sometimes follows a strict diet plan, but providing nutritional information helps you adjust your diet. Among health and fitness apps, MyFitnessPal was named an “Editors’ Choice” app in the Google Play Store and has more than 100 million downloads worldwide. In addition to carbohydrate intake, it also tracks macro and micronutrients. The app offers incredible recipes for everything, whether you are on a keto diet or a liquid-only diet. You can create a personal diet profile and then tailor the program to your needs. Plus, the app connects with many popular wearables devices so that you can track your progress on the go.
3. HealthifyMe – Best Calorie Tracking App for Indian food
HealthifyMe is one of India’s most popular fitness apps, with over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Unlike most other calorie-counting apps, which lack a database for Asian food, HealthifyMe’s core focus is Indian food. The app offers comprehensive calorie counting methods, personalized diet charts, and support from a nutritionist and a personal trainer as part of a premium subscription. Depending on your goals and current health status, you may also be assigned nutritionists and fitness instructors from physiotherapy, rehabilitation, and other relevant medical fields, for which varying monthly or annual fees apply.
4. MyNetDiary – Best App for Diet Support
When it comes to diet support, MyNetDiary is the best overall app. It comes with a built-in barcode scanner to easily log your food intake for daily use. It has a massive food database with more than 7 million foods, and its calorie counting features are simple and quick to use. In addition to tracking calories and recording various user habits, the app offers other features, including instructions and recipes for specific diets. The app also provides you with a daily intake of required calories for each specific meal in your day. MyNetDiary includes a reminder to take in water, which benefits your body and eliminates all the toxins that come from regular water intake. It also allows you to enter the number of steps you take during the day and easily record your calories burned using a smartwatch or a regular fitness band.
5. MyPlate Calorie Tracker – Best Advanced Calorie Counter app
MyPlate Calorie Tracker is another excellent app for those looking for a complete data and chart representation of their daily food intake. The app also includes several workout exercises to do at home for those who don’t want to go to the gym. Livestrong, the app’s developers, also offer a separate interface for the PC. However, you may feel that the food data is less comprehensive than other popular apps like MyFitnessPal or YAZIO. However, MyPlate Calorie Tracker makes up for this by recording net carbohydrate, salt, cholesterol, and saturated fat intake, which most other calorie and fitness tracker apps don’t offer. The app also provides support from its community members.
6. Calorie Counter by FatSecret – Best Free Calorie Counting app
If you’re looking for a great, free(mium) calorie-counting app, FatSecret is definitely the one to try. Calorie Counter by FatSecret comes with a unique image recognition feature, which identifies different food, meals, and other raw fruits as well with the help of your camera. The app also provides a community where users can interact with other Fatsecret community users and exchange advice and recipes through chat. The monthly summary view offered by the app displays the average daily and monthly calorie intake. These features are beneficial for keeping track of your food development and better management of calorie intake. It also allows seamless integration with its Web interface. Whether you’re just starting out on your weight loss journey or have been counting calories for years, FatSecret is an excellent tool in your arsenal.
7. YAZIO
YAZIO is a calorie counter and activity tracking app designed to help you achieve a healthier weight. First-time users will find the user-friendly, colorful website UI and the in-app educational articles a tremendous source of motivation to stay fit. The app also includes an extensive library of meals and recipes, so users of almost any category can get what they want to satisfy their cravings. The app also offers various intuitive elements such as a health quiz, fasting tracker, meal plan for intermittent fasting, and many more tools. The water tracker also motivates you throughout the day with constant reminders to make sure your body consumes enough water.
8. Track Calorie Counter
This particular app, maintained by Nutritionix Track, is run by a group of dieticians. The purpose of the Track Calorie Counter app is to make it easier to keep a food log and make fitness monitoring a regular habit that will help you achieve your body goals. In the app, many meals and recipes are already predefined, while you can add your own recipes, which can also benefit the community. All meals and dishes also include the corresponding calorie information to track your calorie intake.
9. Carb Manager – Best Keto Diet Calorie Tracker
There are a variety of different calorie counting apps on the market, but when looking for one that is specifically designed for keto followers, Carb Manager is a great option. The app has a keto calculator, nutrient calculator, and calorie calculator so you can track your macros easily. It also has plenty of keto-friendly recipes, a meal plan, and a shopping list for Keto users. The free version does not have all of the features found in the paid version but still has enough to be useful for someone following the keto diet. The alternative for this is Cronometer which is another popular app amongst Keto and Low carb enthusiasts. It helps track your calorie intake, macronutrients, and more.
BONUS: Google Fit – Activity Tracking
Google Fit is a free and easy-to-use app for Android Wear watches, tablets, and smartphones that tracks all your activities. The app includes activities like cycling, jogging, running, and other major sports. Using these specific activities, users can track all the calories burned, and the app also allows you to track your sleep, which is not possible with some paid apps.
Which App Is the Best for Me?
There is no single “best app” for everyone when it comes to calorie counting. Different apps offer different features, and some may be better suited for your individual needs than others. When deciding which app is right for you, consider the following factors:
How easy is the app to use? Is the information manageable and understandable? What kind of insights does the app provide? How flexible is the app? Can I set goals based on my own fitness level? What other features does the app have, such as a blog or nutritional tips?
No matter which app you choose, remember that estimates can give you a good idea of how much you’re eating and from what sources. So even if your calculations aren’t perfect, at least you’ll have a general idea of where your food is coming from!
Calorie Calculator To Maintain And Lose Weight
The science behind weight loss is pretty simple. When you’re looking to lose weight, you need to consume a lesser number of calories than your body is using. For example, if you require 2000 calories per day to maintain your current weight and you want to lose 1-2 pounds per week, aim for a caloric intake of 1800-1900 per day. To do this, use a calorie calculator to find out how many calories your body needs on a daily basis. This will help you create a calorie deficit and lose weight over time. Many of the apps mentioned above have a calorie calculator built-in. If you are looking for an online web calorie calculator, you can check out calculator.net To make sure that you’re on track with your goals, try creating a weekly goal instead of a daily one. That way, if there are days where you go over or under by a few hundred calories, it won’t throw off the entire week’s goal. And as always, be sure to consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet!
