Table 8.
Features of mobile apps for dietary assessment that are of interest to researchers.
| Functions or features | Bitesnap | Cronometer | DiaryNutrition | DietDiary | FoodDiary | FoodView | Macros | MealLogger | MyPlate | myCircadianClock | MyFitnessPal | |
| Data input method | ||||||||||||
|
|
Text search | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
✓ |
|
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
Barcode scanner | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
|
|
✓ |
|
✓ |
|
✓ |
|
|
Take photo | ✓ |
|
|
|
|
✓ |
|
✓ |
|
✓ | ✓ |
|
|
Upload photo | ✓ |
|
|
|
|
✓ |
|
✓ |
|
|
|
|
|
Image recognition | ✓ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
✓ |
|
|
Saved meals | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
|
|
|
✓ | ✓ |
| Data tracked | ||||||||||||
|
|
Calories | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
|
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
✓ |
|
|
Macronutrients | ✓ |
|
✓ |
|
|
|
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
✓ |
|
|
Water intake |
|
|
✓ |
|
|
|
✓ |
|
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
Exercise |
|
✓ |
|
|
|
|
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Food timing | ||||||||||||
|
|
Meal time stamps | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
✓ |
|
✓ |
|
|
|
Edit meal time stamps | ✓ |
|
|
|
|
✓ |
|
✓ |
|
✓ |
|
|
|
Food logging reminders | ✓ |
|
|
✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
✓ |
|
✓ |
| Food composition database | ||||||||||||
|
|
Number of food items | ≥1300 | ≥450,000 | No information | N/Aa,b | N/Ab | N/Ab | No information | N/Ab | ≥1.3 million | N/Ab | ≥11 million |
| Feedback to users | ||||||||||||
|
|
Required nutritional goals |
|
✓ | ✓ |
|
|
|
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
|
|
Text feedback regarding food choice |
|
|
|
|
|
|
✓ |
|
|
|
✓ |
|
|
Feedback regarding nutritional limits |
|
✓ | ✓ |
|
|
|
✓ |
|
|
|
✓ |
aN/A: not applicable.
bMealLogger, FoodView, myCircadianClock, DietDiary, and FoodDiary do not have a food database.