Food recognition apps and why you need to try them

Obesity is a massive issue worldwide. Not only does it lower our quality of life, it can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer.

According to the statistics on Pazziperilfitness, almost 20 percent of adults in Italy are obese. This number is similar for both France and Germany.

Meanwhile, in the US this figure is even higher with almost 40 percent of adults suffering from obesity.

Food image recognition apps help to fight the obesity epidemic by utilizing AI to tell you exactly the nutritional value of what is on your plate.

Simply snap a photo of your meal and a food recognition platform will tell you its exact content — including the main ingredient, side dishes and even sauces. And there is more.

Food recognition apps can estimate portion sizes, as well as nutritional and caloric content, which is ideal for the health-conscious or those trying to lose weight.

Ready to get healthy? Here are three of the best food recognition apps out there to help you keep track of your meals, particularly if you are a fan of eating out.

Calorie Mama

This AI app utilizes a proprietary API to identify cuisines from different parts of the globe, making it one of the most culturally diverse apps of its kind.

The API is connected to various databases that pair the recognised food with information about its nutritional content including carbs, fat, protein and calories.

The app utilizes each user’s data to develop nutritional user profiles and customized diet plans. Better still, Calorie Mama’s database is constantly being expanded with new images.

Foodvisor

Billing itself as “the pocket nutritionist app that will help you reach your health and weight goals,” Foodvisor recognises specific food items in your shot and provides you with their nutritional content within seconds.

What makes Foodvisor stand out from the pack, however, is its access to dieticians who are on standby to help you achieve your health goals.

Some other of the app’s features include 15 nutritional plans including Bulk Up, Keto Diet and Low Carb and daily inspirational recipes to try in your own kitchen.

SnapCalorie

Whether you want to lose weight, bulk up or simply improve your overall health, SnapCalorie has your back.

Masterminded by the co-founder of Google Lens, the app uses AI to help you identify exactly what it is you are eating and portion sizes — simply upload a photo.

In fact, the founders of the app promise that “on average [their] algorithm achieves twice the accuracy of users logging portion size visually.”

Just like most other food recognition apps, SnapCalorie provides nutritional information about your meal such as calories, fat, protein and carbs.