We know from experience finding accurate nutritional
information is tougher than it seems — largely because there’s no central
source of information. Thankfully, tech behemoth Google is working to put an
end to the nutritional guessing game. Earlier today, Google revealed its new
nutritional information search function, which makes it simple to look up the
calories, protein, carbs, and other nutrients in nearly any food or dish.
What’s
the Deal?
Didn’t anyone ever tell those
engineers not to play with their food? Maybe not, but we won’t complain when
the results are so awesome. Google tech wizards have added nutritional data
to the Knowledge Graph, a feature of Google Search that enables
users to get information instantly. It’s simple: You enter a question about
the nutritional content of a food or drink (for example: “How many calories are
in a banana?” or “How much sugar is in a cupcake?”) and hit search. The answer
will show up in a box at the top of the results, with the option to change the
serving size for even more accurate information. Below Google’s result, the
standard search results page appears with links to other sources and websites
if you’d like a second opinion. The Knowledge Graph data includes full
nutritional information: Calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat, as well as
vitamins and minerals like sodium and potassium.
Why
It Matters
Anything that makes healthy choices
even easier gets a gold star in our book. The Google search function works
via desktop and in the Google Search app for iOs and Android, so nutritional
information is always at the user’s fingertips. It also works with Voice
Search, another feature that makes the Google app even more user-friendly.
Plus, it’s possible to customize units of measurement for individual habits —
some people measure certain foods or drinks by volume, while others count
number of slices or glasses.
Is
it Legit?
Yep. Google gets the nutritional information from the United
States Department of Agriculture, so it’s pretty legit. Right now, there
are approximately 1,000 foods and drinks in the database, including some
alcoholic beverages. Google is committed to adding new foods every day
(although they’re not sure exactly how many they'll be able to add in the near
future), but right now the database does have some legitimate limitations: It
doesn’t list specific brand-name foods like a Big Mac or a KIND bar, and 1,000
items is pretty minimal.
It’s worth pointing out that other
nutritional information sites like MyFitnessPal and Self provide users with nutritional data for hundreds of
thousands of items. Google does include some distinctions, like
Chardonnay versus Pinot Grigio and California avocados versus the Floridian
variety, but not nearly as many as popular food-tracking websites. But therein
lies the distinction: Google’s growing array of nutritional information is not
supposed to replace fitness trackers. It’s meant to be a tool to help people
make healthier choices via speedy data so they can compare food items (and pick
the smartest option) quickly.
Do you think Google’s nutritional
information search function will make it easier to plan healthy meals? Share
your opinion in the comments below or tweet the author
Provided by Dopiks e-Marketing
Team
0 comments:
Post a Comment