Finding ways to shop for food sustainably can be tricky. It can also be challenging to consider dietary requirements when shopping. In both of these scenarios, food apps can be helpful. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, consider using Happy Cow. This app can direct you to dining options to suit your needs. If you are interested in sharing your food to help sustainability, you can use Olio. Both businesses and individuals can use this app. Too Good to Go is a food app designed for food-related companies. Businesses can sell bags of food that would otherwise go uneaten at the end of the day.
Yuka can help you while shopping by providing nutrition rankings of food items. Two other food apps that can provide similar details are Bobby Approved and ZOE Health. Nutrition apps can provide general nutrition information, such as fiber content. They can also indicate whether specific ingredients are present in food items. Yuka and ZOE Health give details on nutritional content. Bobby Approved offers information about the presence of individual ingredients. Kuri is an app that offers recipe suggestions. These suggestions are based on the input of details such as dietary needs.
Creating Goals for Sustainable Food Purchases
Trellis worries: “Staying on top of a healthy and sustainable diet… can be daunting.” You may have purchasing priorities focusing on environmental impact. Perhaps buying organic food is essential to you. Alternatively, according to Trellis, considering “fair trade or plant-based” food items could be a viable option. Additionally, health concerns may be significant when purchasing food. You can figure out your goals for food shopping. Meeting these goals independently can be a complex process. There are food apps available that may be helpful.
How Food Apps Can Help
According to Trellis, there are “consumer-facing apps that facilitate and incentivize better habits.” One such app is Happy Cow. Reco states: “Happy Cow helps you find veggie and vegan restaurants.” With Happy Cow, you can also find locations such as juice bars and food trucks. Another app is Kuri, which helps people find recipes. People can input factors such as dietary needs and the ingredients they have on hand. Kuri can then offer recipes based on this input.
Olio and Too Good to Go are apps focusing on sustainability. According to Reco, the Olio app “connects neighbors so that surplus food can be shared.” Individuals and businesses can offer food. Also, items other than food can be given away. With Too Good to Go, companies such as restaurants and shops sell Magic Bags. The bags contain food not sold at the end of the day. This allows this edible food not to go to waste and be thrown away.
NPR reports: “Food apps that rate the healthfulness of packaged food have become increasingly popular.” One such app is Yuka. Yuka offers a 0-100 ranking scale for food items. Nutritional content is one factor in this ranking. Whether food additives are present is another factor. Organic items are provided with bonus points in the ranking system. Bobby Approved and ZOE Health are similar apps. Bobby Approved focuses on specific ingredients. ZOE Health and Yuka both look at nutritional content.
Informative Details Provided by Food Apps
Lindsay Moyer is a registered dietitian. She works in consumer advocacy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest. She discusses the usefulness of apps that scan food for nutrition levels. According to Moyer, these “apps… put more information in the hands of consumers.” Levels of sugar, fiber, fat, and protein are all important to be aware of. Information about individual ingredients can be invaluable if it includes the amounts present.
Overview of Helpful Food Apps
Food apps have a variety of purposes. If you are interested in nutrition, Yuka, ZOE Health, and Bobby Approved can help. They all provide information about the nutritional value of food items. Too Good to Go and Olio are food apps related to sustainability. Both provide people with ways to offer food so that it is not wasted. Kuri is a food app that suggests recipes based on stated needs and interests. Happy Cow is an app that helps vegans and vegetarians find tasty places to eat.
