Fitness is the need of the hour, especially during the lockdown when most of us are leading a sedentary lifestyle. Being active and fit shouldn’t be a choice, but it is (guilty as charged!)
Since the lockdown, I have had ups and downs with my fitness journey, but I know if we want it, we can do it.
The advent of technology has placed the world in our arms, including trainers and diet charts. You can go to curefit.com and schedule an appointment with a dietician or hire a trainer.
The world has truly become smaller and intimate. That’s possible due to some extremely useful apps designed to keep you fit by giving you varied workouts and measuring your food intake.
Yes, it’s a thing. I tried it myself, and it works… if you are consistent, which wasn’t the case with me.
For this article, I’ll be telling you about calorie counter apps that let you log your food as well as activity without any hassle.
If you aren’t a paper and pencil person, you should give these apps a shot!
Benefits of calorie counting apps
Calorie counting applications are a medium to keep you motivated for your fitness journey. Not every day do we feel motivated, so it’s better to hold us accountable.
With such apps, you monitor your diet and get a nuanced view of what is working for you and what’s not. Maintaining a food journal (another term for counting calories) helps you keep an eye on your fitness progress.
You can also track your steps, the workout you do, and similar things that add to your fitness journey.
The last benefit of using calorie counting apps is easy to access. We are on our smartphones 24×7, so after you are done scrolling on Instagram Reels, you can launch a calorie counting app and log all the various types of food you ate that day.
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11 Best Free Calorie Counting Apps
All the calorie counting applications have extensive food databases. Some include meal plans, barcodes for scanning packed foods, recipes, etc.
You can get more information about the apps on the store pages, but I have taken the liberty to explain the spotlight features that might sway you to download a specific app.
I get annoyed by paid apps, so I have ensured that the following apps are free to download, but you might have to pay for in-app purchases depending on which service you choose.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the 11 best free calorie counting apps.
1. Calorie Counter by FatSecret
FatSecret is an Australian developer who offers us the best calorie counter app. The app is available on iOS, Android, Microsoft, and Blackberry platforms.
If you use devices of said platforms, then Calorie Counter by FatSecret is the app for you as you’ll save a lot of time when you don’t have to jump to a particular device just to log your food data.
The app is easy to use that will help you achieve success with your diet.
For Apple users, it syncs with the Health app along with Fitbit exercise tracking integration.
I absolutely love the Quick Pick feature that lets you pick food from foods, brands, supermarkets, restaurant menus, and many more. They are also region-based so that you don’t miss out.
2. Carb Manager: Keto Diet App & Macros Tracker
If you are on a Keto diet, look nowhere else. Log your keto diet, calories, and other macronutrients.
Carb Manager provides its users with a wide range of keto-friendly recipes.
The app is quite handy and intuitive, one of the reasons it’s second on our list.
You can easily tarry in ketosis and lose or maintain your weight with three calculators built into the app.
The calorie calculator app displays your total food consumption for the day; the nutrient calculator lets you track fats, proteins, and other nutrients; the keto calculator allows you to track carbs and net carbs.
There is a shopping list feature and meal plans that will definitely make your life easier.
3. MyPlate Calorie Tracker
MyPlate Calorie Tracker is developed by US vendor LiveStrong. It includes 2 million+ food databases in intuitive color schemes.
You can track your intake by selecting ‘Easy,’ ‘Moderate’, ‘Challenging’, ‘Extreme’, or ‘Custom.’ The app is quite simple, so much so that even technologically challenged people can use it.
You won’t get too many alerts to data, which comes with the ‘simplicity’ term that has become a fad now.
You’ll get all the nutrients for all your food – be it carbs, fat, or protein.
Tracking progress is made easy by seeing the timeline of your choice. If you aren’t consistent with your meal timings, meal reminders will come in handy.
4. MyNetDiary
The name is pretty self-explanatory – MyNetDiary acts as an internet-based diary to track your food. It’s one of the popular calorie counting apps on both the app stores.
It gets the basics right – tracking food with fast logging, water tracking, exercise tracking, nutrient tracking, and meal database that is validated, and many more features.
With ethnic cuisines, MyNetDiary wants to localize food which means it caters to a wide range of audiences. The keto and low-carb diet planner is good for people following those diets.
Logging food is made easy with the app’s exceptional design that will make you want to use the app more often.
When it comes to features not offered by other apps, the list is long here as well.
You get to use Siri voice commands, with support for a GPS tracker for running/walking. The app has deep integration with Fitbit, and other fitness wearable devices.
GPS tracking for walking/running is definitely a sweet add-on.
5. Yazio
Yazio is a German product that has a lot to offer. It is regularly listed on the list of best calorie counting apps.
Doesn’t matter your aim – losing, maintaining, or gaining weight, Yazio will help you achieve it.
When you log your daily food data, you can view it based on various timely categories – daily, weekly, and monthly. With this feature, you can get consistent with maintaining your food journal.
Yazio has 2 million meals, quick entry for favorite meals, and nutrition analysis such as proteins, carbs, and fats.
Other features include looking at your overall progress, code scanner, and exercise tracker. The latter will go hand-in-hand with counting calories.
