SmartPlate: The Meal Tracker Transforming Weight And Nutrition Management

I used to be someone who obsessively counted calories yet had no idea what true nutrition was and what my body needed – and I had no way of calculating any of this. After all, it’s far easier to just count calories than calculate and track all of your proteins, carbs, sodium, etc individually! Fortunately, now we are spared the agony of old-school meal/nutrition planning that existed before meal tracking technology existed.

One product on my radar is the SmartPlate, which is going to revolutionize the way weight management and special nutrition needs are approached. The SmartPlate is the genius invention of Anthony Ortiz, Founder of Fitly. Given that Fitly is the very first meal-kit delivery service for those with specific health problems such as diabetes and hypertension, it only seems natural that SmartPlate followed in its health-conscious footsteps.

SmartPlate is the first high-tech plate that can instantly track and analyze anything and everything you put on it – making it so much more accurate and easier than apps that require you to manually enter every little thing you eat. It’s also a much faster and practical way to measure what’s going into your body than to painstakingly calculate serving sizes with scales or measuring tools. How does it work? Watch SmartPlate’s Kickstarter video and prepare to be blown away:

The SmartPlate has three different sections that are equipped with tiny embedded cameras and sensors that use image recognition and the weight information from the USDA’s 8,000-item database to calculate nutrition information. The database can even identify meals from restaurants – filling a void that many other meal trackers have failed to provide. The cameras are able to identify everything sitting on its surface from single foods to mixed foods like salads, spaghetti with meatballs, and even rice pilaf. This technology can even recognize regular pasta from whole-wheat!

Getting the plate’s information couldn’t be more convenient – you can read all the measurements right on SmartPlate’s free app. Besides the fact that the mechanics of the plate are beyond impressive, the thing I find particularly exciting about SmartPlate is the benefit there could be for someone who has difficulty with food and portions – such as someone recovering from an eating disorder. Those who struggle with food, whether they are anorexic, bulimic, a binge eater or someone who has a habit of restricting calories, require very specific nutrition and weight management programs to keep them healthy and fit their recovery or maintenance dietary needs. It could even be extremely beneficial for a habitual crash or yo-yo dieter, who will be able to use SmartPlate’s nutritional advice to reach his or her weight goals in a much safer, more balanced and calculated manner.

The SmartPlate is not only able to keep a growing good diary, but it can make recommendations that are adjusted to the owner’s goals. This would be amazing for an anorexia survivor who is no longer receiving treatment but wants to keep making progress in weight gain or correcting vitamin deficiencies. The plate can even notify the user if they’re eating too quickly – which can be very informative for someone who is binging. The SmartPlate can help create a self-awareness that no tracker has been able to before, allowing the user a closer look at their habits, patterns and providing feedback that leaves them empowered to make adjustments for their health.

It’s an entirely new way to look at food, and I can see great benefit for not only individual use, but in organizations such as eating disorder centers where meal planning and programming a patient’s mind to address food differently are a huge part of recovery programs. Needless to say, I’m very excited for these SmartPlates and can’t wait to see the impact they will have. If you’re interested in learning more, visit SmartPlate’s Kickstarter page for more info!

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About The Author

Patricia Colli, Editor of Beutiful Magazine, is a human rights activist, equality advocate, and promoter of health, acceptance and wellbeing. Having experienced disordered eating, unhealthy exercise patterns and poor body image, she is especially passionate about shedding light on eating disorders and the power of body acceptance.