App Happy

Hello all you Apple people! I thought I'd do a run down on some of the most popular (free) healthy eating apps that you might like to check out. So here we go...

1. AllRecipes Dinner Spinner: When it comes to recipe apps, few are as good as the Dinner Spinner. No need to search for recipes: this app lets you enter the foods you have or that you want to eat and then lists recipes to fit those preference

2. Fooducate: Scan the barcodes of products for a more comprehensible explanation of ingredients and product safety. As of 2011 the app was used for more than 10 million scans. The app also offers a grade for the product based on nutritional value

3. Harvest: Do you ever find yourself at the store trying to pick the best watermelon but feeling completely clueless about how to choose correctly? Cue the Harvest app! It gives instructions on how to pick the best of a wide variety of produce. It also gives storage instructions to preserve produce for the maximum amount of time.

4. Big Oven: Keep thousands of recipes and archive your own into your phone-pictures, grocery lists and all. As part of the app, you can enter what leftovers you have and get ideas for what to make. This app has received much praise from Newsweek, Time and even the New York Times, being downloaded more than 7 million times.

5. Real Simple Recipes: Not everyone wants to make a gourmet meal every time they cook. In fact, with a busy schedule and active kids, parents have a hard time cooking altogether. The Real Simple Recipes app lets you enter how much time and what ingredients you have and then gives you step-by-step instructions.

6. Grocery IQ: Grocery IQ represents the forefront of modern shopping. When you run out of something at home, simply scan the barcode with this pap and it will be added to your list. Then you can customize your shopping lists by store and e-mail lists to other people.

7. Compare Me: Few enjoy doing the math required to find out if 2.75 pounds of beet at #2.35/lb is cheaper than 3 lbs of chicken at $2.15/lb. Compare Me makes bargain shopping a breeze by doing the math.

8. Locavore: This app lets you enter your zip code to see what produce is in season in your area, allowing you to choose the freshest, most local foods. It's great for those wanting to support local farmers.

~What's your favorite app? Or for those who don't do the "app thing", what are your tricks for eating healthy and being efficient in the grocery store?