Unless you have a television, a computer, and a full library set up in your kitchen, it can be difficult to access all the recipes, healthy cooking tips, and nutrition information that you need to make tasty and nutritious meals for you and your family. With the rise in popularity of smart phones, accessing this information has become much easier. Not only can you look up articles and videos directly from your phone, but you can also choose from thousands of apps to install on your phone for everything from fresh ideas to cooking lists to nutritional information. Here is our list of 10 great apps that will help you stay healthy in the kitchen by offering up healthy recipes, useful tools, or fat and calorie information:
Simply Organic http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/simply-organic/id325214872?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
Find hundreds of recipes with healthy, organic ingredients with this free app. You can also find stores that carry the ingredients listed, and get access to coupons for those products. Create an easy shopping list by tapping on ingredients in the recipes. Recipes promote the Simply Organic line of products.
Don’t Eat That http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/dont-eat-that/id343897026?mt=8#
Learning how to eat healthy isn’t just about recognizing beneficial ingredients. Sometimes you have to learn how to spot what not to eat, as well. This app, which costs $1.99, can let you know if ingredients are carcinogenic, are banned in other countries, are bad for children or pregnant women, are genetically modified, or are known to cause allergies. You don’t have to be connected to the Internet to access the list.
Locavore http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/locavore/id306140158?mt=8#
Find local, sustainable sources of produce and other foods is a key ingredient in a healthy lifestyle. This free app uses your GPS location to help you find local farms and farmer’s markets. You can also browse a list of seasonal produce, get more information about the food and the people who produce it, and find a database of healthy recipes.
Green Kitchen http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id466252999?mt=8
Find wholesome organic and vegetarian food with this app, which costs $3.99. Recipes feature a minimum of gluten, sugar, and dairy products, and these ingredients are marked in recipes for easy browsing. Shopping lists can be created directly from the recipes.
Do Eat Raw http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/do-eat-raw/id425128640?mt=8
Creating delicious dishes doesn’t have to require the use of a microwave or an oven. Use this 99 cent app to learn about more than 300 tasty raw dishes and treats. You can browse by dish, ingredient, or rating score.
Smart Chef Substitutions http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/smart-chef-substitutions/id319592815?mt=8#
Love that chocolate pound cake, but hate the fat and calories? Use this $1.99 app to find healthy substitutions for ingredients like oils, sugars, and flours. If you run out of something in the kitchen, you can also use it to figure out what else you can use from your pantry rather than running out to the store. Choose from 300 substitutions in categories including dairy, herbs, spices, alcohol, and more.
Diet and Food Tracker http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/diet-food-tracker-by-sparkpeople/id305430463?mt=8
The diet experts at Spark People bring you this free app to help you keep track of calories and other nutritional information. Get a personalized meal plan, log your daily eats, and get a report on your nutritional information and how you met your goals. You can also keep track of exercise and calories expended.
Perfect Produce http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/perfect-produce-by-sparkpeople/id427975348?mt=8
Here’s another great app brought to you by the folks at Spark People. Learn how to select the best produce, store it, and prepare it. You can also search for produce based on nutritional needs, such as fiber or Vitamin A. Finally, you can get recipes for ideas on what to do with all your fresh produce. $1.99.
Eco Chef http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/eco-chef-10-minute-meals-bryan/id376757361?mt=8#
You don’t have to toil away in the kitchen for hours to create healthy and delicious meals. This $1.99 app offers 10-minute recipes for preparing organic and raw versions of your favorite junk foods and comfort foods. Videos show you how to prepare the foods, and you can ask the chef questions directly. You also get access to videos from the Eco Chef TV series and more.
HarvestMark Food Traceability http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/harvestmark-food-traceability/id355362341?mt=8
Learn about where you food really came from and how it was grown with this free app. You can also get information about food safety and recall information.
Do you have some other favorite apps that help you to cook more healthy and nutritious meals? Tell us about your picks in the comments!
About the Author:
Heather Green is a freelance writer for several regional magazines in North Carolina as well as a resident blogger for onlinenursingdegrees.org. Her writing experience includes fashion, business, health, agriculture and a wide range of other topics. Heather has just completed research on obtaining an online health care admin degree and various online physical therapy assistant degrees.