Ate Food Journal + Photo Diary Reviews

by SMKelsey

After YouFood ended, I was lost. I loved taking pics of my food to keep a journal, but at some point, I realized that habitually taking the photo just became habit and I always wished for more. So far, it seems that “Ate” has it. First, as simple s concept as it is, I love, love, love the on and off path option. Actively saying that I am “on path” is an motivator😇 that I did not anticipate. Likewise, who wants to admit that they’re “off path” 🤷🏽‍♀️? I also love the integration of my water and exercise efforts as well. I’ve only been doing it for three days, so I haven’t really gotten into all of the other benefits but I also like the idea of tracking why I eat, whether I eat at home or out, how the meal was prepared, how I was feeling when I ate and a big one...who I ate with 😉! I have a feeling that in time, I’m going to see some real trends that will expose for me why I eat the way I eat and more importantly how much I eat. Aside from always saying “I just love food”, that’s a question that I don’t think I’ve truly figured out just yet. Now, I just need to find some friends for more accountability. I’m trying the upgrade and had marked my calendar to cancel after 14 days, planning to be unfulfilled, but I know already that I’m in. Yearly plan paid for. Wish me luck! P.S. I swear I’m not a developer or a friend or family member of theirs and I can prove it. Just try it and see for yourself! 😂😂

by Bet @ Bet On Dinner

I love AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary! I wanted a food diary thing, but don’t want to track calories or even type in every teaspoon of oil I use to cook my dinner. I love that I can quickly type something in, and the photo aspect is unexpectedly great! It’s quick to snap a picture and it motivates me to add things like fruit and vegetables to my plate since I’m visually more apt to notice that I’m skipping them and just eating a sandwich or a piece of toast. I also like the freedom to change what is “on path” for me - since it’s not specific to one type of eating. I really love the little arrow that encourages me to make a healthier choice for my next meal if I do go off path - it’s not judgy and unlike other things I’ve tried, I don’t tend to feel like I’ve “ruined” a day with one meal or food, so I’m more likely to just move on and eat something that is better for me at the next meal rather than derail and start again the next day (or week or whatever!). Thanks for such a helpful tool!

by Kelynpeanut

I’ve tried every diet on the planet. I used to think it was fun tracking my macros. In the end it’s nothing but a obsession & for WHAT? Possibly losing a couple pounds, weighing & measuring everything only to eat dinner at a friends house & blow the whole thing. Let’s face it that’s no fun. So I tried keto no thanks, next OMAD with no restrictions that was the best so far however I found myself overeating & hungry by mid afternoon & obsessing over dinner. I’m one of those people who like to try different ways to eat and I have a love- hate relationship with tracking it. I found AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary & I'm still intermittent fasting using a more intuitive approach & making my first afternoon meal smaller then I can have a normal size dinner & I’m not starving. Taking pictures is perfect because I can get a visual which honestly is more than sufficient to see how I’m doing. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is Awesome!!

by Happy Plate

I have only been using AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary for one week, but I love it so far! AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is so motivational! I have set a path to focus on eating small healthy meals throughout the day- choosing a variety of veggies,fruits and healthy protein! I love how easy it is to snap a picture to log my eating. I can easily see what and how often I ate throughout the day. Stopping to take a photo before I eat something really makes me more thoughtful about what I put in my body. I have also loved plating my food to make a “pretty” picture - instead of snacking out of a bag, I take the time to plate my snacks now! It’s actually fun! I love the questions that are asked after eating- I have really focused now on eating at a table not on the couch or in the car. I rarely eat with my phone or while watching TV, I enjoy my food and listen to my body more when I feel satisfied- rather than stuffed or the bowl is empty!

by Foxesnoxes

I’ve tried myfitnesspal calorie counting, daily photo journals, and also just writing out the food but the interface of AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing as well as directed. The option to chose “off path” or “on path” with the reminder of what your current goal is at the top of the screen is brilliantly simple and helps me to minimize obsessive food thoughts like “I ate so bad I’m so fat” or “i ate an apple today so that makes up for the ice cream and chips and cookies I ate the rest of the day” etc etc. It even lets you make a collage of your food pictures at the end of the day, which is a perfect way to visualize what you’re putting into your body. Oh, and you can track calories in the comments under your picture but you can also track where you ate, if you ate alone or with people, why you ate, and how it made you feel which is a genius way to help people make the lifestyle change into eating healthier (instead of forcing yourself to eat ‘healthy’ foods you despise you can focus on the healthy foods you adore). I’ve been searching for an app like this for years and I’m very happy I’ve finally come across it. I hope to use it for a while, and I really appreciate that it’s a free app with no ads. Hands down my favorite health app.

