Foodswitch App – Helping You Make Healthy Food Choices
by PlanningQueen on February 11, 2012 in PlanningI am always trying to find ways to make it easier to make sure I am making the healthy food choices for my kids. Buying fresh fruit and veg is an easy way to do this, but as part of our regular eating we do buy some processed foods like:
- Crackers
- Cereal
- Yoghurt
- Pasta Sauce
- Butter
Making the comparisons in the supermarket aisle with the kids can be tricky, so I am completely loving the new Foodswitch App. It has been developed in partnership by Bupa (health insurance company) and The George Institute for Global Health (research organisation). You can read more about the app here.
FoodSwitch is a free app which allows you to scan the barcode of packaged foods using your iPhone camera and to receive nutritional info using the traffic light labelling criteria. The app has a database of over 20,000 packaged foods that are stocked in major Australian supermarkets.
Foodswitch App In Action
You can download the app here from iTunes and it is super easy to use. The best way to show how cool it is, is to show you some of my results from scanning I did at the supermarket and at home from products I have already purchased. Some of the results really surprised me.
Butter - I have used this Western Star spreadable butter for years and thought it was pretty good. But after seeing the results, once our stocks run out, I will be switching to Devondale Extra Light.
Pasta Sauce – These results provide a good example where you still need to exercise personal judgement when interpreting the results. Yes the pasta sauce we use is higher in sugars and salt, but it is organic. I need to make a decision about which criteria is the most important one here for me.
Cereal – Special K is my breakfast cereal of choice. The results recommended Be Natural 5 Whole Grains FLakes, which had a profile as follows:
I bought the Be Natural cereal for the first time and liked it.
Crackers – Using the app can take up some time though. I really like Vita Weat 9 grains crackers and so do the kids, but there are actually two healthier options. I did quite a bit of scanning of the different cracker options, including:
Cracker Alternative – Vita Weat Original
Cracker Alternative – Woolworth’s Low Fat Crackers. Now I bought a packet of these for me to have, but I bought the Vita Weat Original for the kids lunch boxes. My kids find plain water crackers pretty boring and they come back in the lunch boxes at the end of the day.
The overall energy count for the Low Fat Crackers crackers is marginal (1630 vs 1620), I was happy to go with a cracker I know they will eat. The best thing is I have made an educated decision – I had the data to analyse and made my assessment from that, not from just a hurried glance on the box.
There were some products I tried like kids individual yoghurt packs that weren’t in the database. It then asks you to assist my photographing the front of the product and the nutritional info box. The more people add to the database, the better it will become as a tool for healthy choices.
Diet coke – I have added this result, as those who know me, know that I consume just a little bit of this product! The Foodswitch App tells it as it is!
Foodswitch App The Verdict
If you have an iPhone app and want to start making healthier food choices this app is a must. You will still need to use discretion based on your families needs and preferences, but it really gives you plenty of information about the products you are purchasing and how healthy they are.
The first time you take it to the supermarket with you, make sure you have a bit of time up your sleeve. I spent twice as long at the supermarket, scanning different products in my quest to find the healthiest option for my family! Once you start to know what you new stock products are though, you would only need to scan the more occasional items so it wouldn’t take so long.
(Although I did find myself picking up items that I don’t even usually buy just to check out what their rating and alternative was 
.)
What do you take into account when making food purchases for your family?Tweet
17 comments...read them below or add one
This is absolutely fantastic! Thank you for sharing this
! BTW I love love love love your blog!! xo
Thanks Sonia!
We’ve had lots of fun with this app. Annie is very curious about what is healthy and what isn’t.
I’m thinking about doing our next grocery shop in person rather than online so I can scan my purchases.
I did love the “water is healthier”comment, we got that when scanning the cordial bottle at a party
That was what I did (shopping in person that is.)!
do you know if it’s available in Android? or just iphone at the moment? Thanks for the review – it looks like a great app & I wouldn’t have heard about it otherwise!
Don’t think so Justine. http://www.bupa.com.au/health-and-wellness/tools-and-apps/mobile-apps/foodswitch-app-faq#Whatifnoiphone
makes it looks like it is iTunes App only and can only be used in Australia.
I find buying the product with the least ingredients, and only ones I have heard of serves us well!
My primary concerns with an app like this is does it take into account additives and preservatives…I’m also very wary of advice around low-fat products as I don’t agree that they are better than a smaller portion of a full fat version (providing the fat is not hydrogenated and from a natural source). I think we’ve been duped on the whole ‘low-fat’ craze!
The least ingredients approach is a good one.
I understand what you mean about it not taking into account certain characteristics of the product. That was one of the reasons I showed the organic pasta sauce example.
I really like the app and think that it allows me to have more information before I make my purchase. As I noted at the end, I still need to use my discretion to make sure I am buying the right food choices for my family.
First thoughts were what a great app but I am a little sceptical when the healthier choices for the butter were all light/extra light. For anyone who watches additives/preservatives you will know that these products actually contain more additives/presevatives than the full fat variety.
Agree with Rachael, a smaller serving of full fat is better than usage of low fat products.
I realise there is lots of debate many food issues – low fat / no sugar / low carbs etc.
I just think that having more information to make your choice is a good thing. Hence I bought crackers for my kids which were higher in fat than a low fat version. For my kids who are healthy and active, in that instance low fat criteria wasn’t my highest priority.
I also agree with Rachael and Jane. I think the traffic light system does fall down a bit when it comes to additivies and preservatives. I find this in our canteens also. Fat has been labelled the big baddy over laboratory produced flavour enhances and chemicals. Real food replaced with fake. It does my head in. The old Keep it Simple Stupid rule is the best one to stick to. Less ingredients on the ingredients list, if you dont know what an ingredient is dont buy it and less processed food over all. And like PQ said eat lots of fruit and veg.
Yes as Rachael also mention short ingredient list can be a good indicator to a healthier choice.
And less processed food is definitely a good thing! Over the years I have improved on this, but I think there will always be items of processed. At least having as much info as possible about them, I can make an educated purchase whilst still taking into account my personal preference for food choices.
Love it. Thank you for sharing. I already waste so much time comparing labels at the supermarket but this is a great visual tool. Looks like a great quick reference guide, & easier to explain visuals to kids too. Thanks!
I love this app, thanks! I often wonder about more nutritional options and just spent 20mins going through our fridge and pantry checking everything out! Now I know what we need to watch out for next time we shop!
Its a good start for comparing nutritional information when you don’t have a lot of time. I’m a bit disappointed that the homebrand refined crackers were seen as a healthier option than a whole grain version. Clearly things more than fat, sugars, and salt need to be used in comparing products. I’d love to see Glycemic index included in such an app, especially with the increasing numbers of diabetics in Australia.
This is awesome! I’ve downloaded right now and can’t wait to do some scanning
Now I’m back at work cooking meals from scratch is becoming increasingly difficult and so it would be good to know the best versions of sauces and things.
My family (all adults, as my husband and I don’t have children, but are currently living with my parents) are another one working on buying purer, less processed foods. I’m far more concerned about the chemicals in processed foods than a bit of fat or sugar.