MyFitnessPal Barcode Scanner Goes Premium and What to Use Now(medium.com)
medium.com
MyFitnessPal Barcode Scanner Goes Premium and What to Use Now
https://medium.com/@duboiscodes/myfitnesspal-barcode-scanner-goes-premium-and-what-to-use-now-f06c359aed82
55 comments
Actually there's an open database for food: https://world.openfoodfacts.org/
> In fact the majority of their food database was community supplied.
And it shows. Values for tons of entries seem to be random guesses, with a bias towards lowball, guilt-assuaging numbers. I use MFP regularly, but I need to pad whatever it says by 20-30% unless I'm eating factory-packaged food or measured homemade food.
> would largely stand the test of time (while specific products come and go, base facts about specific foods rarely do)
Really? Not only do prepared products change their formulations plenty often (as you note), but do you really think the heirloom broccolis of 1950 have the same nutritional profile of the industrial-agriculture broccoli of 2020?
Whether you support industrial agriculture or fear it, it directly drives change to the structural and chemical properties of the things it grows. Macronutrients and especially micronutrients are going to be effected by that.
Public nutrient data seems like a really valuable social good, but community-sourced data for this kind of thing is just going to create a noisy, sloppy data set (as it has on MFP).
And it shows. Values for tons of entries seem to be random guesses, with a bias towards lowball, guilt-assuaging numbers. I use MFP regularly, but I need to pad whatever it says by 20-30% unless I'm eating factory-packaged food or measured homemade food.
> would largely stand the test of time (while specific products come and go, base facts about specific foods rarely do)
Really? Not only do prepared products change their formulations plenty often (as you note), but do you really think the heirloom broccolis of 1950 have the same nutritional profile of the industrial-agriculture broccoli of 2020?
Whether you support industrial agriculture or fear it, it directly drives change to the structural and chemical properties of the things it grows. Macronutrients and especially micronutrients are going to be effected by that.
Public nutrient data seems like a really valuable social good, but community-sourced data for this kind of thing is just going to create a noisy, sloppy data set (as it has on MFP).
Under Armor bought it for half a billion dollars from its original creators in 2015. They weren't on target to make back the investment and this sale to VC is an attempt to extract whatever remaining value they can out of it.
What might an open source db look like? It should be publicly readable and forkable at any time, but write access still would be restricted to maintainers. Honestly being able to store your data in git (if it's simple enough) would be a godsend, but I don't see any actual concrete alternatives. Hosting a DB isn't viable.
Another commenter mentioned Wikipedia which is a great model. Importantly, they have both i) automated data-dumps which can be downloaded at any time. ii) an open source platform, which is kind of outside of the scope of the point of just open-source data.
One could imagine a "WikiCalories" site which has all the info that MyFitnessPal did.
Another commenter mentioned Wikipedia which is a great model. Importantly, they have both i) automated data-dumps which can be downloaded at any time. ii) an open source platform, which is kind of outside of the scope of the point of just open-source data.
One could imagine a "WikiCalories" site which has all the info that MyFitnessPal did.
> what hasn't really taken off for various reasons is the concept of open source or community owned databases
WikiPedia, and the many wikis around the Internet come to mind.
WikiPedia, and the many wikis around the Internet come to mind.
Francisco Partners is a Private Equity (PE) firm, not a VC. Big difference.
That being said, when it feels like a company is getting greedy— it’s best have your pocketbook do the talking/walking.
That being said, when it feels like a company is getting greedy— it’s best have your pocketbook do the talking/walking.
In a similar MyFitnessPal alternative vein, I've been using FoodNoms[1] for a food diary for a while. It's focused on only that, which I appreciate compared to these "literally everything smooshed into one app" takes.
[1]: https://foodnoms.com
[1]: https://foodnoms.com
That one looks good, pity it's an iOS exclusive.
