Just tell it what you ate
You can't always photograph the plate. On the camera screen tap “Or describe it without a photo”, type or dictate what you ate, and Foodia analyses it all the same.
Free to start · Five-day trial · English and Spanish
Type it or dictate it, whichever suits
The field takes plain language: “two scrambled eggs with avocado and a bread roll”. No picking from a list, no looking up each ingredient by its technical name. If you'd rather speak, the keyboard's dictation works just as well and is usually quicker than typing.
From text to logged meal
The same three steps as photo analysis, with words instead of an image.
- 1
Open the camera and skip the photo
Tap “Or describe it without a photo”. The text field opens, with dictation right there if you prefer.
- 2
Say what you ate
In your own words. The more specific you are about amounts, the closer the estimate lands.
- 3
Check it and save
Foodia returns the foods with their grams and macros. Fix whatever needs fixing and it goes into your day.
When it beats the photo
This isn't a second-class mode: it's the natural shortcut whenever the camera gets in the way or is already too late. The result lands in the same place and is corrected the same way.
- Once you've finished eating and the plate is empty.
- In a meeting or a restaurant where taking photos feels awkward.
- For things a picture won't show: a white coffee, a handful of nuts.
- When you know the exact grams and typing them beats framing a shot.
What you need
The description is analysed on our servers, just like photos, so it needs a connection too. And it counts towards the same daily cap: it makes no difference whether you logged with an image or with words.
- Five analyses a day during the five-day trial.
- Twenty-five a day with an active subscription.
- Works in English and Spanish, with food names from the country you pick.
Questions about logging by text
Do I have to write the grams?
No need. Say “a plate of pasta with sauce” and Foodia suggests a typical portion. If you know the exact amount and type it, it uses that instead.
Can I dictate instead of typing?
Yes. It's an ordinary text field, so iOS keyboard dictation works out of the box. For a meal with several items it's usually the fastest way.
Is it less accurate than a photo?
It depends what you tell it. A description with amounts can beat a photo, because there's no volume to infer. A vague one will do worse. Either way the figures can be corrected afterwards.
Can I log several meals in one go?
Better to log them separately, each in its slot in the day. That way breakfast and lunch end up where they belong and the history stays readable.
Other ways to log a meal
Log your next one, photo or no photo
It's free to download and includes five days with every feature unlocked.
Download for iPhone