Assessment of the nutritional value and quality of diets offered in popular apps

People commonly use new technologies to promote a healthy lifestyle and help them lose weight through nutritional programs. This study evaluated the quality of individualized meal plans offered by dietary apps.

Ten apps that offer personalized meal plans were selected for the study, weekly meal plans were generated, and the nutritional values of the diets were calculated. The Healthy Diet Indicator and the Diet Quality Index were estimated.

Significant differences between apps were observed in the calculated energy values (p<0.0001) and macronutrients (p<0.05), the content of vitamins (vitamin A, E, K, B1, B3, B6, folates, C: p<0.05) and minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphor, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese: p<0.05), as well as diet quality (p<0.05) and food group consumption (vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy products, vegan products, meat, nuts, fats, sweets, beverages: p<0.05). Most diets covered the demand for the required nutrients, but the percentage of energy from fats, proteins and carbohydrates differed from the recommendations. Moreover, the nutritional values of the diets provided in the apps significantly differ from the values calculated using the nutritional databases.

The meal plans from apps significantly differ in nutrients and food group intake. The quality of the diets offered in the app should be improved.