Been using FatSecret[0] myself on and off for the past few years. Name is terrible, and over time it's slowly been becoming more of a featurespam bilkfest, but for the time being it's still perfectly usable without handing over a subscription fee or whatever.
[0]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fatsecret....
Been using FatSecret[0] myself on and off for the past few years. Name is terrible, and over time it's slowly been becoming more of a featurespam bilkfest, but for the time being it's still perfectly usable without handing over a subscription fee or whatever.
[0]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fatsecret....
I'm the independent app developer building FoodNoms. Thanks for the shout out and I'm really glad you're enjoying the app.
The app is truly a labor of love and it means a lot when I hear others are getting value out of it. If you or anyone has any feedback regarding the app, I'd greatly appreciate it.
The app is truly a labor of love and it means a lot when I hear others are getting value out of it. If you or anyone has any feedback regarding the app, I'd greatly appreciate it.
You cemented my loyalty when you added the "turn anything that's a fractional-serving into an entire-thing" feature back when I asked about it a few years ago. :D
Haha that's awesome! It was such a good idea – I personally use that feature all the time.
I use Cronometer (https://cronometer.com/ ). It's simple and excellent.
Thanks! I'm the founder, & long time HN lurker. We've bootstrapped over 11 years and still fully founder owned.
I love your app's fidelity. My main issue with healthcare/nutrition software is always ads, trackers and selling of healthcare data. I'd seen the multi-seat Pro version before that makes promises, but stupidly hadn't noticed Cronometer Gold (ad-free). Taking another look now.
The fact that you lurk HN is also awesome. Cheers
The fact that you lurk HN is also awesome. Cheers
Thanks! While we do have ads in the free version, there's no sharing of any user account data with third parties. We strictly do not share/sell any user data, and treat all user data with the same care as the user data that would fall under HIPAA standards.
That's very cool - and it's especially cool to find out Cronometer is a bootstrapped software product!
Another vote for cronometer, it's a lot snappier and less bloated than MFP, which I feel is crippled with ads etc.
I considered paying for the gold for cronometer, but 9.50 a month was a little expensive for me, in the same ballpark as something like Spotify or Netflix.
I considered paying for the gold for cronometer, but 9.50 a month was a little expensive for me, in the same ballpark as something like Spotify or Netflix.
I've just signed up and it looks like gold is $50 a year. Maybe they've changed it since you last looked?
Seconding this.
Same! Been a gold user for a while now
Looks promising, thank you.
> Not only can you track your diet and exercise, this application gives YOU every feature you need to holistically manage your health while also allowing PARTNERS like pharmaceutical manufacturers, health systems, and payors the ability to integrate their patient support programs directly into the application. You can do this all from your fingertips on iOS and Android right from the Redi Health app!
Erm, no thanks. This is a privacy nightmare!
Erm, no thanks. This is a privacy nightmare!
Yeah. Are there any privacy preserving options?
One of my main motivators for building FoodNoms (I'm the indie app creator) is to offer something that allows people to not have to worry about how their data is being used or shared. No ads and no account/username/email/password/etc. Food diary data and goal metadata are all stored on your personal iCloud account.
I just started trying this out.
Really good job on the app, congrats!
I had a couple slightly off figures from the nutritional label OCR but otherwise this is top notch!
Really good job on the app, congrats!
I had a couple slightly off figures from the nutritional label OCR but otherwise this is top notch!
I tried it out there, but the MFP barcode scanner really is a killer feature.
FoodNoms also scans the barcode, and the nutritional information label.
Thank you - I found the nutritional information scanner in the "quick entry" screen but completely glossed over the barcode scanner icon in the food log!
It really is an excellent app.
It really is an excellent app.
I use this[0] on fDroid. And there's a fork[1] you can build from source with macros. It's minimal and pulls from the OpenFoodFacts db. No profile and zero mothership.
OpenFoodFacts supports barcodes, but it hasn't been implemented here yet, but this still works for my needs.
