Nutrition App Picker
Six honest picks for seniors tracking food for diabetes, heart health, or weight. Most have a free tier that covers everything you need.
Skip the extreme-diet TikTok content
Apple-cider-vinegar cleanses, "carnivore for seniors", 600-calorie one-meal-a-day plans, and similar TikTok or Instagram fads can be dangerous if you take blood-pressure pills, blood thinners, insulin, or have kidney issues. For any serious condition (diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, recent surgery, cancer treatment), work with a Registered Dietitian (RD or RDN). Medicare Part B covers nutrition counseling for diabetes and kidney disease — ask your doctor for a referral.
MyFitnessPal
Best for: Beginners who want the largest food database in the US.
Pros
- +Huge food database — most US grocery brands and restaurant items.
- +Barcode scanner on the free tier.
- +Syncs with Apple Health, Fitbit, and many smart scales.
- +Calorie + macro tracking that family members can share.
Cons
- −Free tier shows ads and limits some macro views.
- −User-submitted entries can have wrong calorie counts — verify before you trust.
Lose It!
Best for: Weight-loss focus with a friendly, less-cluttered screen.
Pros
- +Snap It feature — take a photo of food and it estimates calories.
- +Cleaner layout than MyFitnessPal, better for older eyes.
- +Free tier covers daily calorie tracking and weight logging.
Cons
- −Smaller food database than MyFitnessPal.
- −Photo recognition is rough — still verify the entry.
Cronometer
Best for: People who want accurate vitamin and mineral tracking, not guesses.
Pros
- +Database is curated from USDA and verified sources — far fewer wrong entries.
- +Tracks 80+ micronutrients (vitamin D, B12, potassium, sodium).
- +Excellent for heart-healthy and kidney diets where sodium and potassium matter.
Cons
- −Smaller restaurant database than MyFitnessPal.
- −Interface looks more like a spreadsheet than a friendly app.
Free is plenty for most people
You do not need a Premium subscription to log meals, count carbs, or watch sodium. Start on the free tier of MyFitnessPal or Cronometer, give it 30 days, and only pay for Premium if a specific feature (no ads, deeper macro splits, the diabetes dashboard) would actually change how you eat.
Related
Quick Tip: log everything for the first two weeks, even sips of soda. The honest picture is the whole point.