3 Apps That Can Tell You What's In Any Food

Do you really know what's in your favorite ice cream?What about your daily latte?Sure, you can check nutrition labels, but it's not always easy.

First, most foods today are highly processed.Some have hidden sugars and ingredients you can't pronounce.Second, tracking your daily calories and macros can be difficult -- especially when you have a busy lifestyle.

Fortunately, digital technology has made everything easier.Here are three apps that can tell you what's in your food and take the guesswork out of eating healthy.Let's take a deeper look.

1.Yuka

Yukais a mobile application for analyzing food and cosmetics.Its database includes more than 150 million food products and 50 cosmetic products, from diet colas and marshmallows to soaps.More than 800 new products are added every day.

To get started, install the app on your phone or tablet and sign up for an account.After that, you can simply scan for the product you are interested in.

The app rates foods based on three factors: their nutritional value, the presence of additives, and the presence of organic ingredients.

more importantly,YukaHealthy alternatives to foods with lower scores are displayed.Plus, you can see exactly how much sugar, sodium, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and calories are in each product.This feature can make clean eating easier and help with meal prep.

You also have the option to sign up for a premium account.A $20 annual membership gets you access to more features, like the ability to scan food and cosmetics in offline mode.

Premium users can also browse products based on their dietary preferences.For example, Yuka will let you know if any products on your shopping list contain gluten or lactose.Besides that, you can browse its database to get the information you need without having to scan individual products.

Download: Yuka for Android | iOS (free)

2.Foodvisor

Another good option isFoodvisor, a nutrition app that uses deep learning to analyze the macros and calories in your food.Just take a picture of your meal or snack and see the exact amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat, dietary fiber, calories and other nutrients.

FoodvisorSuggest taking photos of cooked food.However, if you're eating a salad or snack, you can choose the "raw" option.

When you sign up for an account, you have to answer some basic questions about your lifestyle and health goals.The app will use this information to determine your ideal calorie intake and macronutrient ratios.

Next, you can choose to use the app as is, or sign up for a premium membership program.

Premium members can chat live with registered dietitians and sign up for specialized programs designed to lose fat, build muscle, or improve their health.They also have access to hundreds of recipes and extra features like an overview of their daily nutritional intake.

All in all, Foodvisor provides the tools you need to make smarter food choices and stick to your diet.However, no single app can make decisions on your behalf.At the end of the day, it's up to you to ditch your bad habits and eat for your goals.

Download: Foodvisor for Android | iOS (free)

3.Noom

Noomis one of the most popular mobile health apps and has been around since 2008.Its early version allowed users to track their calories and exercise habits.Today, the app uses a psychology-based approach to help people make lasting lifestyle changes and achieve a healthy weight.

NoomExperts at , provide coaching and support so you can build better habits without losing motivation.It's like having a health coach, nutritionist and personal trainer all in one place.Your only job is to download the app, answer some basic questions, and sign up for an account.

Like the other apps on our list, Noom will tell you what's in most foods, but you have to manually log everything you eat.The app also logs your activity and then subtracts the calories burned from your daily calorie budget.

Users can also scan their usual foods, measure their progress, and count their daily steps.Plus, they get healthy recipes and personalized nutrition classes.

Another aspect to consider is that Noom doesn't label food as "good" or "bad."Instead, it uses color codes to help users identify which foods may help or hinder them from reaching their health goals.

For example, "green" foods like quinoa, spinach, apples, and low-fat yogurt should make up one-third of your daily energy intake.Beans, poultry, salmon, avocados and other "yellow" foods should make up about 45 percent of your daily calories.The rest of the calories may come from "red" foods, such as peanut butter and crackers.

As far as pricing goes, you can sign up for the free version, or pay around $59 per month for a premium membership.Consider giving the free version a try and see how it goes before deciding if it's worth buying a premium membership.

In the meantime, you might also want to check out other nutrition apps and compare their features.For example,ShopwellCan tell you what's in more than 40 foods, just scan them.Additionally, it allows users to set personal alerts for allergens and other potentially harmful ingredients that may be hiding in food.

Download: Noom for Android | iOS (free)

Choose the Nutrition App That Fits Your Lifestyle

Making smart food choices can be a real challenge, even for those with some knowledge of nutrition.Sugar, for example, has dozens of names, from glucose and dextrose to fruit juice concentrate.Other potentially harmful ingredients, like nitrates, are even harder to spot.

Given these aspects, it makes sense to use the best nutrition app possible. Noom, Foodvisor, and Yuka provide the information you need to improve your diet.Some also feature built-in fitness trackers, recipes, custom meal plans, and other useful tools.You just need to pick one that fits your lifestyle.