[0]: https://github.com/SecUSo/privacy-friendly-food-tracker
[1]: https://github.com/SecUSo/privacy-friendly-food-tracker/pull...
OpenFoodFacts supports barcodes, but it hasn't been implemented here yet, but this still works for my needs.
[0]: https://github.com/SecUSo/privacy-friendly-food-tracker
[1]: https://github.com/SecUSo/privacy-friendly-food-tracker/pull...
On android there is always the open source waistline app: Waistline (Libre calorie counter and weight tracker)
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.waist.line/
Uses the open food facts dB and can use the USDA food database api as well
Uses the open food facts dB and can use the USDA food database api as well
This is not ready yet (I'm not actually sure if I ever finish it, I don't have much motivation right now) but I've also developed a fitness tracking web app: https://foodrec.spapas.net/
It should also be usable from a mobile phone. The main point of this app is that you define your favorite ingredients / foods / meal and then use them to log (and even build) your day meals. For example, you add some ingredients like
* plums, per 100 gr have these macros
* milk, per 100 ml, has these macros
* whey protein, per 1 scoop, has these macros
* oat, per 100 gr has these macros
(macros will be cal/prot/carbs/fats/sat fats/sugars/salt/fibers)
Then you add the foods, each food has a number and specific amount of ingredients, for example:
Protein breakfast with oat and plums:
* oat, 40 gr
* milk, 200 ml
* whey protein, 1.5 scoops
* plums, 20 gr
Or
Glass of milk:
* Milk, 300 ml (only 1 ingredient)
And then you can use these foods to calculate your caloric intake per day, for example, on that day I ate:
* 1 glass of milk
* 1 Protein breakfast with oat and plums:
etc
This app is probably better for people that are eating the same things every day; you'll need a little effort to record your favorite stuff but then you should be able to quickly fill your intake logs.
If anybody decides to actually use it (it's completely free) and have any problems / suggestions you can send any comments to
serafeim at spapas dot net
It should also be usable from a mobile phone. The main point of this app is that you define your favorite ingredients / foods / meal and then use them to log (and even build) your day meals. For example, you add some ingredients like
* plums, per 100 gr have these macros
* milk, per 100 ml, has these macros
* whey protein, per 1 scoop, has these macros
* oat, per 100 gr has these macros
(macros will be cal/prot/carbs/fats/sat fats/sugars/salt/fibers)
Then you add the foods, each food has a number and specific amount of ingredients, for example:
Protein breakfast with oat and plums:
* oat, 40 gr
* milk, 200 ml
* whey protein, 1.5 scoops
* plums, 20 gr
Or
Glass of milk:
* Milk, 300 ml (only 1 ingredient)
And then you can use these foods to calculate your caloric intake per day, for example, on that day I ate:
* 1 glass of milk
* 1 Protein breakfast with oat and plums:
etc
This app is probably better for people that are eating the same things every day; you'll need a little effort to record your favorite stuff but then you should be able to quickly fill your intake logs.
If anybody decides to actually use it (it's completely free) and have any problems / suggestions you can send any comments to
serafeim at spapas dot net
Leaving yet another alternative to the ones mentioned elsewhere on this comment section, Lose It![1]
It has a premium version to track more than just calories but barcode scanning is part of the free version
[1]: https://www.loseit.com/
It has a premium version to track more than just calories but barcode scanning is part of the free version
[1]: https://www.loseit.com/
The premium version has lots of (IMO) valueless features like "macro nutrient tracking" and "water intake tracking" and "customize how many snacks you want in a day".
The free version has all the actual valuable stuff, minimal advertising, and the app, on android at least, is perfectly willing to leave you alone and not notify you with spam or advertising or anything. It's been around since literally the original app store release and is still pretty good.
The free version has all the actual valuable stuff, minimal advertising, and the app, on android at least, is perfectly willing to leave you alone and not notify you with spam or advertising or anything. It's been around since literally the original app store release and is still pretty good.
