Why Calorie Tracking Apps Can Be So Wrong (And How Simple Plan Fixes It)

If you’ve ever logged your food in MyFitnessPal, looked at the numbers, and thought:

“There’s no way this is right…”

…you’re not crazy.

A recent study on popular tracking apps found exactly what a lot of us have experienced for years: the numbers can be way off—even when you’re trying to be accurate.

Let’s break down why that happens, and how Simple Plan is built to remove most of that guesswork for you.

The Problem: Crowdsourced Data = Crowdsourced Errors

Apps like MyFitnessPal became popular because they’re easy to use and have huge food databases.

The downside?

Those databases are largely crowdsourced:

• Different users enter the same food multiple times

• Many entries are incomplete or flat-out wrong

• It’s not always clear which entry actually matches what’s on your plate

Even when you’re trying to do everything right, you end up staring at ten different entries for “chicken breast” or “rice bowl” and you’re forced to guess.

The study on MyFitnessPal and similar apps found:

• Large differences between what users logged and the reference data

• Inconsistency even when “verified” entries were used

• Sometimes hundreds of calories off per day

If you’re trying to lose fat, build muscle, or manage blood sugar, those errors aren’t just annoying—they can completely hide the progress you should be seeing.

Why This Feels So Frustrating in Real Life

Here’s what this looks like for most people:

1. You log every bite for a week

2. The app says you’re at “1,800 calories”

3. The scale doesn’t move, or moves in the wrong direction

4. You think “I must be the problem”

When in reality, a big part of the problem is that:

• The app’s database is wrong

• Labels on restaurant food are rough estimates

• Portions aren’t measured the way the logging entry assumes

So you end up doing a ton of work and still not knowing what’s actually going on.

How Simple Plan Solves a Big Chunk of This Problem

We can’t fix every food entry in MyFitnessPal…

But we can remove the guesswork for the meals we provide.

1. Standardized Recipes, Not Random Entries

Every Simple Plan meal is built from a locked recipe:

• We weigh ingredients

• We batch cook using the same method every time

• We portion using scales and scoops, not eyeballing

That means “Chicken Alfredo” isn’t 40 different versions created by 40 different people. It’s one recipe, made the same way every week in our kitchen.

2. Accurate Nutrition Calculations from Known Ingredients

Because our recipes are standardized, we can:

• Use verified ingredient data

• Calculate the full nutrition profile for the exact portions we use

• Apply that same data to every tray that leaves our kitchen

Is it perfect in the absolute, lab-measurement sense? No—and nothing is.

But it’s consistent and controlled, which is what your body and your long-term goals actually care about.

3. Clear Labels (So You Don’t Have to Guess in the App)

Every Simple Plan meal comes with a label that makes things idiot-proof:

• Calories per meal

• Protein, carbs, and fats

• Serving size = the entire tray (no “⅔ cup is one serving” games)

If you still like using an app, you can:

• Log “Simple Plan – [Meal Name]” once

• Save it as a custom food

• Reuse it every time you eat that meal

You’re no longer picking from ten random “chicken taco bowl” entries with wildly different numbers. You’re logging the exact thing you ate, with the same macros every time.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Consistency beats perfection.

If the same Simple Plan meal is:

• ~510 calories

• ~40g protein

• ~X carbs / ~Y fats

…then every time you eat it, your body is getting roughly that—not 300 calories one day and 700 the next because of bad data.

That consistency helps you:

• Actually learn what the right portions look and feel like

• See patterns in your weight, energy, and progress

• Adjust with confidence (“I’ll add or remove one meal/snack per day”) instead of guessing in the dark

What to Do If You Still Want to Track

If you like tracking—and many people do—here’s how to make it work better:

1. Use verified or label-based entries only

   
   

   • For packaged foods and Simple Plan meals, build your own entries from the label.

   
   

2. Reuse the same entries

   
   

   • Don’t pick a different “chicken breast” every day. Use the same one, or better yet, use Simple Plan meals where the numbers are fixed.

   
   

3. Focus on trends, not single days

   
   

   • Your body responds to patterns over time. Consistent data makes those patterns easier to see.

   
   

Simple Plan is designed to be the part of your diet you can trust—even if the rest of your food world is still a little messy.

The Bottom Line

Apps and food diaries are tools, not magic.

If the data going in is unreliable, the answers you get out will be unreliable too—no matter how disciplined you are.

By:

• Standardizing recipes

• Controlling portions

• Labeling everything clearly

…Simple Plan gives you real-world, ready-to-eat meals with numbers you can actually build a plan around.

That’s the whole point of what we do:

Take the guesswork out of your food, so you can stop obsessing over numbers and start actually living your life—with meals that support your goals instead of fighting them.

Reference Morello O, McPhee L, Kucab M, Bellissimo N, Totosy de Zepetnek JO. Reliability and Validity of Nutrient Assessment Applications for Canadian Endurance Athletes: MyFitnessPal and Cronometer. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics. 2025;38(5):e70148. doi:10.1111/jhn.70148.