Research & guides
From the lab notebook
Deep dives on how food tracking actually works — accuracy, databases, AI logging and the habits that make tracking stick. Written by our dietitians and testers.
How do you find your real maintenance calories?
Ultimate Guide to Maintenance Calorie Tracking
Maintenance calories are a small range—estimate, track 2–3 weeks, use 7‑day averages, and adjust by 100–200 kcal.
Buyer's guide
How to choose a food tracking app: a 7-question guide
There is no single best food tracker, only the best one for you. Answer these seven questions and you'll know exactly which app to download.
8 min read →AI
How accurate are AI calorie tracking apps, really?
We weighed hundreds of meals and logged them by photo across every major AI tracker. Here is what the error rates actually look like — and where AI logging falls down.
9 min read →Weight loss
Do calorie tracking apps actually work for weight loss?
The research on food tracking and weight loss is more encouraging than the cynics claim — but only if you pick the right app and avoid a few traps. A dietitian explains.
8 min read →Database
Why food database quality beats database size
The biggest food database is not the best one. A registered dietitian explains why verified entries matter more than raw count — and how to spot a junk entry.
7 min read →