There can be value to tracking macros & water intake - someone working out to gain muscle will want to monitor that they're getting enough protein, and someone with a family history of diverticulitis or Crohn's will want to track dietary fibre & water intake.
That said - you can get to that information through the free app as well. Just tap on the Dashboard and tap on the Macronutrients graph, and you can get through to daily & weekly breakdowns.
I've often tried upgrading to Premium, but for some reason a Play Store bug keeps preventing my subscription from completing (and somehow they haven't noticed, for months?) I don't need cloud sync anyway. I wish they just had a paid app with a local database, and a CSV export feature so my data isn't locked up. Like when we used to track this stuff using diet tracking apps on Palm Pilots....
That said - you can get to that information through the free app as well. Just tap on the Dashboard and tap on the Macronutrients graph, and you can get through to daily & weekly breakdowns.
I've often tried upgrading to Premium, but for some reason a Play Store bug keeps preventing my subscription from completing (and somehow they haven't noticed, for months?) I don't need cloud sync anyway. I wish they just had a paid app with a local database, and a CSV export feature so my data isn't locked up. Like when we used to track this stuff using diet tracking apps on Palm Pilots....
Indeed, the fact that you can't export your data is my biggest gripe with fitness trackers. Maybe there's something you can do to "launder" the data through google fit, and maybe find a way to pull it out that way, but I haven't found one yet.
For Europe especially Switzerland I find YAZIO[1] very good although many features are only available in the premium version. Almost every product I scan is already present in the app which was not the case withe MFP.
I switched to YAZIO a long time ago because I was so frustrated with MFP.
[1] https://www.yazio.com/
I switched to YAZIO a long time ago because I was so frustrated with MFP.
[1] https://www.yazio.com/
I've been using https://cronometer.com/ for a while, it also tracks your micro nutrients and have quite good food DB. (not sure if this is trust worthy) but from the their app's description on playstore, it has better data privacy policy compared to it's competitor
Have been using MFP on and off for many years. Was fine with the tradeoff of getting crappy ads in return for using it for free. The app has not improved at all in years. I’ve tried paid a couple of times and found no additional value.
Recently though they introduced an extremely dark pattern of overlaying the “back” navigation with a link to load a full page ad (on iOS, unsure about Android). So, now they lose out on whatever cents they were getting for the crappy ads as I shift use elsewhere. Surprised it passes muster with their ad exchange.
Recently though they introduced an extremely dark pattern of overlaying the “back” navigation with a link to load a full page ad (on iOS, unsure about Android). So, now they lose out on whatever cents they were getting for the crappy ads as I shift use elsewhere. Surprised it passes muster with their ad exchange.
The counter argument is that we like to say here "If you are not paying for it, you're not the customer; you're the product being sold".
I think we'd all agree health data should be private, and it costs money to run a company. I don't know enough about MyFitnessPal to know if they're double dipping and selling both (seems they're owned by PE, which isn't great), but either way, if we want companies to avoid selling data then we need to be okay with paying for them.
I think we'd all agree health data should be private, and it costs money to run a company. I don't know enough about MyFitnessPal to know if they're double dipping and selling both (seems they're owned by PE, which isn't great), but either way, if we want companies to avoid selling data then we need to be okay with paying for them.
And even if you're paying, often you could still be the product being sold. There are no limits for a greed.
MacroFactor[1] is the way.
[1] https://www.strongerbyscience.com/macrofactor/
[1] https://www.strongerbyscience.com/macrofactor/
Also what I'm using, but it has no free version at all, so if what people object to is having to pay, they're not gonna like it. Personally, I actually like paying for stuff I find useful, preferring that to the ad machine.
For anyone who doesn't want to follow a link, MacroFactor's killer feature is you input your daily weight and your food and it creates a smoothed estimate of your non-water gain and loss in order to be able to give you a pretty accurate estimate of total daily energy expenditure after a few weeks. That way, you not only track what you're eating, but you know exactly how much you should be eating as well, in a way that is the only way short of checking into a metabolic ward to know your own body's true energy usage. Any other system out there is just guessing based on sample averages from past studies of other people.
