A warm personal blog about nutrition, healthy habits, real meals and the tools that help me stick with them. Written by Hannah Caldwell since 2020.https://thenutritiondiary.com/en-ushttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-best-calorie-counting-app-in-2026/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-best-calorie-counting-app-in-2026/After six years of starting and quitting food logging, I've finally landed on an app I stick with. Here's my honest, lived-in take on the calorie counters worth your time.Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTreviewscalorie countingappsfood trackingplatelensmyfitnesspalhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/best-calorie-counter-apps-2026-reviews/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/best-calorie-counter-apps-2026-reviews/My honest 2026 reviews of the best calorie counter apps after actually living with MacroFactor, Cronometer, MyFitnessPal and PlateLens. The short version: PlateLens is the one I kept.Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTreviewscalorie counter appsreviewsmacrofactorcronometermyfitnesspalplatelenshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/best-calorie-tracking-app-after-testing-5-most-popular/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/best-calorie-tracking-app-after-testing-5-most-popular/I spent a month logging the same meals across the five most recommended calorie apps. The TL;DR: PlateLens was the only one I didn't quit — here's the full story.Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTreviewscalorie trackingapp comparisonplatelensmyfitnesspalcronometermacrofactorhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/free-calorie-tracking-apps-no-subscription/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/free-calorie-tracking-apps-no-subscription/Most 'free' calorie apps are really free trials in disguise. Here are the ones whose free tier is genuinely enough to use — and the one I landed on.Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolsfree appscalorie trackingno subscriptionbudgetplatelenshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-emotional-side-of-the-scale-nobody-talks-about/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-emotional-side-of-the-scale-nobody-talks-about/Losing weight was never just about food for me. It stirred up old feelings about my body and my worth that no meal plan ever addressed. Here's the honest version.Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight lossemotionsbody imagemindsethttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/tracking-without-letting-it-take-over/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/tracking-without-letting-it-take-over/There's a line between tracking that helps you and tracking that quietly runs you. Here's how I tell the difference, and how I know when it's time to stop.Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitstrackingbalancewhen to stophttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-day-i-stopped-sorting-food-into-good-and-bad/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-day-i-stopped-sorting-food-into-good-and-bad/For years I split every food into two piles: allowed and forbidden. Here's how dropping that one habit did more for my eating than any rule ever did.Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicsfood rulesnutrition basicshabitsmindsethttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/why-consistency-beats-perfection-for-me/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/why-consistency-beats-perfection-for-me/Every time I aimed for perfect, I lasted about a week. The boring, forgiving, good-enough version is the only thing that's ever actually carried me through a year.Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitsconsistencymindsethttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-creamy-tomato-soup-i-make-from-a-few-tins/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-creamy-tomato-soup-i-make-from-a-few-tins/Better than anything from a carton, made from store-cupboard tins in under half an hour. My simple roasted-tomato soup and the trick that makes it taste rich without cream.Sun, 09 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipessouppantryeasyvegetarianhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/photo-logging-vs-typing-it-all-in/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/photo-logging-vs-typing-it-all-in/I've logged my meals both by typing every ingredient and by snapping a photo. Each has a place, and after a lot of meals I've settled into using both on purpose.Thu, 30 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolsphoto loggingmanual entrytrackinglogging tipshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-stopped-fearing-fat/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-stopped-fearing-fat/I spent the low-fat years afraid of avocados and nuts. Here's what I came to understand about healthy fats once I stopped treating the whole group as the enemy.Mon, 06 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicshealthy fatsfatsnutrition basicswhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/food-logging-finally-became-effortless/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/food-logging-finally-became-effortless/I quit food tracking more times than I can count. What finally made it stick wasn't discipline — it was getting the effort low enough that there was nothing to quit.Sat, 23 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolsfood trackinghabitsphoto loggingwhat changedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-day-i-realized-maintenance-was-the-real-goal/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-day-i-realized-maintenance-was-the-real-goal/I spent years treating losing weight as the finish line. Learning to see maintenance as the actual destination quietly changed how I do everything.Sat, 09 Aug 2025 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight lossmaintenancemindsetwhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/grocery-shopping-with-a-plan-changed-how-i-eat/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/grocery-shopping-with-a-plan-changed-how-i-eat/I used to wander the aisles and come home with random things and no actual meals. A short list and a few simple habits turned that around more than any diet ever did.Wed, 30 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitsgrocery shoppingplanninghttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/high-protein-snacks-i-actually-keep-around/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/high-protein-snacks-i-actually-keep-around/Not an aspirational list — these are the real, slightly boring snacks that live in my fridge and stop me raiding the biscuit tin at 4pm.Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMTrecipesproteinsnacksmeal prepeveryday eatinghttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/sugar-vs-added-sugar/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/sugar-vs-added-sugar/I used to lump all sugar together and feel guilty about fruit. Here's the simple distinction that finally let me relax about some sugars and pay attention to others.Tue, 11 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicssugaradded sugarnutrition basicswhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-got-back-on-track-after-regaining/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-got-back-on-track-after-regaining/A hard winter undid a chunk of my progress, and the old me would have given up entirely. Here's how I came back without the spiral of shame that used to sink me.Mon, 10 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight losssetbacksregainingmindsethttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/setting-up-a-tracking-app-the-first-time/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/setting-up-a-tracking-app-the-first-time/The first time you open a food tracking app it throws a wall of settings and goals at you. Here's how I'd set one up now to actually stick with it past week one.Thu, 16 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolstrackinggetting startedappssetuphttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-handle-holidays-and-travel-without-the-guilt/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-handle-holidays-and-travel-without-the-guilt/Trips and holidays used to wreck both my routine and my head. Here's the relaxed approach that lets me enjoy them now and slide back into normal afterwards.Thu, 19 Dec 2024 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitstravelholidayshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-stopped-crash-dieting/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-stopped-crash-dieting/Four rounds of losing and regaining taught me that the diet was never the problem. Here's the unglamorous approach that finally held.Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight lossmaintenancecrash dietswhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-hydration-habit-that-actually-stuck/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-hydration-habit-that-actually-stuck/I knew I should drink more water. Knowing did nothing. Here's the small, slightly silly system that finally made hydration automatic instead of aspirational.Mon, 15 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicshydrationwaternutrition basicshabitshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-finally-made-fiber-click/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-finally-made-fiber-click/I spent years nodding along to 'eat more fiber' without really getting why. Here's the small mental shift that turned it from a chore into something automatic.Tue, 19 Mar 2024 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicsfiberdigestioneveryday eatingwhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/why-i-gave-up-the-cheat-day/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/why-i-gave-up-the-cheat-day/Cheat days felt like freedom, but they were quietly keeping me stuck in a punishing cycle. Here's why I dropped the framing entirely and what changed.Thu, 29 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight losscheat daysmindsethabitshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/logging-homemade-meals-without-losing-my-mind/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/logging-homemade-meals-without-losing-my-mind/Tracking a recipe you cooked from scratch sounds like a nightmare of weighing every ingredient. Here's the shortcut-heavy way I do it that keeps me sane.Thu, 15 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolshomemade mealsrecipestrackinglogging tipshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-plan-the-weeks-meals-without-overthinking-it/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-plan-the-weeks-meals-without-overthinking-it/I'm not a spreadsheet person. My meal planning is loose, repetitive, and a bit lazy — which is exactly why it's the version that finally stuck.Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitsmeal planningweekly routinehttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-make-ahead-egg-muffins-i-grab-on-busy-mornings/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-make-ahead-egg-muffins-i-grab-on-busy-mornings/A tray of savoury egg muffins on a Sunday means a proper breakfast all week. Here's my method, the fillings I rotate, and how I stop them sticking.Tue, 16 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipesbreakfastmake aheadeggshigh proteinhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/my-lazy-weeknight-lentil-soup/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/my-lazy-weeknight-lentil-soup/One pot, pantry staples, barely any chopping. This is the soup I come back to when I'm tired, broke, or both — and it never lets me down.Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipeslentilsone potbudgethttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/judging-portion-sizes-by-eye/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/judging-portion-sizes-by-eye/I never wanted to weigh my food forever. Here's how I taught myself to eyeball reasonable portions using nothing but my own hands and a bit of practice.Wed, 30 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicsportion sizesnutrition basicshabitswhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-log-when-eating-out/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-log-when-eating-out/Restaurant meals used to blow up my whole tracking routine. Here's the relaxed, good-enough approach I use now so dinner out stays a pleasure, not a math problem.Fri, 21 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolseating outrestaurantstrackinglogging tipshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-i-learned-from-a-three-month-plateau/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-i-learned-from-a-three-month-plateau/The scale stopped moving and I nearly threw the whole thing in. Here's what was really going on, and how I waited it out without losing my mind.Thu, 22 Jun 2023 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight lossplateaupatiencewhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-breakfast-habit-that-changed-my-mornings/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-breakfast-habit-that-changed-my-mornings/I was a coffee-and-nothing person for years. The small breakfast I finally settled into didn't just feed me — it changed the whole shape of my day.Wed, 17 May 2023 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitsbreakfastmorning routinehttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-budget-roast-veg-traybake-i-live-on/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-budget-roast-veg-traybake-i-live-on/When money's tight and the fridge is sad, this is what I make. A cheap tray of roasted vegetables that turns into half a dozen different meals.Thu, 27 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipesbudgetroast vegetablesbatch cookingvegetarianhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-finally-started-reading-nutrition-labels/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-finally-started-reading-nutrition-labels/Nutrition labels used to be a wall of numbers I scanned and ignored. Here's the handful of things I actually look at now, and the rest I let go.Mon, 23 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicsnutrition labelsnutrition basicsgrocery shoppingwhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/slow-weight-loss-is-the-only-kind-that-stayed/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/slow-weight-loss-is-the-only-kind-that-stayed/I used to chase fast results and then watch them evaporate. The boring, slow version is the only one that ever actually lasted. Here's why I gave up on speed.Mon, 16 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight losspatiencesustainablewhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-i-do-when-i-forget-to-log/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-i-do-when-i-forget-to-log/For years a single forgotten meal would topple my whole tracking habit. Here's the small mental shift that turned forgetting from a crisis into a non-event.Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitstrackingconsistencyself-compassionhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-eat-out-without-derailing-everything/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-eat-out-without-derailing-everything/Restaurants used to feel like a trap I either avoided or 'gave up' to. Here's the calmer middle ground I found after a lot of overthinking.Sun, 02 Oct 2022 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitseating outbalancehttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-smoothie-that-finally-actually-fills-me-up/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-smoothie-that-finally-actually-fills-me-up/Most smoothies left me hungry an hour later. This is the one I rebuilt to keep me going all morning — and the four things I learned to always include.Mon, 11 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipessmoothiesbreakfasthigh proteinhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/protein-finally-explained-the-way-i-needed/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/protein-finally-explained-the-way-i-needed/Every protein article I read either treated me like a bodybuilder or a fool. Here's the plain-language version I wish I'd found when I was confused.Tue, 21 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicsproteinnutrition basicsmacroshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-sheet-pan-dinner-that-saved-my-weeknights/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-sheet-pan-dinner-that-saved-my-weeknights/One tray, one oven, almost no washing up. My go-to sausage, chickpea and vegetable traybake — and the small habits that make sheet-pan dinners actually work.Tue, 22 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipessheet pandinnereasyone panhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/weighing-vs-eyeballing-portions/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/weighing-vs-eyeballing-portions/I used to think you had to pick a side — weigh everything or guess everything. After years of tracking, I land somewhere messier and more livable in between.Sat, 19 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolsportionsfood scaleeyeballingtrackinghttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/why-i-stopped-weighing-myself-every-day/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/why-i-stopped-weighing-myself-every-day/The morning scale ritual was quietly running my whole mood. Here's what happened when I finally stepped off it — and what I do instead now.Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight lossscalehabitsmindsethttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/carbs-were-never-the-enemy/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/carbs-were-never-the-enemy/I cut carbs, feared bread, and felt awful doing it. Here's what I eventually understood about why carbs aren't the villain I'd made them out to be.Mon, 14 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicscarbsnutrition basicswhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-i-learned-about-my-late-night-snacking/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-i-learned-about-my-late-night-snacking/I assumed I had no willpower in the evenings. It turned out my late-night snacking was telling me something — I just hadn't been listening.Tue, 08 Feb 2022 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitssnackingevening routinehttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/my-high-protein-pasta-for-nights-i-want-comfort/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/my-high-protein-pasta-for-nights-i-want-comfort/Pasta I can eat on a busy week and still feel good after. A creamy, savoury bowl built around cottage cheese — yes, really — that comes together in one pan.Tue, 19 Oct 2021 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipespastahigh proteindinnerquickhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-two-habits-that-finally-stuck/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-two-habits-that-finally-stuck/I've abandoned more healthy habits than I can count. These are the only two that survived a real, messy, unglamorous year — and why I think they made it.Wed, 08 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitsconsistencyroutineshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/understanding-macros-without-obsessing/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/understanding-macros-without-obsessing/Macros sounded like something only gym people needed to care about. Here's how I got the gist without turning every meal into a spreadsheet.Wed, 08 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicsmacrosnutrition basicsproteincarbsfatshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/barcode-scanning-tips-that-saved-me-time/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/barcode-scanning-tips-that-saved-me-time/Scanning a barcode feels like the easy button for tracking, until you scan something and the numbers are clearly wrong. Here's how I make it actually reliable.Fri, 04 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolsbarcode scanningtrackinglogging tipstime savinghttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/eating-enough-protein-while-losing-weight/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/eating-enough-protein-while-losing-weight/The thing that made losing weight feel less like deprivation wasn't eating less — it was making sure I ate enough protein. Here's how I actually did it day to day.Tue, 27 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight lossproteinhungerhabitshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/meal-prep-on-the-days-i-cant-be-bothered/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/meal-prep-on-the-days-i-cant-be-bothered/Real meal prep, for me, isn't six matching containers on a sunny Sunday. It's the low-effort version I can pull off when motivation is nowhere to be found.Sun, 14 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitsmeal preplow motivationhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-big-pot-of-chili-i-batch-cook-every-month/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-big-pot-of-chili-i-batch-cook-every-month/One enormous pot, a freezer full of dinners, and a recipe I've tweaked for years. Here's my bean-heavy chili and exactly how I store it.Mon, 08 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipesbatch cookingchilifreezer mealsbeanshttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/do-you-actually-need-a-food-scale/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/do-you-actually-need-a-food-scale/I resisted buying a kitchen scale for ages, convinced it was overkill. Then I caved, and I have thoughts on who genuinely needs one and who really doesn't.Thu, 12 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMTtracking-toolsfood scaleportionsgetting startedtrackinghttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-mindset-shift-that-finally-made-it-click/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-mindset-shift-that-finally-made-it-click/For years I treated weight loss like a punishment I had to survive. The day I started treating it like something I was doing for myself, everything got easier.Thu, 12 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMTweight-lossweight lossmindsetwhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-a-calorie-actually-is/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/what-a-calorie-actually-is/For years I treated calories like little villains on a label. Here's the plain explanation that finally made the word feel useful instead of frightening.Thu, 12 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMTnutrition-basicscaloriesnutrition basicswhat I learnedhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-overnight-oats-i-stopped-skipping-breakfast-for/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/the-overnight-oats-i-stopped-skipping-breakfast-for/I was a chronic breakfast-skipper until I found a jar I actually looked forward to. Here's my no-fuss overnight oats, and the small tweaks that made them stick.Mon, 14 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMTrecipesrecipesbreakfastoatsmake aheadhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-finally-started-drinking-enough-water/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/how-i-finally-started-drinking-enough-water/I tried reminders, fancy bottles, and willpower. What actually worked was much dumber and much more reliable — and I wish I'd found it years sooner.Wed, 19 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMThabitshabitshydrationwaterhttps://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/why-i-started-tracking-what-i-eat/https://thenutritiondiary.com/posts/why-i-started-tracking-what-i-eat/The slightly embarrassing story of how I went from never thinking about food to writing down every single meal — and why it stuck.Sun, 12 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMThabitsfood journalgetting startedbeginnings