Tracking macros can feel overwhelming, especially if you're just starting or have specific goals. If you haven't figured out how to track macros efficiently, you might be frustrated at the time it takes. Count calories faster with the right tools, and you can reach your goals quicker and with less stress.
This guide will help you find the best macro tracking app to return to what matters most—eating and reaching your goals. One tool that can help you track macros and calories faster is the AI calorie counter. This app uses artificial intelligence to help you log your food intake quickly and accurately so you can get on with your day.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Tracking Macros
Preventing Health Conditions: Tracking Macros for Disease Prevention
Research suggests that tracking macronutrients may help prevent certain diseases. For example, a study found that middle-aged adults consuming 6% of their daily calories as protein, increasing this amount to 17% as they age, may protect against Alzheimer’s disease. Also, high-carb diets may help treat and protect against diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. People may also wish to consult with a healthcare provider for dietary guidance if they have diabetes or vascular or cardiovascular conditions.
Maintaining a Moderate Weight And Reaching Fitness Goals
Counting macronutrients may help people maintain a moderate weight. There is evidence that following a starch-based carbohydrate diet of 7–15% fat can reduce body fat percentage and the likelihood of health complications from obesity in the short term. A 2017 study notes that people may be more likely to maintain a moderate weight if they track the food and nutrients they consume over a more extended period. Additionally, counting macronutrients may help people reach their fitness goals. Another 2017 review suggests that diets high in protein, such as those that consume 1.4 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight, help maintain muscle mass during resistance training.
Related Reading
• Apple Diet
• Macros for Muscle Gain
• Best App to Track Macros
• Macro Diet Plan
• Macro Ratio for Weight Loss
5 Tips for Tracking Macros
1. Choose a Calorie Counter Like Diet AI
Selecting the right calorie counter makes tracking macros easier and more accurate. DietAI is an AI-powered calorie-counting app that can transform your tracking experience. Snap a picture of your meal, and the app instantly analyzes your food, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, DietAI offers comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to track your calories and macros effortlessly with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo.
2. Figure Out Your Calorie Needs
To calculate your overall calorie needs, start by determining your resting energy expenditure (REE) and non-resting energy expenditure (NREE). REE refers to the number of calories a person burns at rest, while NREE indicates calories burned during activity and digestion. Adding REE and NREE gives you the total number of calories burned daily, also known as total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). You can use a simple online calculator or the Mifflin-St to determine your overall calorie needs.
Jeor equation
Males: calories/day = 10 x weight (kilograms, or kg) + 6.25 x height (centimeters, or cm) – 5 x age (years) + 5
Females: calories/day = 10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) – 5 x age (years) – 161
Then, multiply your result by an activity factor—a number that represents different levels of activity:
Sedentary: x 1.2 (limited exercise)
Lightly active: x 1.375 (light exercise less than 3 days per week)
Moderately active: x 1.55 (moderate exercise most days of the week)
Very active: x 1.725 (challenging exercise every day)
Extra active: x 1.9 (strenuous exercise two or more times per day)
The result gives you your TDEE. Calories can be added or subtracted from your total expenditure to reach different goals. In other words, those trying to lose weight should consume fewer calories than they expend, while those looking to gain muscle mass should increase calories.
3. Decide Your Ideal Macronutrient Breakdown
After determining how many calories to consume daily, the next step is to decide what macronutrient ratio works best for you.
Typical macronutrient recommendations are as follows
Carbs: 45%–65% of total calories
Fats: 20%–35% of total calories
Proteins: 10%–35% of total calories
Keep in mind that these recommendations may not fit your specific needs. Your ratio can be fine-tuned to achieve particular objectives. For example, a person who wants to obtain better blood sugar control and lose excess body fat may excel on a meal plan consisting of 35% carbs, 30% fat, and 35% protein. Someone pursuing a ketogenic diet would need much more fat and fewer carbs, while an endurance athlete may need a higher carb intake. As you can see, macronutrient ratios can vary depending on dietary preferences, weight loss goals, and other factors.
4. Track Your Macros and Calorie Intake
Next, it’s time to start tracking your macros. Tracking macros simply means logging your foods on a website, app, or food journal. The most convenient way to track macros may be through a nutrition app like Diet AI. These apps are user-friendly and specifically designed to simplify tracking macros. In addition, a digital food scale may help you track your macros—though it isn’t necessary.