For anyone who doesn't want to follow a link, MacroFactor's killer feature is you input your daily weight and your food and it creates a smoothed estimate of your non-water gain and loss in order to be able to give you a pretty accurate estimate of total daily energy expenditure after a few weeks. That way, you not only track what you're eating, but you know exactly how much you should be eating as well, in a way that is the only way short of checking into a metabolic ward to know your own body's true energy usage. Any other system out there is just guessing based on sample averages from past studies of other people.
Seconding MacroFactor
So glad I already moved on to YAZIO a few weeks ago! This app still offers a free barcode scanner and calorie tracker and is such a good alternative to MFP in my opinion. Even better if it comes to design/clarity. Love it!
Fatsecret has full barcode scanning in their free version. MFP is more popular, but I tried both apps concurrently for a week and found that I preferred Fatsecret. I'm not wild about the name. https://www.fatsecret.com/
MFP's database is a lot bigger for barcodes.
This is why MFP will be able to get away with charging. There are endless apps out there, includes ones that look better with better features like LifeSum or ones that do the whole kitchen sink which some prefer. But the databases in all of those are smaller and notably much less accurate. If you eat the same thing all the time in general and those are in the database correctly in your app of choice then that's fine, but if you want to go out anywhere or shop anything at your grocery and feel confident it will be there and accurate far more often than any other app that MFP is the clear winner, and others can't grow their database without the userbase. So I think the only ones who will be able to compete are if say Google and or Apple enter the space with their resources to build a large and accurate database in partnerships, and then from their large user base.
That's actually what Redi.Health is using under the hood!
MyFitnessPal subscriber here. I feel like I get some value from food tracking, which is why I pay for the subscription.
This is a promotional piece for Redi.Health, which is somewhat understandable because the author says he is a Senior Software Engineer there.
This isn't an analysis of MyFitnessPal, how it's evolved, or why they chose to move the Barcode Scanner inside the subscription paywall.
If you want to factor that into your understanding of the situation, consider that UnderArmor bought MyFitnessPal in 2015 as part of its foray into digital fitness communities, and sold it to a private equity firm in 2020, https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/30/under-armour-to-sell-myfit....
This is a promotional piece for Redi.Health, which is somewhat understandable because the author says he is a Senior Software Engineer there.
This isn't an analysis of MyFitnessPal, how it's evolved, or why they chose to move the Barcode Scanner inside the subscription paywall.
If you want to factor that into your understanding of the situation, consider that UnderArmor bought MyFitnessPal in 2015 as part of its foray into digital fitness communities, and sold it to a private equity firm in 2020, https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/30/under-armour-to-sell-myfit....
I subscribe to MFP and the barcode scanner doesn't work on CalyxOS for whatever reason. It's not so bad, you just type the barcode in.
MyNetDiary is what I switched to after MFP.
Horribly generic name, but the app is great and barcode scanning is free.
Horribly generic name, but the app is great and barcode scanning is free.
[deleted]
CarbManager seemed to have a good database. I often thought entry was faster than scanning.
Fitbit app includes barcode scanning and food tracking. No wearable device necessary.
MFP used to be a freemium model, wherein actual value-add was the pay stuff, and the core functionality/community provided stuff was the gateway towards that.
Unfortunately, the app got too successful, and was sold to a venture capital firm: Francisco Partners for $350m. Now they're going to do what VCs do, and try to liquidate out a profit by any means necessary, even if it ultimately ruins the app on the way out.
Open source code is a successful idea; what hasn't really taken off for various reasons is the concept of open source or community owned databases. The closest thing I know of is OpenStreetMaps. A food/nutrition database would be a fantastic open dataset that would largely stand the test of time (while specific products come and go, base facts about specific foods rarely do).