Micro meal recommendations help drop calories and fight national hunger

FoodTweeks is an app that gives users small suggestions to tweak their diet, with each calorie cut rewarded with support for local food banks.

Many people in the US are looking for ways in which they can lose weight at the same time that others struggle to get access to or afford food. Schemes such as Halfsies have already joined the two together with half-size restaurant portions matched with donations to charity. Now FoodTweeks is an app that gives users small suggestions to tweak their diet, with each calorie cut rewarded with support for local food banks.

Losing weight is simple in principle — either cut down calories taken in through meals and snacks, or increase the calories lost through exercise. However, in reality it’s much harder. FoodTweeks lets users search for the food they’re about to cook or order and offers small changes that will contribute to calorie loss. For example, if they’re cooking some pasta, the app will recommend perhaps refraining from sprinkling parmesan on the top. If they’re buying a Big Mac, it may suggest they order it without the middle bun. Over time, these small changes could help reduce calorie intake and keep users healthy while enabling them to enjoy the foods they like.

The app makes a record of the calories it’s saved its users and matches the number with donations in the form of food to local food banks. FoodTweeks is partnered with food banks from 44 different locations around the US.

The app is free to download from the App Store and Google Play. Are there other ways to encourage people to consume less so the underpriveleged can have more?