Learn to Eat Healthy with the Munch 5 a Day iPhone Application
Improving your eating habits can be a very hard thing to do. Everyone would like to eat healthy but that doesn’t always happen. With everyone’s hectic lives, it’s hard to keep track of what we are putting into our bodies. I find that even though fast food restaurants are trying to jump on the bandwagon and offer healthier options to their customers, we still need a way to keep track of what and how much we are eating.
The Munch 5-a-day app is trying to set us up for a successful healthy lifestyle. Being able to keep track of what you put into your body, while motivating you at the same time, will only bring you a successful outcome in the end. Although there are numerous calorie counting apps on iTunes, I have never come across an app that is just specifically for recording your fruit and vegetable intake. I thought if I am already using My Fitness Pal to keep track of my calories, then why would I need this app too? After some research I came to the conclusion that this app helped me just focus on the fruits and veggies, and that I was not eating enough healthy options in my diet.
Record and Track Your Intake
When you first launch the app you will notice a whimsical, user-friendly interface that even your children would be able to navigate through. The first thing you do is set your daily goal. The World Health Organization recommends eating five portions of fruits and vegetables a day to promote a healthy lifestyle and prevent any diseases.
My goal was to eat four fruits and vegetables by 8 pm that night. I chose under the recommended number because I am not a huge fan of fruit, so I thought I would work my way up to five or more a day. Once I ate my first fruit I tapped the fruit icon and my munch was recorded on the goal bar at the bottom of the screen. A red dot is for a fruit and a green dot is for a veggie. The remaining number for my target goal was displayed on the app icon. This feature is an exceptional idea because it motivated me to want to get the number off the icon. Every time I see a number displayed on my mail icon I have to tap it, so I thought this idea was a great motivator to get me to eat more fruits and veggies. Once I completed my daily goal I received a congratulations message. I also ended up eating more than my target and received a bonus badge.
On iTunes it says that if you earn all of the badges then you receive a mystery badge, but I have yet to earn them all. I accidentally tilted my phone and realized that if you tilt it to landscape mode then you will see a graph of your consumption over a month’s time. It also prompts you to share your results once you meet your goal. I found this option to be a good motivator. If I am sharing my results with my friends then you better believe that they will make me stick to it. Although I would find it kind of annoying if my friends kept posting what they ate on Facebook all day.
Another feature that I found worth mentioning is under the info category. What exactly is considered a munch? They give specific information if you are unsure of a portion size. An adult portion is roughly 3 oz. and one 5 oz. glass of juice can also constitute a portion. But, you are only allowed to use juice once a day. I liked having this information at my fingertips because I never know what a true portion really is. I end up eating way more than I am supposed to.
Is it Worth a Download?
Any app that is free is worth a try, because you’re not losing out on any money. I like how cute this app is. They have sheep that baa, birds that tweet and a hot air balloon that floats across the sky. There is even a munch sound when you tap the fruit or vegetable icon. The colors are bright and the overall feel of the app reminds me of a vintage look. Personally I am not drawn to the animal noises but since this app is easy enough for my 5-year-old to navigate through, I think he would enjoy it.
I would definitely recommend giving the Munch 5 a Day iPhone application a try. Its simple interface and warm appeal will have you eating healthy in no time. This is an app that is quick and easy to use, so give it a try and let me know what you think in the comment section.
