Food scanner apps: What to know

How do food scanner apps grade foods?

Food scanner apps use a variety of methods to assess how healthy different foods are. These methods can vary widely from app to app.

Here are some common ways these apps may grade foods.

Nutrition Facts label: These apps assess an item’s nutrient content, including factors such as fats, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, added sugar and protein.

Ingredients: These apps scan an item’s ingredients list and label any products with certain ingredients or additives as unhealthy.

Organic versus non-organic: Some apps give bonus points to products that are organic.

You can visit an app’s website for more information on how it evaluates food.

What are the benefits of food scanner apps?

Food scanner apps can help you learn more about a product and gain nutrition knowledge.

While recent research has indicated that these apps may increase consumer awareness, they don’t typically change purchase behavior. However, it’s possible that using a food scanner app may nudge you toward a healthier choice.

These apps might also be convenient if you need to make a quick decision while shopping. They may also be useful if you are looking to quickly identify allergens.

However, I don’t recommend using food scanner apps as your only decision-making tool. If you do use an app, be sure to understand how it grades foods.

What are the downsides of food scanner apps?

The primary downside of these apps is that they oversimplify nutrition. An app generally rates foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ based on its own criteria.

Labeling foods ‘good’ or ‘bad’ can contribute to anxiety, shame, guilt and rigid thinking about food. Ultimately, it may create a negative relationship with food and lead to disordered eating patterns, such as restriction or orthorexia, a preoccupation with eating healthy foods.

The way an app grades food can also sometimes create misleading results. For example, some apps may label a nut butter as unhealthy due to its fat content or level of processing. However, nut butters are generally considered a nutritious choice. Such ratings may cause consumers to unnecessarily restrict foods that could support a balanced diet.

Food recommendations are very personal. They are influenced by age, health conditions, weight, activity level, personal preferences, cultural background, budget and the sustainability of certain eating patterns. Food scanner apps provide a very black and white view of food that does not account for such nuances in diet.

Is there anyone who shouldn’t use a food scanner app?

I’d recommend you avoid using these apps if you:

• Need personalized nutrition guidance, such as if you’re on a diet for certain medical conditions like cancer
• Tend to feel guilt or anxiety about the foods you eat
• Are at a high risk of an eating disorder

Ultimately, do you recommend food scanner apps?

I find these apps unnecessary and misleading for most people. After all, the healthiest foods don’t come with barcodes to scan, but are whole, unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables.

Aim to eat more whole, plant-rich food and less processed food. At meals, this might look like filling two-thirds of your plate with whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds. The remaining one-third can be lean animal protein or plant-based protein.

What are some tips for quickly determining if a food is healthy?

Instead of using an app, learning what to look for on a package can empower you to make informed choices. Think of these tips as your own mini algorithm for evaluating products.

Check the length of the ingredient list

When a product has more ingredients, it often means more processing. This means it’s likely to have fewer nutrients and more additives, chemicals and fillers.

When you’re choosing products, remember: the fewer ingredients, the better.

Look for a low percentage of saturated fat

Saturated fats are unhealthy fats. Eating them can increase your risk of heart disease, cholesterol and inflammation that contributes to chronic disease.

Try to have as little saturated fat in your diet as possible. Check a product's Nutrition Facts label and ensure a serving has less than 10% of your Daily Value of saturated fat.

Fill up on fiber

Fiber is a component of plant foods. It has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, support stable blood glucose levels, promote fullness for weight management and support a healthy microbiome.

Look for products that have at least 1 gram of fiber for every 10 grams of carbohydrate.

Keep an eye on added sugar

Added sugar is any kind of sugar or sweetener added to a product during processing. Too much sugar can contribute to weight gain. People with obesity or who are overweight are at a higher risk for more than 10 different types of cancer, as well as other chronic diseases.

Women should limit themselves to 25 grams or fewer of added sugar per day. Men should consume 36 grams or fewer of added sugar per day.

See how much sodium it contains

Too much sodium can contribute to high blood pressure and increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke.

Look for products with no more than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving. You can also look for foods labeled as ‘Sodium-free,’ ‘Reduced Sodium’ and ‘No Added Salt.’

Don’t skip whole foods just because they aren’t organic

I’m often asked whether it’s better to choose organic foods than non-organic foods. My answer? It’s more important to eat plenty of plant-based foods than to only buy organic. If organic foods aren't in your budget, choosing conventional fruits, vegetables, beans and grains is still far better for your health than skipping them.

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