If you invest in one, weigh each food item you eat before logging it into your app of choice. Several apps feature a barcode scanner that automatically inputs a serving of scanned food into your macro log. You can also hand-write macros into a physical journal. The method depends on your individual preference. Remember that it’s not necessary to hit your macro targets exactly. You can still meet your goals even if you go a few grams over or under each day.
5. Counting Example
Here’s an example of calculating macronutrients for a 2,000-calorie diet consisting of 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.
Carbs: 4 calories per g 40% of 2,000 calories = 800 calories of carbs per day Total g of carbs allowed per day = 800/4 = 200 g
Proteins: 4 calories per g 30% of 2,000 calories = 600 calories of protein per day Total grams of protein allowed per day = 600/4 = 150 g
Fats: 9 calories per g 30% of 2,000 calories = 600 calories of protein per day Total grams of fat allowed per day = 600/9 = 67 g
In this scenario, your ideal daily intake would be 200 g of carbs, 150 g of protein, and 67 g of fat.
12 Best Macro Tracking Apps
1. DietAI
DietAI transforms calorie tracking with its innovative AI technology. Simply snap a photo of your meal, and the app instantly recognizes your food to deliver accurate macro and calorie information without tedious manual logging. The app also offers personalized nutrition insights tailored to your unique goals and comprehensive progress tracking to help you get where you want to be. With DietAI, eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling makes tracking your calories and macros easier.
2. MacroFactor
MacroFactor is an outstanding app for tracking macros. Designed by nutritionists, this app goes far beyond simple macro counting to provide actionable insights to help you efficiently reach your goals. What makes MacroFactor unique is its science-backed algorithms that adjust to your progress. Instead of manually adjusting your macros as you lose weight or change your body composition, MacroFactor automatically updates your targets based on your inputs. This makes it an excellent choice for anyone looking for a more innovative, data-driven way to track macros.
Pros
Automatically adjusts macros based on your actual results.
Focuses on long-term sustainability, not crash dieting.
It has an excellent user interface with a clean, modern design.
It integrates with fitness trackers for accurate calorie burn estimates.
Cons
It's free for only 7 days.
3. MyMacros+
MyMacros+ is the first paid-only macro-tracking app on our list. However, it’s a one-off payment of $2.99, so it’s hardly breaking the bank! This provides access to the 5 million food items database and a barcode and label scanner. The app is straightforward and includes an Apple Watch version, allowing you to track things on the move. You can add your recipes based on ingredient macros or include information available on labels. This makes it quick and easy to track your macros throughout the day.
The Pro version costs $1.99 a month, which gives you access to deeper data analysis and diet summary. The Macro Coach option ($9.99 monthly) tracks your weekly targets for better progress analysis. MyMacros+ is perhaps not the best option for newbies, as it’s helpful to have some starting information. But if this is you, it’s a great way to level up your macro tracking.
Pros
Despite being paid-only, the app offers lots of good features for the price
Comprehensive options for tracking macros and diet goals
The Apple Watch app is a nice addition
Macros Inc. verified entries within the food database
Cons
Can be more time-consuming to learn
4. Macro Sync
Macro Sync is an entirely free macro tracking app designed by Macros Sync’s experts, leaders in nutrition coaching. Unlike many competitors that charge for premium features, everything in Macro Sync is free—including tools that other apps lock behind a paywall. With Macro Sync, you gain access to verified food entries, a barcode scanner for easy tracking, and the ability to set custom goals.
It’s a simple, user-friendly app that helps you track your macros, create personalized goals, and measure your progress. The app is updated regularly based on user feedback, ensuring it remains responsive to the community’s needs. While it’s still growing and the database isn’t massive, Macro Sync’s development is fast-paced, with more entries regularly added. Macro Sync offers a fantastic solution backed by a trusted name in the industry for anyone looking to level up their nutrition tracking without hidden fees.
Pros
Completely free with premium-level features
Easy to use and customizable
Integrated barcode scanner for quick tracking
Verified entries by Macro Sync for accuracy
Community support and constant updates
Net carb tracking options for low-carb diets
Cons
The database is still expanding, but more entries are being added frequently
5. 1st Phorm App
The 1st Phorm App is such a dynamic app. I recommend it strongly for busy people who don't have time to piece together a custom diet plan on their own because it puts an entire weight-loss ecosystem at your fingertips with a catalog of passive and interactive features. You'll track apps, plan a personalized meal plan, follow along with all the best workouts, and get guidance from an advisor. Let's start with meal planning. This app allows you to select a custom macro plan based on your goals and lifestyle.