by Foofaroo

I have downloaded every meal tracker app available on AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary Store it seems, but nothing was exactly what I was looking for in till I found ate. I just need a simple place where I can write down or take a picture of what I’m eating, which is enough to keep me “on path” without the stress of calorie counting, trying to search a weird database for what I ate, entering the exact quantities of what I ate, or having to report to a health coach. The design of AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is pleasing, it’s easy to use, I like the questions they ask you after your meal so you can reflect on whether you made a good choice or not and why. I’m grateful to the makers of AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary for understanding that not everybody wants to spend their entire life counting calories, even if we still want to be healthy. Thank you! I am strongly considering a subscription, but the free version has everything that I really need, so don’t let that scare you off from downloading it :)

by DogsRfun45678

I’ve been using AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary for about a week now. Formerly I was using My Fitness Pal and sometimes WW. The thing I like about the Ate app is that it totally makes you think about what you’re putting into your mouth. You’re mindful in a way I never was with those other apps. It also makes me feel totally in control of what I’m eating and makes me feel powerful. I like that I’m not tied to a calorie number. When I was tied to a number, I’d find myself eating things just because I had calories “left” in the day. Now, I’m more likely to focus on whether I’m actually hungry or not. That’s sort of the key and the hardest thing for most of us that struggle with weight. If we could just stop eating as soon as we aren’t hungry anymore, then no one would be overweight. That thought is life changing but very difficult to actually do when a donut is staring you in the face!

by Crb1717

This is only my second day using AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary but it has brought me such peace and joy. Taking photos of my meals felt strange to me at first but what I realized is that it really promotes mindfulness and reflection. You can make notes that go along with the picture, creating a new kind of ritual practice that slows down your meal nicely and easily. I like all the tracking in terms of hunger level, satisfaction, etc. But perhaps my favorite thing of all are the “experiments” you get to try. The one I chose to start with is to take 2 deep breaths before eating. Even that simple act allows me to connect to my body and spirit so that I can listen to my physical and emotional needs. My lifelong struggle with stress eating has been exasperated due to the COVID-19 situation. I didn’t want to spiral back down into the overeating so I found AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary. I couldn’t be happier, calmer, or feeling more grounded around food. Thank you to the creators and developers!!!

by Mountain Life Mom

I heard about AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary from a nutrition coach who uses it with some of her clients. I struggle to use food diaries because I am on the go constantly at work, frequently eating two meals at the office, often with colleagues around, and often I can’t prepare them. So the idea that I can stop, write down a bunch of stuff, look up its nutritional values, etc, has never worked. Enter Ate. You can snap a picture of your food with two clicks (one to open AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary , one to shoot), and it’s already at an appropriate angle to capture your plate so it’s very discreet too. Then click once more for whether it’s on or off your “path” and you’re done. You can write in things you forgot and I really like the simple questions you can answer to add detail. I haven’t used all the features yet but I am starting with being able to capture 100% of my food each day, which is a great success.

by MarcelainC

I have used numerous apps of this kind and I’ve determined that I cannot stand counting calories. It’s draining and it gives me bad anxiety. I honestly believe that counting calories can trigger eating disorders for some.

I found AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary after reading an article in which it was mentioned and I immediately downloaded it because it had so many good reviews. What I love about AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is that it’s simple, it makes you aware of what you’re eating, how fast you’re eating, where you’re eating, what your emotions are when you’re eating, and the way you view your food in your daily routine.

The visuals strategy work. For the first time, I feel that I really have control of how I’m eating. Before AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary I was all over the place with my food routines, and I was definitely eating too fast, and snacking too much. As a result I gained 25 pounds in 2 years. I’m very excited about AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary. It’s wonderful. I highly recommend it.

by Jennah Rae

AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary has become a cherished part of my every meal. It helps me to be mindful of the food choices I make by gently reminding to put as much thought in my choice of food as I would my choice of clothing for the day. I am so proud of myself when I hit that “On Path” button, it’s motivation in itself to make healthier choices. But even when I do go “Off Path”, AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary obliterates the usual shame and guilt I would normally feel and helps me treat myself better.

I love the photos feature! Now I find myself arranging my home-cooked meals all fancy like a restaurant would just for the fun of it lol. And a huge bonus is that I can share these photos with friends and family members which then inspires them to eat better too.

