When hearing the term “nutrition tracking” I bet you automatically think of calorie counting and restriction, right?

You’re not alone! It feels like this topic is divided between energy tracking enthusiasts shouting “Eat this to lose 10 kg in a week!”, and sceptics replying “Calorie counting does not work!”. It’s depicted either as a magic fix or the ultimate villain.

At Nutriely, we believe this is a very reductionist way of looking at food. So, instead of telling you what to do, we want to show you what we think nutrition tracking is about.

Before we start, it’s important to understand that all food - whether it’s an apple, a slice of bread, or bowl of pasta - is made up of a vast amount of components. And yes, calories is a part of that nutrition profile; however, there is a whole story of minerals, vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, and other components within your food.

We won’t go full biochemist on you here, but if you are curious about learning more, check out our Components page to discover what your food is made of.

Counting calories

Yes, food gives your energy (aka kcal or calories). There is a supposed range of number of calories that each person can eat to either lose weight, maintain it, or gain it. Tracking your diet can help you determine what is your current energy intake, and where you show move on to in the future.

Many will slam back with “But you can never know exactly how much you ate!” True! Energy tracking isn’t a perfect science, but it can be a handy tool to use. We have written about this before, and if you want to hear our take on why we still think it’s worth the effort, read our article here.

Sea of nutrients

You’ve probably heard of terms like ”carbs”, “protein”, and “fat”. These are what we call macronutrients. They provide your body with energy and are involved in other vital functions of our bodies. Then there are also minerals and vitamins (micronutrients as we call them), which don’t provide you with energy, but instead are responsible for your body to run like a well-oiled machine.

Most of these nutrients have what is know as Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) - a daily target to reach. How can you know that you are reaching your RDI’s? Well, for some, people their diet is already balanced well enough to consume everything that is needed. But some people unknowingly miss out on key nutrients until symptoms like fatigue or hair loss show up.

So why not be proactive,? Track your nutrition intake for a couple of weeks to see whether there are any gaps to be filled.

Crushing specific goals

Sometimes you might have a specific goal and thus nutritional requirements that you should meet. Be it energy, protein, or iron intake that you cannot just “eyeball” for precision. A bodybuilder hitting a protein goal to support muscle growth. A person struggling with low iron, needing to increase iron intake to improve his/her iron levels.

In cases like these, nutrition tracking helps you see the big picture, tweak your diet, and make progress towards your goals - all while supporting your long-term health.

Understanding what you eat

After tracking for a while, you already know how to tweak portion sizes, recipes, and meals to meet your personal goals. Notice that you’re constantly missing vitamin A in your diet? Add a carrot to your stir-fries. Low on calcium? Add some almond butter to your toast. Over time, these tweaks become habits that you don’t even think about, ensuring effortless health benefits.

Giving snacks a good rep

Oftentimes, products like snacks and sweets are demonized, even categorically banned from peoples’ diets. That might backfire, leading to an “all or nothing” mindset: “I’ve already ruined my diet with this cookie, so I’ll eat the whole box and start again tomorrow!” Instead, by using nutrition tracking, it is possible to see how these types of products can fit your goals, giving you more of a nutritional freedom and letting you enjoy your snack times guilt free.

Food is more than energy

We’ve mentioned only a couple of ways how nutrition tracking might help a person. Hopefully, you see that food is more than just kcal you consume - it’s contains many essential nutrients and is deeply connected to your mental well-being and emotions. The nutrients you eat fuel your body, but the choices you make around food can also bring joy, comfort, and peace of mind.

Are we saying that you need to track forever? Of course not! But if, after reading this, you think that it could help you in some way, why not give it a go?

Yours truly,

Nutriely