Your barcode scanner is connected to the world's largest database of food! You can also save custom meals that you like for easy tracking. The workouts alone make this app worth its weight in gold. You're tapping into EMOM interval training, cross training/functional fitness, strength training, traditional workouts, weight-loss workouts, and workouts tailored for home exercise. Your workouts are customized for tailored results.
There's even a visual progress tracker that keeps you motivated. The thing that ties it all together to make this app such a powerful tool for success is direct, personalized access to your TransPHORMation advisor. Get direct support for any questions at any point of your journey. You're also getting encouragement, support, and knowledge to help you see incredible progress from daily livestreams from registered dietitians and NASM-certified nutrition specialists. You can also join your fellow macro counters in competitions with opportunities to win up to $50,000.
Pros
It makes planning a custom meal plan so easy.
You're tapped into the largest food database in the world. Just scan food to get information on practically anything!
Incredible selection of cutting-edge relevant workouts for every type of fitness goal.
You can message advisors directly.
Livestreams are packed with helpful information.
You can customize your experience every step of the way.
I love the community aspect of the optional competitions.
Cons
While I love the weekly assessment, I'd love it if it went a little deeper because it's so valuable.
6. MyNetDiary
With more than 18 million members worldwide and a high user rating (4.8 out of 5 on Apple's App Store and 4.7 out of 5 on Google Play), MyNetDiary labels itself as a digital diet "assistant" for weight loss. The app contains more than 1,470,000 verified foods in its database and claims to require fewer steps than other apps to log foods. After assessing weight, age, and height, the app provides users with a daily calorie budget and the choice of either a weekly weight-loss rate or a target date. Users can customize their dashboards to suit their needs, whichever option is selected. One service offered is an easy-to-understand graph that breaks down macronutrient targets.
(Macronutrient percentages, however, are available only on the paid version.) The app also provides users personalized tips and advice, such as checking in to see if hydration needs are met. You can opt for the free subscription service with ads and pop-ups or upgrade to the premium service, which offers an ad-free experience and access to recipes for multiple food regimens, including low-carb, vegan, Mediterranean, and high-protein diets.
Pros
Free version includes lots of features
Pro
Large database of foods
Cons
Need to upgrade to a paid version if you want to count macronutrients
7. MacrosFirst App
MacrosFirst app is one of the easiest, most simplistic macro trackers, but it contains some of the most influential and intuitive features. The best part? It offers some of the most coveted macro tracking app features for free! While MacrosFirst provides a paid version of its app, it gives so much value in its free app that thousands of macro trackers have switched to MacrosFirst and are unlikely to return.
The most significant pain points are tedious macro math, back-and-forth serving size adjustments, and manually entering foods into the database. MacrosFirst tackles both of these problems in the free version of the app by offering the ability to auto-calculate food portions based on your macros. This means no more macro math and adjusting portions endlessly to get them to fit your macros. This feature is exclusive to MacrosFirst and makes tracking exponentially easier. Furthermore, they have a Smart Label Scanner that instantly scans your nutrition label and automatically populates the nutrition information in the app for you – no more manual entries!
These features and benefits are unheard of on other free apps, making this the best free and premium app on the market. Of course, if you’re willing to shell out a few extra bucks each month to upgrade to the app's premium version, you’ll enjoy even more benefits, like the ability to adjust your macros by the day. So for those who like to carb cycle or utilize high/low-calorie days, the app's premium version makes it a breeze to customize your macros in many ways, making it well worth the upgrade.
Pros
Simple, clean interface that’s easy to use
Not bloated with ads and extras
Auto-calculate food portions based on your macros
A great database of foods that’s ever-expanding
Free premium scanning tool that auto-populates nutrition information for you
Ability to edit your daily goals based on your macro needs (with the paid version)
Very low monthly cost for the paid version of the app
Cons
It’s not fully integrated with all fitness trackers yet
There’s no body weight tracking option yet, but it's coming soon!