The cherry of top of this already delicious app is that its free version, unlike MANY other apps I’ve tried, offers a great experience even without going premium. I can record my food, take notes, and best of all not get bombarded by the ads to go premium. Never once did I feel limited by the free version. It’s that aspect alone that tells me the developers care about their users and makes me want to give them my money lol.

I can’t afford to at this time, but down the road I hope to be able to open up the extra customization that premium offers.

My thanks to the developers for making every meal a celebration!

by Little5er00

After decades of trying to understand and heal my GI issues, I finally decided I needed to get better at keeping a food journal and tracking how different foods make me feel. A Google search brought up Ate— since it was free and so well reviewed, I downloaded it immediately. I’ve been hooked ever since.

The design is fun, intuitive, and bright. I love the survey questions with each meal (so revealing!). Tracking my habits is visual and fun. Been using it less than a week now, in conjunction with a 5-day conscious cleanse, and it’s dramatically increased my awareness and helped me stay “on path” with the good habits I’m reinstating with the cleanse. My partner signed up too and we’ve loved being each other’s accountability buddies.

I cannot recommend AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary enough to anyone looking to deepen their awareness with their health and body— and maybe even start healing. Huge thanks to the developers for such a beautiful and accessible tool!

by FrauFleur

I was looking for an alternative to calorie and macro counting. After listening to a podcast that focuses heavily on mental aspects of weight loss I thought to myself it would be awesome if I could just snap photos of my food for myself to stay accountable. I began searching AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary store for such a thing as a “visual diary” and ran into Ate.

This is absolutely perfect. I love how it is set up and that I can use the option to have a meal be counted as several photos taken within the same hour. I didn’t realize that handy option until searching the settings on day 2. This is Exactly how someone needs to learn to lose weight when they tend to have portion control problems such as myself. Having to take a photo of my meal and answer some simple, mindful questions is enough to turn my eating habits around.

Seriously, Ate, you really have a great product and I hope you keep this free version around forever. I’ve needed exactly this for the past year and a half of out of control mindless eating I fell into. Thanks a lot! -Happy App User

by Sparklepop7

I am currently working on counteracting diet culture and reading the book Eat to Love by Jenna Hollenstein. I have tried weight loss techniques in the past such as Weight Watchers, calorie counting, and intermittent fasting, and none of them felt sustainable to me, as I always felt deprived, restricted, stressed out, and never felt truly nourished. However, I do feel that I need some sort of structure in order to make healthy choices and eat mindfully. I am really loving AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary for that purpose! I’ve tried a few of the experiments and am currently trying out taking two deep breaths before eating, and I have noticed a much more mindful and enjoyable experience when I eat. The act of taking a picture and reflecting on my meal also helps me be more mindful and choose foods that make me feel nourished. I feel I’m able to listen to my body’s cues better and I’ve felt much better in general. I love food and cooking, so it’s also really satisfying to have a visual diary of my meals, and I love that there is no judgment about what I eat, so there’s room for fun meals with friends. I’m so glad I found AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary.

by ❤️💛💚💙💜💎|-/ Alyssa

I have been using AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary for maybe a week or so. Before finding Ate, I tested multiple fasting apps and nothing worked well or was set up good. I don’t even think I want to fast for the reasons on other apps. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is GREAT. I’ve always taken pictures of my food and saved them, especially when I cook a meal or fix a healthy breakfast for example. Ate allows me to see what I eat in a day and it lets me record how it made me feel (I LOVE this part of AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary because I struggle with how food makes me feel). I also love that it adds options such as “who did you eat with?” and “where did you eat?” Overall AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary seems perfect for me and I hope I continue to use this to track my food habits.

The only thing I can think of that I could suggest is to add a way to type something instead of just selecting “Happy” as a feeling for example. I’d like to be able to write a small sentence or come up with my own words as to how my meal made me feel. Same with the others like “where did you eat?”. I ate outside today for breakfast and that was not an option to put down. Other than this, I love AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary!!

by Scooter-n-Skeeter

AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is my #1 tool for creating a positive mindset around food, helping me cut through the punishing diet mentality that I’ve been trapped under for years and years. If you are looking for a way to easily, quickly and effectively chart your own healthy-eating course, AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is incredibly helpful. There is no good or bad, on-diet or off, no calories or points — it’s simply on-path or off-path in whatever way works for you (that is, sometimes healthy food in excess is off-path for me and sometimes decadent treats mindfully eaten are on-path). That subtle distinction has helped me stay on-path more often — and it’s given me the mental space to go off-path and come back to the path that makes me feel better physically and mentally. I was SO tired off looking up foods and calories and points, etc. This cuts through all of that and it fits in beautifully with intuitive eating. Logging is easy (fun, even) and I’ve stuck with it. I’m able to scroll back and see trends and clues about my behavior. This format works so well and would be well-suited to tracking any goal, not just food-related. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is completely worth the price! Five stars all the way!