Yazio has a premium tier that lets you access functions such as food rating, healthy recipes, nutrient tracking, body statistics, etc.
6. Lose It!
Developed by FitNow, this food tracker for weight loss is a must-have for those who are on a journey to shed those extra calories.
You can set your nutrition goals or desired weight without much hassle.
The app, available on Android and iOS, lets you set a lower daily calorie limit as compared to other calorie counting apps.
The app’s ‘Snap It’ functionality comes in handy when you have full hands. You simply have to click a photo and Lose It! interprets various foods.
Thanks to the surpassing design and UX, the app is one of the best calorie counting apps.
7. Lifesum
A witty name according to me, the app lets you get a sum of what you eat in your lifetime (should you choose to log it that long) – which is my interpretation.
The app has tonnes to offer. Some of the features include meal plans, weight tracking, nutrition tracker, barcode scanner, recipes, etc.
The food database and unit systems are made flexible so that people aren’t barred by the regions they live in.
Nutrient tracking comes in handy for fitness freaks to track fibers, proteins, carbs, cholesterol, fat, etc.
Even though the app is free to download, you’ll have to buy a monthly subscription to take full advantage of the app. If you are willing to, you won’t be disappointed.
8. Calorie Counter +
Calorie Counter + by NutraTech Ltd is a minimalistic and simplistic calorie counter application that motivates you to maintain your food journal.
The spotlight feature of Calorie Counter + is the ability to log your calories sans the internet. Yes, it’s actually an excellent feature.
What I liked most about this app is how the chief functions are executed without any flaws.
You can scan barcodes, track nutrients (fat, saturated fat, sugar, carbs, salt, etc.) The app also lets you add recipes along with a ready-made collection of products with calculated macros.
Calorie Counter + also tracks exercise which is a must-have feature for such apps.
9. Cronometer – Nutrition Tracker
Cronometer is a nutrition tracker developed by Canadian firm Cronometer Software Inc. The application is promising in many ways.
The app isn’t fancy as you’d expect from such a name, but that’s good in many ways. A complicated app is a big no-no.
The basic version has 80+ micronutrients analyses for every food, scanning food labels, trends, water intake, etc. There’s a beneficial fasting timer, which is surprisingly missing in these so-called health apps.
If you can’t tolerate advertisements, then you are better off with a premium monthly subscription.
10. Calorie Counter – MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal has become a household name for fitness enthusiasts. If all you want is a decent and free food tracking app, then you won’t go wrong with this.
When it comes to food databases, MyFitnessPal’s is unparalleled! You can get regional cuisines like croissants, herring, etc.
When you want to log food in the app, you can either scan a barcode or select a meal and then the portion – or both, depending on what and where you are eating.
MyFitnessPal lets you set goals, chart, log your workouts and share your progress with friends. The list of features is endless.
However, the basic version is restrained. You’ll have to subscribe to a premium plan if you want macronutrients, export files, or analyze foods.
11. Fitbit
Fitbit has become synonymous with fitness, thanks to its fitness-focused products. It wasn’t surprising that it has its app.
Although a comprehensive model, Fitbit’s mobile app is a fitness tool that lets you track your steps, workouts, heart rate, and calories.
Yes, Fitbit also doubles as a calorie counting app.
You can log your food by scanning barcodes or simply typing it out. The app lets you easily view your current, weekly, and monthly progress which acts as a huge motivating factor.
With the Fitbit app, tracking your water intake is smooth. If you are a foodie, keep in mind that the food database is a bit smaller compared to others on this list.
FAQs
Which calorie counter app is most accurate?
All of the aforementioned calorie counter apps are accurate. You can try one or more apps and use the one that fits your usage.
What are the best free dieting apps?
Cronometer, My Diet Coach, MyFitnessPal, MyNetDiary, Lifesum, Lose It!, etc. are the best free dieting apps.
Are calorie counting apps accurate?
Yes, for the most part, calorie counting apps are accurate, but not always.
Do weight loss apps work?
Weight loss apps work if you work hard enough. You’ll have to be consistent and keep working toward your goal.
How accurate is MyFitnessPal?
MyFitnessPal is said to be reliable and efficient for total energy intake. be it sugar, macronutrients, and fiber, but it doesn’t take cholesterol and sodium into account.
Conclusion
There you go! These are the 11 best free calorie counting apps. If used correctly, nutrient trackers and calorie counters can assist you in losing or gaining, or even maintaining your weight.
With these apps, you can make certain modifications to your diets – like eating fewer carbs or more protein.
By using any app, you can get an overall view of diet, what you eat, what’s healthy for you, and food that you should avoid.
You can try any of the aforementioned apps for a few days to see if you can keep up with it and turn it into a habit.
Ensure that you give 20-25 minutes of your entire day when the excitement is new as it might drop off if you rely only on motivation.
Food tracking has several benefits, one of them is knowing about each bite you put in your mouth.
What do you think of the food tracking apps? Have you ever tried it? Are you willing to dedicate a few minutes of life for the betterment of your body? Tell us your opinions in the comments below.