8. MyFitnessPal
MyFitnessPal is a free app on Android and iOS, but it also has a website you can use. It has a library of 18 million foods, which is pretty impressive. As such, you won’t find it challenging to add in any meal you can think of! The app is easy to use and lets you set goals, add recipes, and monitor other essential factors. You can do all this in the free version, but the paid version costs $79.99 a year when paid in full. The Premium version offers extras such as barcode and meal scanning, custom tracking, and individual ingredient macros. While these aren’t necessary for every diet plan, they’re helpful extras if you’re happy to pay the money.
Pros
Super easy to use
The free version offers pretty much everything you need
The included database is huge
Cons
Extensive databases can often be inaccurate
9. LoseIt!
LoseIt! focuses on weight loss rather than other diet plan goals. As such, it tracks metrics like water consumption, exercise, and macro tracking. If you want an all-in-one location specifically for weight loss, it’s a great option. The base app is free, but a Premium version costs $39.99 annually. The free option provides macro tracking, goal-setting metrics, and an extensive food database. You also get a barcode scanner and food suggestions. The Premium version offers device and app syncing, food insights, workout plans, and personalized goals. It’s a reasonable price to pay for these features, especially if you’re new to weight loss and don’t know how to start. Of course, if you have some experience, you likely won’t need them.
Pros
Food database includes everyday restaurant items
The free option offers a good weight loss management platform
Provides a holistic approach to weight loss
Cons
Setting up and tracking all the metrics can be time-consuming
10. Cronometer
Do you like setting goals and look forward to working towards them? Then, get this app to track macros. This is great if you want to set weekly goals and keep check of your caloric intake. It has the potential to be your following app to track macros. Cronometer is designed for people who are very serious about their nutrition and health-tracking game. Do you want detailed reports including calories, macros, vitamins, and minerals?
Then this is the app for you. Cronometer features a wide variety of food databases with detailed nutrient tracking. You can set highly customizable goals and get detailed nutritional reports. It syncs with various health devices and apps to give you a 360-degree view of your well-being—these set features are compatible with all systems, which makes it the best app for tracking macros.
Pros
Detailed nutrient tracking, including vitamins and minerals
Highly customizable goals
Syncs with many fitness devices and apps
Comprehensive food database
Cons
Interface can be complex for new users
Some features are behind a paywall
11. Food & Macro Tracker By Fittur
Food & Macro Tracker by Fittur is a next-generation app that takes you far away from the outdated “spreadsheet” style of tracking macros. This intuitive next-generation tracker updates your macro targets in real time as your body composition changes. You can make good food and exercise decisions based on personalized data. You watch food get subtracted from your macro targets as you eat. The app even adjusts for serving size.
This user-friendly app has simple displays, finger-swipe controls, and automatic calculations. You can also plan your day's worth of meals in minutes. With this app, you're not just tracking macros. There are custom trackers for special health considerations. I love that Fittur lets you keep an accurate whole-health picture by providing a recipe macro calculator, water tracker, and intermittent fasting timer. You're also getting macro customization, a macro statistics tracker, weight charts, and more. This app even has unique settings for tracking pregnancy and breastfeeding macros. In addition, it builds in diabetes-management tools. If you share your fitness journey with others, you can encourage them to download the same food-sharing app with friends and family.
Pros
Streamlined and intuitive interface and features.
Lets you track macros for different stages of life, personal goals, and special health considerations.
You can share food with friends and family.
Cons
More complicated to use if you're basing your diet goals on BMI because it uses a proprietary system that considers personal stats.
12. WW
WW (formerly Weight Watchers) has nearly 5 million members and is considered by many to be the gold standard of weight management. Science is a driving factor behind everything the company does, and its approach to nutrition and health involves four pillars of wellness that can influence weight and overall health: food, activity, mindset, and sleep. WW's personalized points program assigns each individual a daily allotment of points (which takes weight, height, and age into account). It incorporates a survey to identify which zero-point foods can fit into the plan. (For example, most lean proteins, non-starchy vegetables, and fruits can be zero points if you identified these choices in the survey as foods you consume most often during the week.)
To help educate members on making healthier food choices, foods with added sugar and saturated fat are higher in points. In contrast, foods with higher protein, fiber, and unsaturated fat are lower. The app contains an easy-to-use barcode scanner; if a food isn't in its database, the scanner can provide entries logged by other WW members. You can also create and build your recipes. While the app encourages consuming more fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods instead of processed foods, just be aware that some users may find the point-based system limiting and tedious.
