Calcutter App Helps Count And Reduce Calories

To help people make informed, healthy choices when planning meals, the New York City Health Department launched Calcutter, a free app that calculates how many calories are in a dish and offers ways to reduce calories.

The app allows you to choose ingredients from a list of more than 400 ingredients to see their calorie counts — as determined by the United States Department of Agriculture — and enter how many servings of each ingredient is in the recipe. It then calculates the number of calories per serving and also suggests alternative ingredients and cooking methods to lower the calorie count. The department is working with celebrity chef and New York Times bestselling author Rocco DiSpirito to offer substitute low-calorie ingredients.

Studies show that most people, even trained dietitians, have a hard time estimating calorie counts. Calcutter is designed to help people do that and to promote healthier food choices.

The app is available for download on iPhone and Android devices here. A web-based version is available here.