When it comes to logging your food, the fatsecret app has several simple methods.

The default way to log a food is via the ‘Food’ add. ‘Food’ is where you will find individual food components to create a meal (as we covered in the guide "How to find and log food in the fatsecret app").

Other ways to record food within the fatsecret app include using the Smart Assistant, Smart Food Scan, Saved Meals, Recipes, CookBook, and your Most Eaten and Recently Eaten Foods (which populate automatically over time as you log food into the app).

This guide will provide a short overview of each of these options.

Options for logging a food or meal

Food (Add)

This is the most flexible (and default) option for finding and adding food to your Diary. You can search for a food, select the serving size, and add multiple foods to create a meal. You can search for both generic foods and branded foods. As mentioned previously, if you are just starting calorie counting/food logging for the first time, we suggest starting by searching for and logging generic foods.

Most Eaten and Recently Eaten

As you log food, your “Most Eaten” and “Recently Eaten” tabs will begin to fill with the foods you frequently and recently logged. This makes it easy to quickly find and log your favorite meals and snacks without having to search for them each time.

Saved Meals

If you regularly eat the same group of foods for a meal, for example, eating peanut butter on toast for breakfast each day, we recommend setting this up as a ‘Saved Meal’. A Saved Meal allows you to save a collection of foods so you can log meals in just a few taps, without needing to search for each ingredient. You can save a meal by tapping ‘+ Save Meal’ under a meal you have already logged, or by tapping ‘New Saved Meal’ in the Saved Meal tab when logging a food.

Smart Assistant (Premium)

Smart Assistant is the fastest and easiest way to log food in the fatsecret app. It uses voice recognition to help you log meals 2 times faster than manual logging. By simply dictating what you ate, the Smart Assistant finds your food and log it to your Diary for you. You can use it to log multiple foods at once, making your food logging process more efficient. Access the Smart Assistant in the Premium tab of the fatsecret app.

Smart Food Scan (Premium)

The Smart Food Scan uses image recognition to identify the foods on your plate and instantly gives you the calorie and nutrition information. By simply taking a photo of your meal, you can log all elements of your meal in at once. This feature helps you log food faster so that you can stay consistent and reach your goals more easily. Access the Smart Food Scan in the Premium tab of the fatsecret app.

Recipes (Premium)

Stuck for meal ideas? In the ‘Recipes’ tab when logging a food you can explore a curated range of fatsecret-approved recipes. These come with an ingredients list and cooking instructions that you can log directly to a meal. Logging recipes direct to your Diary requires being a fatsecret Premium member.

Cook Book (Advanced)

The Cook Book is your personal recipe list. Here you can save meals with their individual ingredients, serving sizes, and cooking instructions. When you create a recipe in the CookBook, you can easily log a single serving of that meal into your Diary with just a few taps. Add a recipe on the ‘Cook Book’ tab of the food logging screen by tapping ‘Add New Recipe’. Once you have created a recipe, you also have the option to publish it to be shared with other fatsecret members to try and enjoy.