Pros
Strong community support
Scientific, holistic approach
Easy-to-use barcode scanner
Cons
A points-based system may be tedious for some
How to Choose the Best Macro Tracking App
1. Look for a Dashboard That Encourages Tracking Consistency
When you open a macro tracking app, the dashboard is first seen. This should instantly showcase your progress and provide insightful analytics into your dietary journey. The right dashboard design will engage you with results right off the bat. Results come from consistently tracking for weeks to months, so a user-friendly and motivational dashboard you enjoy interacting with will help ensure you keep engaging with the app long enough to see those results. Specifically, look for features such as:
Progress charts
Graphs and charts that show your result trends over time.
Summaries
A snapshot of your macro intake over time.
Customizable widgets
The ability to personalize your dashboard with metrics that matter most to your goals. The navigational design should also help you review your goals and manage your nutritional intake, keeping you motivated and on track with your objectives. The right app should feature a thoughtful design that lets you quickly assess your daily nutrition and make informed decisions about your goals.
2. A Vast and Accurate Food Database is Essential
A critical factor is the accuracy of the food database. A food database collects nutritional information about various foods, including their calorie and macronutrient content. You should choose an app with an extensive, well-researched, and vetted database that includes common foods you eat regularly. The size of a database isn’t as important as its credibility, meaning the foods you find in the app should have accurate calorie and macronutrient information. The app should also have a search function that helps you quickly find almost all your food choices. The nutritional information for each food item should be displayed in an easy-to-read format to simplify fast logging.
3. Efficient Calorie and Macro Logging Means Less Time Tracking
Logging food is rarely the best part of anyone’s day, so the faster and more accurately you can do it, the better. Efficient logging reduces friction and makes it easier to integrate tracking into your daily routine for the weeks or months it takes to reach your goals. Choose an app that uses the most efficient logging workflow to ease the process. The goal should be to prioritize convenience, making regular tracking hassle-free. Any solid macro tracking app will include these options to ensure users have a quick and easy food logging experience.
4. Flexible Macro and Calorie Goals Keep You on Track
One of the most significant barriers to success in weight management is adherence. If dietary requirements are too rigid or not flexible enough, users may struggle to stick with their diet. A high-quality macro tracker app should allow flexibility in setting goals to lose body fat, gain muscle, or maintain weight, specifying the pace at which you want to achieve these goals while providing evidence-based research to support your decisions.
In addition to macro customization, users might need flexibility in their daily calorie allotment. Some days, you might need more calories due to increased activity levels, or you may prefer more calories on the weekends when spending time with friends or family. MacroFactor can adjust calories to distribute them on the days you select, allowing you to tailor your weight loss, maintenance, or bulking program to fit your needs. Individualized options for activity levels and calorie distribution ensure that your macro tracker app works with your lifestyle, helping you stay on track and achieve your goals more effectively.
5. A Dynamic Energy Expenditure Calculator is Key to Macro Tracking Success
Your body’s energy needs determine your daily macronutrient allowance. The amount of food you need is based on your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) — essentially, the number of calories you burn daily. This includes all the variables that contribute to how your body uses energy.
What Is DietAI?
DietAI transforms calorie counting with our AI calorie counting app. Take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
Related Reading
• Low Carb Macros
• Macro Foods
• Macro Ratio for Muscle Gain
• Best Macros for Fat Loss
• 40 30 30 Diet
• Macro Split for Cutting
• Macro Ratios
Download DietAI Today for 80% Off!
DietAI is a cutting-edge app that transforms how we track macros and calories. This innovative technology uses artificial intelligence to eliminate the tediousness of counting calories—no more manual logging, searching for foods, or guessing portion sizes. With DietAI, you simply take a picture of your food, and our app instantly analyzes your meals from a simple photo, delivering accurate calorie and macro information without manual logging. Beyond photo recognition, the app provides comprehensive progress tracking, personalized nutrition insights tailored to your goals, and convenient barcode scanning for packaged foods.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a balanced diet, DietAI makes nutrition tracking effortless by eliminating the tedious aspects of traditional food journaling. Download now to effortlessly track your calories and macros with DietAI, the AI-powered app that makes logging meals as simple as snapping a photo. Download today for 80% off!
Related Reading
• MyFitnessPal Alternatives
• Macros for Dummies
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