5 keto apps that will help you keep track of your diet

by Aparrna Gupta

January 14, 2019

On the keto bandwagon? We've put together a list of the best calorie counting and recipe apps to help you out

If there was a wellness trend that made the biggest headlines in 2018, it was the keto diet. Not just a weight loss technique, it found favour with nutritionists and health practitioners after it was seen to reduce the risk for diabetes and heart disease. Whether you’re a keto rookie or you’ve been aboard the keto train for a while now, you’ll know that tracking macros and googling “how many calories is a *insert food item here*” is pretty inconvenient. To make it easier, we put together five apps that will help you count, track and stay motivated.

What’s the fuss around keto?

The principle behind the ketogenic or keto diet is simple—cut your carbs and eat more healthy fats to force your body to burn fat. It is a low carb (5 to 10 per cent), medium protein (15-30 per cent) and high fat diet (70-80 per cent) which forces the body to enter the state of ketosis where it uses fat instead of glucose for energy. Besides significant weight loss, ketosis that is tailored to control insulin spikes also lowers blood sugar and reduces inflammation. However, the catch lies in the calculation of the macronutrients (carbs, proteins and fats) consumed.

A keto diet is not just about eliminating carbs and including good fats and proteins, but also about changing the way you cook your food. It is all about managing your carb intake and limiting it to a very low number, typically 20 to 25 g net carbs per day. You need to track your macros precisely to stay within that limit. The keto diet is one of the stricter food plans around, and you need to make sure you’re logging your food and serving sizes with accuracy to get your system into ketosis.

When choosing a tracking app, make sure that you pick one that tracks your macros. If you are in here for a longer haul opt for one that also tracks your sodium, potassium and magnesium intake to make sure that your electrolytes are in check.

5 top apps to help you on your keto journey:

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal does a lot to help keep you track with your food goals—it is equipped with a calorie counter, recipe importer and nutrient tracker. You can key in your goal macros, and then input your meals throughout the day. The app gives you information about calories consumed and calories that need to be burnt to meet the goal. Additionally, you can track dietary fibre, which will allow you to know your net carb count for the day. The best part about the app is the bar code scanner, which can tell you information about most foods. A definite bonus is how it seamlessly syncs with most third-party devices, so your Apple Watch data gets uploaded instantly. The less math you have to do to keep yourself on track, the easier it is to stick with the program.