There’s an App for That!

Making the best food choices in a tech-savvy world.

Tara LevinDrexel University

MS in Human Nutrition Class of 2013

Outline

• Introduction• Restaurant menus• Reliable Nutrition

Information–Websites–Applications

• Conclusion

Technology Overload• Everything has become digitized• People are overly-stimulated– Mindless eating occurs

• Important to monitor health and food choices– Food journals are outdated– Cell phones and internet access allow for entering

information from anywhere• Currently, the search for health information is

one of the most common reasons for internet use

Marquis, M. et al. (2006). Potential of the internet to address topics of interest in nutrition. Nutrition and Food Science. 36(4):218-224.

Adapted from: http://www.eatright.org/nutritiontrends/

Nutritional Trend Survey

Calorie Obsession

• Everyone is counting their calories• Calorie (derived from kilocalorie)– Unit of heat used to express the energy value of

food– A measure of energy expenditure (kcal)

• Popular restaurants must include kcal information on their menus and websites

Restaurant Websites & Prepackaged Food

• Government mandated kilocalorie information on menus and websites

• The US Food and Drug Administration allows for a 20% overage on packaged foods– The meals can contain 20% more kcals than stated

• There is no regulation or monitoring of restaurant nutrition facts

• Study

Urban, L. et al. (2010). The Accuracy of Stated Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially Prepared Foods. J Am Diet Assoc. 110(1):116-123.

Lorien Urban, MS, Gerard Dallal, PhD, Lisa Robinson, RD, Lynne Ausman, DSc, Edward

Saltzman, MD, and Susan Roberts, PhD

The Accuracy of Stated Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially

Prepared Foods

Journal of the American Dietetic AssociationJanuary 2010

Volume 110, Issue 1, Pages 116-123

Overview

• Information on the energy content of restaurant food is provided without verification or oversight– Contributes to inadvertent overeating

• Study was conducted to “assess the accuracy of reported energy contents of restaurant food and prepackaged supermarket foods”

Urban, L. et al. (2010). The Accuracy of Stated Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially Prepared Foods. J Am Diet Assoc. 110(1):116-123.

Methods• 39 commercially prepared restaurant foods and

supermarket frozen meals were used• Compared their contents to the measured values

from information stated by vendor or manufacturer to lab assessment of the food

• Items included those suitable for weight control meeting the following criteria:– < 500 kcals; typical American foods; have among the

lowest stated energy contents on the menu• Food analyzed using a Calorimeter for total energyUrban, L. et al. (2010). The Accuracy of Stated Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially Prepared Foods. J Am Diet Assoc. 110(1):116-123.

Results

• Restaurant foods contained 18% more energy than stated on average– 3 supermarket meals and 7 restaurant foods contained

more than 2x as many kcals as stated• Supermarket purchased meals exceeded stated

values by 8%• 5 of the restaurant provided side dishes offered at

no extra cost– Increased energy content of the 500 kcal meals by 471

± 167 kcals!!Urban, L. et al. (2010). The Accuracy of Stated Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially Prepared Foods. J Am Diet Assoc. 110(1):116-123.

What this Means for Us

• Though small, extra energy can cause substantial weight gain over time.– Positive energy balance of only 5% per day for

someone requiring 2000 kcal/day can lead to a 10 pound weight gain in a single year

• Be careful of side dishes– Some contain more kcals than the entrée!

• Choose foods with known, healthy ingredients

Urban, L. et al. (2010). The Accuracy of Stated Energy Contents of Reduced-Energy, Commercially Prepared Foods. J Am Diet Assoc. 110(1):116-123.

Reliable Nutrition Information

• What to look for– Presence of Registered Dietitians– Government-run organizations

• Where to find it– Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formally

American Dietetic Association)– US Department of Agriculture– Mayo Clinic– Calorie King

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

• www.eatright.org/Public• Nutrition tips:– Smart snacking– Reading nutrition labels– Ask a dietitian– Seasonal tips and how-tos – KIDS Eat Right– Links to www.myplate.gov– And more!

