Nutrition and Tracking Applications

It wouldn't be Mobile Nations Fitness Month if we didn't discuss the importance of nutrition. I admit I love to eat and the holidays took their toll on my waistline with all the desserts, chocolates, and, of course, the holiday party at work. While my willpower may be weak, it's time to tighten the belt and return to the healthy food choices from just a few months ago. Food is what drives us and gives us energy to last the day without grabbing for a Red Bull, cup of coffee, or can of soda. 

That is why I'm relying on my BlackBerry device to make sure I stay on track by counting my calories, reading the labels in the supermarket, or just switching recipe ingredients with lower fat options. So to try and make sure I limit my junk food intake, here are some BlackBerry applications to help you eat smart and reduce those naughty meals.

Food Nutrition

Food Nutrition by Edwards LLC

Just because you decide to eat out doesn't mean you have to throw away your diet. Paying attention to the nutritional content or learning the caloric content of many of the foods we eat is one way to improve nutrition. Food Nutrition by Edwards LLC is a free application that fills in that gap by letting you browse and search through your favorite restaurants and supermarket store brands to view nutritional information on thousands of items right from your BlackBerry.

More information/purchase Food Nutrition for the BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry 10

Recipe Book for Diabetics

Recipe Book for Diabetics by Inmax Media

If you or someone you love lives with Diabetes then you know portion control and a healthy diet are important to maintaining normal blood sugars. Recipe Book for Diabetics allows users to learn new and healthy meals, find alternatives to sugary or starchy ingredients, and find hundreds of tasty and popular recipes that fit within their dietary restrictions. Whether you wish to whip up some appetizers, bake bread, muffins, or scones, or cook main dishes, this application is filled with simple, healthy, low sugar/sugar free recipes that won't impact your glucose levels. Recipe Book is available for both the BlackBerry PlayBook and BlackBerry smartphones running OS 5 and higher for $0.99 and $1.99 respectively.

More information/purchase Recipe Book for BlackBerry smartphones
More information/purchase Recipe Book for the BlackBerry PlayBook

Gluten Free 101

Gluten Free 101 by Mobifusion Inc.

For those individuals who need to abide by Gluten free diets (i.e. Celiac disease) you can check out Gluten Free 101 by Mobifusion. This 101 series includes everything you need to know in making meals that conform to your diet as well as including many healthy and delicious foods that are naturally gluten free. With its user-friendly, intuitive interface you'll not only be able to access kitchen tested recipes but be able to bookmark, save, and share with your friends through social media. Gluten Free 101 is $5.99 and is compatible with the BlackBerry Z10.

More information/purchase Gluten Free 101 for BlackBerry 10 smartphones

Recipe Box

Recipe Box by Loblaws Inc.

A common misconception in my household is that healthy foods don't necessarily have flavor or taste. If you are looking to make some mouthwatering and nutritious meals then be sure to try Recipe Box for BlackBerry 10 by Loblaws Inc. This free application is filled with over 1,000 recipes with easy to follow preparation steps, nutritional and calorie count information, and includes a healthy choice option as well. This application not only comes with a beautiful and simple to navigate UI but allows you to tag your favorite recipes, sort categories by ingredients, skills, preparation time, but also add your own notes to any recipe for later reference. It even includes a library of videos on cooking techniques and methods and a built-in shopping list.

More information/download Recipe Box for BlackBerry 10 smartphones

Food Diary

Food Diary by Geoffrey Holden

One of the ways to help you lose weight is by keeping a food journal to track what items you consumed in every meal/snack. By visually seeing what you eat you'll be able to reduce your calories over time. A journal helps you realize your food intake and eating patterns in order to curb some of those bad eating habits. With Food Diary you can log all of your meals on a daily basis. In addition, additional categories such as exercise, medication, and issues that stem from food intolerance, etc. can be tracked as well. Food Diary is compatible with the BlackBerry PlayBook and is available for $1.99.

More information/purchase Food Diary for the BlackBerry PlayBook

Calorie Counter

Calorie Counter by FatSecret

As someone who knows that sometimes those pesky calories can add up, there is nothing like a calorie counter to help you stay on track of your daily goals. Remember there are about 3500 calories in a pound of body weight and as I said above a food diary is important and useful for keeping track of what you eat. Calorie Counter by FatSecret is a free and convenient application for devices running OS 4.5 and higher that not only features a diary to track your food, exercise, diet, and weight, but offers a quick pick feature where you can find calorie and full nutritional information for common foods, restaurants, popular and supermarket brands all at your fingertips. If you are looking to record your progress and backup your information to access via Google or Facebook then this application is a handy way of tracking your exercise and diet.

More information/download Calorie Counter by FatSecret for BlackBerry smartphones

Food Check

Food Check: Calorie and Nutrition Guide by marc & seppi feat. Jommi Online Marketing

For those who need a more visual approach there is Food Check: Calorie and Nutrition Guide. With this application you'll be able to know which items to buy and which to place back on the shelf all by looking at the traffic light (i.e. green, yellow and red). This simple trick lets you choose more items that are on the healthier end of the spectrum rather than those overly rich in sugar, fat or salt. Food Check is filled with thousands of products from popular brands and includes a graphical serving size calculator with maximum daily calories, fat, sugar, and salt consumption indicators for all your nutritional needs. You get all of this and the ability to add your own personal products for $2.99 for devices running OS 4.6 and higher.

More information/purchase Food Check for BlackBerry smartphones

KeepFit

KeepFit for BlackBerry 10 by Total Wireless Solutions

For those looking to familiarize themselves with nutritional facts on various food items as well as what value they have on your overall health then be sure to try KeepFit for BlackBerry 10 by Total Wireless Solutions. It contains basic information relating to the nutritional, therapeutic, and dietary value of various food, juices, vitamins and minerals, as well as lifestyle and diet tips. This cross-platform application is a good pocket resource to carry with you on the go especially if you are looking for homeopathic remedies as well. KeepFit is available for BB10 devices for only $0.99.

More information/purchase KeepFit for BlackBerry 10

While there are a plethora of health and fitness applications available it's only natural that some of your favorites were left off. If there are some you felt deserved attention but didn't make the cut then by all means let us know in the comments below.

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