10 Awesome Nutrition & Lifestyle Apps

Working towards better health often feels like a daunting task especially when you have a million other things on the to do list. Improving and maintaining a optimal wellness requires attention to many details like exercising, de-stressing, staying hydrated, reading labels, etc. but it doesn’t have to be complex and we don’t have to do it alone! As a society, we are constantly on our phones or digitally connected to some degree, so why not use it to benefit our wellbeing?  If you are interested in expanding your health horizons check out these apps to support your dietary, fitness, and lifestyle goals!

Madeline McDonough, graduate student and future dietitian, contributed to this article.

1. Lose It!

   Reach and maintain your goal weight with this great tracking app! Lose It provides you with all of the tools to achieve your ideal weight through food and exercise tracking.  With awesome features, like bar code scanning, Lose It offers a goal-oriented and realistic approach to weight loss! They also have a very reputable advisory board that includes celebrity dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD.

2. EWG’s Healthy Living

   The Environmental Working Group is one of my favorite nutrition non-profits that is making strides to improving our environmental and nutritional health and information. From skin to food products, the Environmental Working Group’s amazing app will help you to make the safest product choices for your health.  Simply use the barcode scanning feature and select the safest and healthiest product!

3. Dirty Dozen

   Protect against pesticides in your produce by always having access to the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen. Save your health and your wallet by keeping track of what fruits and vegetables are safe to buy conventionally and which are better off organic! The Environmental Working Group updates this list every year to provide an up-to-date analysis of the pesticides in our most commonly purchased fruits and vegetables. This helps consumers know where you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to purchasing organic.

4. Ingredient1

   This is one of my favorite apps that I use regularly to find products that contain no added sugar and gluten. You can select your food allergies or ingredients that you want to “opt out of” and then search a food category (example: crackers) to find various products that meet your individualized dietary needs. Not only will Ingredient1 help you to discover products based on your dietary needs and preferences but it will also help to combat confusing nutrition information. Featuring articles from dietitians and tastemakers, you will quickly learn more about nutrition as well as gain insight into these expert’s favorite products!

5. Head Space

   Stress reduction made simple! This guided meditation app features ten basic courses to help you train your mind to become more self-aware and will put you on the path to self-love, stress reduction and happiness.

6. Thermos

   Support your health by staying hydrated throughout the day with the Thermos Smart Lid app. This app, in conjunction with the Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle, tracks your liquid consumption and allows you to calculate your recommended daily intake. Hydration is an essential piece of our overall health and Thermos will help you stay accountable!

7. Honey

   Created by Registered Dietitians, Honey, generates a forum for customized access to product analyses, advice, recipes, news, and fitness recommendations that will help you reach your health goals!

8. Happy Cow

   For all of you vegetarians or vegans, this is the ultimate vegetarian and vegan restaurant guide! Happy Cow helps to filter through local restaurants to help you find and review the healthiest options for your dining experience. Even if you aren’t a vegetarian, these types of restaurants are often more health conscious.

10. MySymptoms

    Looking for a reliable way to track emerging patterns between your symptoms and food intake? The MySymptoms app is the perfect medium for maintaining awareness of potential triggers in your diet. You can log food intake, supplements, medications, sleep, exercise, bowel movements and a variety of different symptoms. The algorithm analysis feature will allow you to pinpoint the source of your health ailments and support you on the path to healing! The app is a great way to be more mindful, log your food intake, and identify patterns in how you feel without focusing too much on calories.

11. FitBit

    Tracking your health has never been easier or more informative! Wear it around your wrist and stay in tune with every aspect of your health. Combined with the FitBit, this app offers information from activity tracking all the way to quality of sleep. Stay motivated and connected with friends through FitBit Challenges. Aim for 10,000 steps per day and as much sleep as possible!