by Atl Homegirl

AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is perfect for tracking what you eat without being triggering! Its fast, easy and simple to log. Being someone who can emotionally eat at times this really helps with watching my emotions and why I am eating! I love the quick snap of a photo and press a few buttons to log emotions. I was so tired of using my fitness pal. I always felt defeated because my “macros “ were off even tho I may have had great nutrient rich food that day. It was annoying trying to log when I ate out because I never knew portion sizes ect. If this sounds like you then get AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary!! I love the “on path” “off path” question. Its motivating! I love the straight and slight curved line when being on or off path. It gives me a sense of direction without making me feel like a failure. The photo collection at the end of the day and percentage of on or off path meals is so helpful and visually appealing!
I try to follow a 80/20 rule in life and this guides you gently to that balance! I have used AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary for 2 weeks and I’m down 4 lbs already. The scale has not budged in months. There is a unexplainable sense of freedom and motivation to make “on path” choices that AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary provides.
Try it for yourself!

by Amber Waves Hello

I’ve been using ate for about a week, and there are several things I love about it:
1. Flexibility. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary allows me to define my own goal, how I want to try to achieve it, and which factors I want to track.
2. Ease. Tracking calories is tedious, especially if you cook a lot of your own food, and it can be impossible when you eat out. And really, I know when I’m making healthy choices and when I’m not. With ate, all I have to do is take a quick photo (only momentarily awkward over lunch with colleagues) and follow up later to answer a few questions about it.
3. Positivity. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary encourages me to think about how I make choices about food and how those choices make me feel, rather than focusing solely on calories or weight goals. This seems more sustainable — if I feel better today because I ate better, I’m likely to continue eating better, instead of giving up because I’m discouraged by my slowly changing body. I also like that AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary subtly encourages me to aim to be 70% to 90% on track, as a reminder not to get down on myself for occasional treats.
4. Graphs! I love data. And since I tend to compartmentalize poor dietary choices from meal to meal and day to day, it’s exactly what I need to give myself perspective on how I’m doing overall, not just today.

by Zgrooms

I have never reviewed an app before, so that tells you something right off the bat. I have loved the ease in AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary. Meal tracking has always stressed me out. I hate measuring things. My meals are too elaborate to traditionally track. Being able to snap a picture (which I usually already do anyways😂 #foodblog) and add a description makes “tracking” so much easier! I’m able to share AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary with my nutritionist and she can have an idea of what I am eating in a day without me having to track. The summary questions have allowed me to have a much better relationship with my meals, realizing trends and habits that I may not have realized before. It forces me to slow down and ask myself these important questions. I love it.

I also have noticed great management of AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary. I’ve never felt more personally connected to an app developing company than with AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary. After reading AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary updates, you can tell this is a small company that is properly run by people who truly care for their community. I received an authentic email explaining the importance and their appreciation for reviews. It is clear that this company cares for their users and creating an app that will best serve them.

All in all, 5 stars from me!

by ILJ627

I’ve been using ate for the past week with a group of friends in an effort to take better care of our bodies this year and practice more mindfulness with our eating. The benefits are already so evident. Having to actually document what, when, and how much you are eating really makes me think twice before eating too much or eating things that aren’t as good for me, which are 2 big goals for me. Also, because my friends and I follow each other on AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary , it’s actually EXCITING to take a picture of my home-cooked, healthy meals or any other instances where I’m making good food choices! I have also loved tracking how eating made me feel, which is one of the questions AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary asks you after your meal. Tracking my meals is quick and easy, which is important to me, and I’m going to keep using ate! Highly recommend if you’re like me and struggle sometimes with being mindful with your eating!

by Brinnydrew

It’s a really fantastic app, there’s a lot I like about it - for example it uses data from your camera roll to date your food inputs if you upload photos that way, but you can still easily change the date and time of meal inputs manually if need be. I also like the “recap” function for seeing my daily progress all in one place. LOVE that it tracks my fasts between days too.

