The Best Little Known Online Nutritional Analysis Site

As a Personal Trainer with an additional credential as a Certified Sports Nutritionist, I am frequently asked by clients how much they should eat, and what to eat. I generally hesitate to create meal plans for them, since I don’t feel that I am doing my best by doing so. I would rather teach how to eat properly, and therefore give clients the skills they need to achieve their goals and maintain them over their lifetime. Plus, they will have much more variety, preventing the feeling of boredom or burnout with a diet regimen. However, if making a meal plan is a shorter way to this end (and I believe it can be in some situations), I am happy to help– so I will post more and more meal plans in a folder on this blog site.

In order to help me when I am trying to teach people how to eat properly, I like to ask them to analyze what they eat. That way, they choose the foods and eat according to their likes and dislikes. They stay in control. So, I ask them to enter their foods into an online nutritional analysis source, and I review it with them and make any changes we can. I recently reviewed a few of my favorite sites in order to pick one I thought was the best. I have a favorite, by far.

A little-known site (at least, I have never met someone who had heard of it before I mentioned it) that is the top pick, in my opinion, is Cron-O-Meter. Hands down. I compared other sites, such as MyFitnessPal, SparkPeople, Self Magazine’s version, ChooseMyPlate, etc. Cron-O-Meter has the most nutrients included, so it gives you the most information. I admit it, entering foods into a program like this can be tedious and time consuming (thus the desire, I think, for me to create meal plans), but I think it is well worth it in the end. And, since you are putting in the time to do it, you might as well get all of the information– why do it and not realize that you are lacking in B vitamins, for example, and then wonder why you exercise and eat healthy but still feel run down and out of energy? The time it takes to enter your foods on Cron-O-Meter isn’t overbearing, either– it is very user-friendly. It has lots of brand name foods already in there, not to mention restaurants, and it is easy to navigate.

The best part about Cron-O-Meter: It’s Free!!

There are different levels of subscription to Cron-O-Meter, but the free version is great, and I see no need to upgrade.

So, if you want some nutritional assistance, I suggest going to Cron-O-Meter, entering your food intake for a few days in a row, and then do it occasionally after that. I don’t recommend doing it too often– please don’t get obsessed about counting every calorie!– but not too infrequently either, since it is easy for portion sizes to gradually creep up so you don’t realize it is happening, and suddenly you have gained weight but feel as though you have been eating the same…

If you try it and have a daily intake where most nutrients are near intake levels of 100%, please share!

Hope this helps you *enjoy* a healthy lifestyle!

—Jacky 🙂

 

1800 Calorie Meal Plan with Salmon

Breakfast:

1 Cup Greek Yogurt (I used non-fat for this analysis) mixed with:

0.5 cup raisins

12 almonds

0.5 tsp cinnamon

0.5 cup vanilla almond granola

Lunch:

Panera Bread brand Roasted Turkey and Avocado BLT sandwich

Dinner:

Using this recipe, but with much more of the mushroom/spinach/quinoa pilaf for one serving, since that is more realistic, I believe: Salmon Recipe

Plus, a Pamela’s Gluten-Free Oat Chocolate Chip Coconut Bar for dessert. 🙂

 

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 1807

Carbs: 225 grams (47% of intake)

Protein: 109 grams (24% of intake)

Fat: 55 grams (28% of intake)

At least 100% of the recommended intake for all of the following nutrients: Vitamins B12, B2, B3, B6, Folate, A, K, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, and Selenium. At least 80% of the recommended intake for: Vitamins B1, B5, E, Sodium, and Zinc. At least 50% of the recommended intake for Vitamins C and D, and Potassium. No nutrient is at a level less than 50% other than Omega-6s (at 44%).