Five Free Apps to Make Healthy Eating Easier

Registered Dietitian Beth Wallace gives her top picks for the best free apps out there to get families on their way to healthier eating.

by Beth Wallace Smith, R.D.

Published Mar. 28, 2013, 9:21 a.m. ET

If you're like me and your iPhone (or Android) is rarely outside of arm's reach, you should keep reading.

Nutrition apps have exploded onto the digital scene over the last few years. From calorie counting to countless recipes, there are hundreds of options that promise to make your quest for health easier. Now that so much nutrition information is literally at your fingertips, I decided to navigate the iWorld and find the apps that will make feeding your family easier.

1. Fooducate - Diet Tracker & Healthy Food Nutrition Scanner

Available for: iPhone, iPad, and Android
Use it for: The bar code scanner. Scan the UPC on your favorite products to receive its "Nutrition Grade" of A, B, C, or D, based on a rating scale by food scientists, dietitians, and parents. If your product doesn't make the grade, it will offer healthier alternatives. This award winning app gets rave reviews from both nutrition professionals and consumers alike.

2.ShopWell - Healthy Diet and Grocery Food Scanner

Available for: iPhone and iPad
Use it for: Learning which foods meet your family's specific dietary needs. Scan a food's barcode to find help identify foods that are a good match for families planning specialty meals like diabetic diets and gluten intolerance

3. eaTipster

Available for: iPhone and iPad
Use it for: Increasing your nutrition IQ. A daily tip debunks nutrition myths, and registered dietitians provide easy to understand answers to common food questions for both children and adults. Save your favorite tips for use later on, or share them with friends on your social media pages.

4. Is My Food Safe?

Available for: iPhone, iPad, and Android
Use it for: Knowing the answers to many common food safety concerns. This easy to navigate app gives you the proper cooking temperatures for meats, a guide to storing and tossing leftovers, and an overview of kitchen safety all in one spot!

5. Vita & Mint- Summer Vacation in Fruitland

Available for: iPhone and iPad
Use it for: Educating the kids. Your kids will love this interactive story and game featuring two characters, Vita and Mint, who are visiting FruitLand summer camp. At Fruitland, they learn about healthy foods and keeping active, all while teaching the kids with foods and activities are healthy for them, too.

The best part? They are all free, so go ahead and try them all out to see which ones you like. Are there other healthy eating apps that you love?