The only thing I’d like different is that when you first open AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary it opens to the apps camera, and since I upload photos from my phone’s camera roll it’s not necessary for me and maybe others as well. It’s a little thing, of course, but I’d rather just see my daily path so far when opening up AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary . Sometimes I like to change the picture I used for a meal too, would be nice to be able to swap out the photos without having to delete an entire meal and then input it again.

by Ornery-Rutabaga

I have wished for a long time for an app that would give me a way to track my food without listing individual ingredients or requiring calorie counts before meals could be logged. I am so glad to have found the Ate app! The design is brilliant and as easy as it gets. I appreciate the questions to answer after each meal, especially the two, “Why did you eat?” and “How did it make you feel?” That has been an interesting exercise for me to think about after eating, and helpful for changing some of my habits. I also appreciate how easy it is to scroll back through the past days/weeks to look over what I was eating and be able to see how my meals are changing over time. I find it incredibly motivating. I have tried multiple apps for food tracking, and always gradually dropped off from using them. But, with the simplicity of this one, I expect to be using it years from now.

by This Is Marshall

AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is a game changer and I’m so happy I found it. I have struggled with binge eating and an unhealthy relationship with food for the better part of my life. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is like a picture food journal that lets me track what I eat and the emotions that go along with it. In turn my entire perspective on eating has changed and I have developed a healthy and mindful eating pattern. If you are struggling with disordered eating this is AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary you’re looking for. Even if you’re just trying to loose weight and be mindful of what you eat THIS IS AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. I have tried other food tracking apps and they don’t compare to this one. It’s super helpful too that they give you a day “recap” where you can see what you ate and what you were feeling/why you ate at the time. This will help anyone’s fitness journey. 😊

by LotusGirl59

I really love AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary. I needed a way to watch and be aware of my eating that didn’t make me feel restricted, guilty, controlled or so seriously eating disordered that I became paralyzed and consumed by fear. I know what to do, but totally resist being “ told” or managed by someone else. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary lets me choose MY path and focus on what I know I want to work on. There is no frowny face or judgement when I wobble... just a little jog in my path. Photographing my meals instead of entering what I ate one by one on a list totally works for me and gives me a visual way to see if I ate enough color during the day. There is no target other than on path or off, and a percentage that I can improve on tomorrow. When I’m at a loss for what to eat, I’ve got a whole gallery of previous meals I can refer to. Thanks for making my food life easier!

by Bill Merchant

I’ve tried zillions of diets and apps over the years, losing weight fast or slow, but usually gaining it back. I’m convinced that the only way to achieve and maintain a healthy weight is by being mindful of what you’re eating, how much you’re eating, and when you’re eating.

The ate app is a great aid to being mindful. Prompts, adjustable for the times you usually eat, nudge you to not only look at your plate but take a picture to remember. You don’t have to do anything right then, just capture the image and decide if it’s “on path” or not. You decide the path, you decide if it’s what you want, no outside rules, no calorie counting, just a quick pic and on-path or not decision, then eat.

You’re prompted after a bit to review your meal, which is where the mindfulness comes in. You get to reflect on what you ate, where, with whom, and how your meal made you feel. Again, no harping or hard work, no scolding, just you reflecting on your meal. This mindfulness seems to magically curb what you’ve been doing and guide you to think about your food and what that means to your weight.

You can go back and edit your evaluation, add a meal you forgot to grab a picture of with a text description, even share your meal with others if you want.

by Ihatethisgame;(

I used to use myfitness pal like it was my job. I developed a horrible eating disorder as I constantly was concerned about exactly how many calories I put in my body and terrified if I couldn’t track it. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary is a lifesaver.
As I’ve been in recovery for a while now, I’ve gained some weight and am just curious about my eating patterns. I want to target my emotional eating, but more my feelings and motives behind it, not how many macros are in it.
Having an app to just take pictures of what I eat, document whether it works for my goals or against it is SO amazing. I can write as little or as much as I want about the experience and can really pinpoint where my emotional pulls are.
I really thank you because I considered going back to myfitnesspal, but I was concerned about my previous habits creeping up again. So nice to be able to document in such a user friendly way ❤️

by Giselle J.O.Y.

I’ve always hated logging what I eat because it’s too tedious, time consuming & detailed. But YouAte makes it so quick & easy. All you have to do is snap a quick pic. Even if you don’t enter it that moment you can go back whenever, import the pic & it will automatically enter the time you took the pic. I love the reflection questions as well that help you think more about why and how you’re eating. It also has a pie graph to show you how much of your eating is for what reasons & it keeps great stats on how much time you go between meals. The layout is simple and attractive. AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary makes food journaling/logging/tracking so much fun! You can even share it with friends to keep each other accountable & encourage friends in eating better! LOVE that! Everyone should be using AteFoodJournalPhotoDiary!