iOS App of the Day: ShopWell

Posted by Amy Eichelberg

Saturday, April 28th, 2012

Do you ever find yourself walking the isles of the grocery store wishing you had the knowledge of a nutritionist? With so many unhealthy choices on the grocery store shelves it’s easy to make the wrong food decisions when you’re out grocery shopping. If you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, but don’t have the money for a personal nutritionist, then downloading the free ShopWell app for iOS is a practical alternative. ShopWell helps you maintain a healthy diet and helps you steer clear of anything that you shouldn’t have in your diet. This app is extremely useful for anyone with a food allergy. After filling out a user profile with help from the app, you can start relying on the app’s database of food ratings to find healthier choices when food shopping.

Pros:

Free nutrition information
Scan products and learn which foods match your needs
Avoid food allergies
Understand food nutrition facts panels and ingredients
Discover new foods that are healthier for you
Make smart grocery decisions in the store
Make healthy grocery lists

Cons:

Scanner doesn’t recognize a lot of generic brands in local grocery chains
Age range in user profile is broad
Sometimes app crashes after a product scan
App doesn’t save previously scanned items

How it works:

Upon signing up you are prompted to fill out your user profile. Questions include your age, gender, goals, health conditions, and your preferences. Preferences break down into things you want. things you don’t want, and things you shouldn’t have. Filling out your profile is a breeze as the app has a list of answers that you can select from. For example, when adding your goals you can choose from the following: general health, athletic training, weight management, heart healthy, anemia, osteoporosis, lactose intolerance, digestive health, gluten intolerance, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes. When selecting what is most important in your diet you can choose any combination from the following options: calcium, fiber, folic acid, iron, potassium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, whole grain, low calorie, low cholesterol, low fat, low saturated fat, and low sodium. When selecting from items to minimize in your diet you can choose from the following: added sugar, artificial sweeteners, high fructose syrup, lactose, refined grains, color additives, preservatives, trans fats, high cholesterol, high fat, high saturated fat, or high sodium. When selecting from what you shouldn’t have in your diet you can choose from a list of commonly known food allergies. After you’ve completed your full user profile, tap save in the top right corner to start using the app.

You have four different ways to navigate the app. If you use the ShopWell website then you can view previously made lists under the My Lists page in the app. The Browse page allows you to shop by category and the search option allows you to look up a specific food item. When food items appear they display from highest score to lowest score. Simply tap on the Highest Score button to sort by most relevant, product name, or lowest score.

One of the best features of ShopWell is the scanning feature.The bar-code scanner provides nutritional information about the product you see in front of you in the store. You can even use this feature at home if you want to see what you’ve got going on in your own pantry.

However you arrive at a food item, either by browsing, searching, or scanning it, the app will then display a color-coded rating. A red number is a weak match for you, a yellow number is a medium match, and anything in green is a strong match. Each product page in ShopWell has links to the product’s ingredients and nutrition facts. Healthier alternatives to a product are listed at the bottom, each with a number rating. Even though the app has approximately 120, 000 in its vast database, don’t be surprised if you scan a product and it doesn’t come up with a match.

Conclusion: If you are trying to make healthier choices, have a food allergy, or are trying to stay away from certain food types all together the ShopWell app is a suitable app to download and take with you to the grocery store. The interface is intuitive and the rating system makes it easy to make an educated decision on the spot. For my own personal health needs and goals, ShopWell’s database has served me well. The app is truly unbiased and doesn’t push one brand or manufacturer over another, which is a relief. Overall I find myself more conscious of what to buy and what to stay far away from in order to achieve my health goals.