There's an app for that

Smart phones are taking over the world and there is an app for literally almost anything. The countless number of nutrition and fitness apps have been designed to help the world get healthy. I recently came across an article from boston.com (http://www.boston.com/Boston/dailydose/2011/11/new-harvard-app-counts-calories-plate/dylRL9Rk3aByk7h3k79yFO/index.html) about an app being created from Harvard to count calories on a plate. Forget dietitians, we are now saving the world one app at a time.


Harvard engineering students are trying to develop a software program called PlateMate. By snapping a picture of your plate, this app with give you a calorie count of the food you are about to eat. Last month at a software technology conference the students showcased their method of instantly estimating portions and identifying foods that can be used in a software system to estimate the number of calories. At the moment the turn around time for estimating calories is 1 hour. Students are optimistic that it can be developed in minutes and created as an app. 

The iPhone does have an app similar (Meal Snap) to this however, it gives you a wide range of calories for a food which could be confusing for some. Students at Harvard plan develop a more complex software to limit the range of estimated calories for foods. They are hoping that this new app can hit the market this year. The amount of calories at your fingertips sounds like a dream come true but, heres the insight from RD Joan Salge Blake:

“You can look at a photo of a quiche and have no idea what’s really in it,” Blake said. “Is it made with regular cheese or low-fat? Skim milk or whole milk? You’ll only be getting a guesstimate of calories.”


It may be easier and less time consuming to just rely on the calorie counts posted on restaurant menus, though Blake said simply knowing calories won’t help a lot of people eat more nutritiously.

“There’s more to nutrition counseling than just telling you how many calories to eat,” she said. “A registered dietitian is trained to look at your medical history and family medical history and to figure out what you should be eating to bring down those disease risks.”