US Department of Agriculture

• www.ChooseMyPlate.gov• Dietary Guidelines• Healthy eating on a budget• Sample menus and recipes• Facts on Physical Activity and Weight Management• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

(SNAP)• SuperTracker

SNAP

• Recipe finder• Includes:– Ingredients– Instructions– Cost– Source– Nutrition Facts– Shopping list & Build a

Cookbook

http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov/

SuperTracker• Get a personalized nutrition and physical activity

plan• Track foods and physical activities• Reports tell you how you are doing both daily and

long-term (Nutrients, Vitamins & Minerals)• Tips and support for making healthier choices• Set personal goals• Over 8,000 foods to choose from

Mayo Clinic

• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/• Nutrition Basics• Healthy Diets• Cooking tips• Healthy menus and shopping strategies• Nutritional Supplements• Articles on “hot” nutrition topics– i.e. Omega-6 fatty acids; Juicing; Caffeine; High

protein diets; MSGhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/MY00431

Calorie King

• www.calorieking.com• Nutrition information and tips are monitored by

Registered Dietitians– “LearnAbouts” great for quick information

• Large, detailed Food Database– Gives a nutrition label for specific brands– Free to all

• Intuitive interface• Calorie Tracking capabilities– $49 per year

http://www.calorieking.com/

My Fitness Pal

• Website• Free membership• A searchable food database of over 1,852,000 items• Your personal food database• Support and motivation• A personalized diet profile• Provides weekly averages and detailed reports and

charts• Can be used on your computer or your smartphone

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/welcome/learn_more

My Fitness Pal App• Works on iPhone, Android, Blackberry & Windows Phones• Input or edit your goals• Enter your caloric intake (food) and your output (exercise)• Bar code scanner• Analyzes your fat, calories, protein, carbohydrates, iron,

calcium, vitamin A, C and potassium• Can add friends• Gives a summary at the end of the day: “If every day were

like today, you would weigh: over or under in 5 weeks.”

http://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442467033

Livestrong

• Valuable for tracking food and fitness• Free companion tool for members of The Daily

Plate at livestrong.com– Can be used alone

• Large database of over 625,000 food and fitness items

• Not as goal-oriented as MyFitnessPal– Still good for tracking

http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/

SparkPeople

• Only compatible with iOS devices

• Fitness and food tracker• Daily customizable meal

plans available• Weigh-in page graphs

weight and progress over time

• Easy to use• More than 1,000,000

foods in databasehttp://www.eatright.org/Media/content.aspx?id=6442467031

Vree

• App for actively managing diabetes• Supplies a food tracker• Built in reminders for exercise, blood pressure

checks, and medication• Distinguishes between activity and exercise• Blood glucose tracking• Progress charts

Fooducate

• Created by dietitians and concerned parents• Uses your phone’s camera to scan UPC

barcodes• Grading system that helps you choose better

alternatives in the same category• Analyzes information found on the nutrition

panel and ingredient list of the product

http://www.fooducate.com/about

Apps that Save you Money

Pushpins• Mobile grocery app

that combines your shopping list, digital coupons, and

nutrition facts• Aisle sorting• Push notifications

telling you when coupons will expire

Apps that Save you Money

Grocery Smarts• Coupon app• Tracks items and prices from

latest store circulators• Printable grocery coupons from

websites and grocery manufacturers

• Grocery list tool to help plan your shopping trip

Apps that Save you Money

Local Grocery Stores• Whole Foods Market– Recipes using dietary preferences, nutrition information, and

cooking instructions– Shopping list– Specials and store locator

• GIANT Food Stores– Current circulator and save with your BONUSCARD– Shopping list– Store locator

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/

Conclusion

• Important to look to the right places for advice

• Surplus of technology available for tracking fitness goals and consumption

• Apps and websites can be used to save you money and your waistline!

Thank you!

Any Questions?