What is an Electronic Calorie Counter?

An electronic calorie counter is a device that can be used to help track one’s daily nutritional intake. Individuals who are trying to lose weight may find it helpful to keep a record of food consumed each day. An electronic calorie counter can be a convenient and effective tool for tracking food intake, exercise, and weight.

Calorie counters vary widely with regard to available features and functions. Many of these devices provide a built-in database that provides nutritional information for servings of common foods. Along with providing information regarding fat and calorie content, a device may also list carbohydrates, fiber, protein, sodium, or other important information. The owner of the device can search the database for certain food items to learn about the nutritional content, or to add it to his or her daily food log.

Another function offered by an electronic calorie counter is the option of putting in information for specific foods that may not already be in the database. An owner may input the needed nutritional information for certain foods and save it for future use. This can be a helpful feature of the electronic calorie counter if a person regularly consumes a food item that is not available in the pre-programmed database.

In some cases, an electronic calorie counter allows the owner to set personalized goals for nutrition and weight. Because the device saves a record of prior daily information, it is easy to assess and track progress made toward one’s goals. Some calorie counters allow the owner to also keep track of daily fitness and exercise activities. This can be helpful for an individual to get a concrete idea of how often and intensely he or she actually exercises. The ability to track activity and progress may be helpful in providing ongoing motivation for weight loss.

Many calorie counters are portable, hand-held devices. This offers a convenient way to continue to track one’s food intake and activity even while out of the house. Most counters are small enough that they could be easily carried in a handbag or briefcase.

The price for an electronic calorie counter varies greatly depending upon brand and functionality. Some brands offer the option of connecting the counter to a computer and downloading reports and charts detailing intake and activity. Other brands can be worn on the owner’s body and function much like a pedometer, keeping track of actual motion and steps. There are many options to consider when looking for an electronic calorie counter, but even the most basic of the devices could be helpful for individuals looking to monitor nutritional intake and exercise.