How to add food to Trainerize for seamless nutrition tracking

Recent studies show that consistent food logging can significantly increase a user's adherence to their nutrition plan. Here is how to add food to Trainerize, enabling both clients and trainers to gain valuable insights and achieve health and fitness goals more effectively.

Quick Summary

This guide provides detailed instructions on logging meals and individual food items in Trainerize using multiple methods, including the native app, third-party integrations, and custom entries. It covers enabling the feature and best practices for accurate tracking.

Key Points

• Enable First: Ensure the correct nutrition workflow is activated in your profile settings before attempting to log food.

• Log In-App: Use the built-in tracker by tapping the plus button, searching the database, or scanning a barcode for fast logging.

• Connect MyFitnessPal: For users already in the MFP ecosystem, integrate your accounts and enable 'Diary Sync' for automatic data transfer.

• Add Custom Items: If a food item is not in the database, manually create a custom food or recipe for accurate tracking.

• Save Time with Favorites: For regularly consumed meals, save them to your 'Favorites' for quick, one-tap logging.

• Communicate with Your Coach: Trainers can monitor your progress and provide feedback on your meal logs, so communicate regularly to stay on track.

Enabling Your Nutrition Tracking Workflow

Before you can start logging food, your Trainerize account must have the correct meal tracking workflow enabled. For personal training clients, your coach will typically set this for you. However, you can check or change it yourself within your profile settings.

How to enable meal tracking

• On the mobile app: Tap the 'More' icon (three dots) in the bottom menu. Select 'Meal Tracker' and then choose your preferred workflow: 'In-app and Meal Photos' for photo journaling or 'In-app and Full Meal Tracking' for detailed calorie and macro logging.
• For trainers (web version): Navigate to the client's profile, click 'Edit', and scroll to the 'Meal Workflow' section to select the tracking option for them. For bulk changes, go to the 'Clients' tab, select multiple clients, and choose 'Change meal tracker' from the three-dot menu.

Method 1: Using the In-App Tracker

Once enabled, the native Trainerize meal tracker is one of the most direct ways to log your food, offering features like searching, barcode scanning, and quick add.

Step-by-step in-app food logging

1. Open the Meal Logging Menu: On your Trainerize dashboard, tap the blue plus (+) button at the bottom of the screen.
2. Select 'Meal': This will open the meal-logging interface.
3. Add Your Food Items: You have several options for adding food:
   • Search the database: Use the search bar to find a food item. Trainerize has a vast database, including USDA-verified items marked with a blue checkmark.
   • Scan a barcode: For packaged foods, tap the barcode icon to scan the barcode with your phone's camera. This automatically pulls up the nutrition information.
   • Use 'Recents' or 'Favorites': For items you log frequently, quickly select them from the 'Recents' or 'Favorites' tabs.
   • Add custom foods: If an item isn't in the database, go to the 'CUSTOM' tab and manually enter the name, serving size, calories, and optional macros.
4. Log the Meal: After adding all items, specify the meal type (breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack), adjust serving sizes if needed, and hit 'Save'. You can also save the entire meal as a favorite for future use.

Method 2: Syncing with MyFitnessPal

If you or your clients are already using MyFitnessPal (MFP), you can sync the two accounts to transfer nutrition data seamlessly.

How to connect and sync with MyFitnessPal

1. Connect the Accounts: In the Trainerize mobile app, go to 'More' (three dots) > 'MyFitnessPal' > 'Connect'. You will be redirected to log into your MFP account using your username, not email.
2. Adjust Sharing Settings: Within your MyFitnessPal app, ensure your 'Diary Sharing' is set to 'Public' to allow Trainerize access to the details.
3. Enable Diary Sync: Back in the Trainerize app, toggle the 'Diary Sync' option to ensure food details are pulled in.
4. Log Food in MyFitnessPal: Continue logging your food as you normally would in the MyFitnessPal app. The data will automatically sync and appear on your Trainerize calendar.

How to Manage Custom Meals and Recipes

Trainers with the Advanced Nutrition add-on can create custom meal plans and add unique recipes to a master library. Clients can also create and save their own recipes directly in the app.

Steps for creating custom recipes

1. Access the 'My Recipes' Tab: Open the meal-logging interface and tap the 'My Recipes' tab from the bottom menu.
2. Create a New Recipe: Tap the 'Create Recipe' button.
3. Add Details: Fill in the recipe name, add ingredients by searching the database, and define the serving size. The app can auto-calculate nutritional information from the ingredients.
4. Save for Future Use: Save the recipe, and it will be available to log or add to meal plans in the future.

Comparison of Food Logging Methods

Feature	In-App Tracker	MyFitnessPal Integration	Photo Journaling	Custom Food Entry
Best For	Detailed, quick tracking with barcode scans	Users already familiar with MFP	Simple, low-barrier accountability	Tracking non-database items
Data Sync	Instant, native within Trainerize	Requires syncing both apps	Visuals for the trainer, no macros	Manual entry, instant update
Accuracy	High, especially with verified foods and barcode scanning	Dependent on MFP database quality and user input	Low, relies on visual estimation by trainer	High, relies on accurate user input
Setup	Built-in, requires enabling workflow	Requires connecting two separate accounts	Requires enabling workflow	Requires adding each item manually once

Tips for Consistent Food Tracking

• Log as you go: Track meals immediately after you eat them instead of trying to remember at the end of the day. This reduces errors and makes the process less daunting.
• Use 'Favorites': For meals you eat regularly, save them to your 'Favorites' so you can log them with a single tap.
• Plan ahead: Enter your planned meals for the day in the morning. This sets you up for success and helps visualize your daily nutritional goals.
• Use custom entries for unique items: If you often consume a specific product or homemade recipe not found in the database, take the time to create a custom food item for fast and accurate future logging.
• Communicate with your coach: If you have questions or need adjustments to your nutritional goals, use the in-app messaging feature to connect with your trainer.

Conclusion

Effectively adding food to Trainerize is a simple process with multiple options to suit different tracking styles and levels of detail. Whether you prefer the quick convenience of the in-app tracker and barcode scanner or the seamless integration with MyFitnessPal, Trainerize provides the tools needed for comprehensive nutrition monitoring. By following these steps and best practices, clients can ensure accurate data is provided to their trainers, paving the way for more informed adjustments and better overall results.

For more information on Trainerize's features, visit the official ABC Trainerize Help Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start tracking my meals in Trainerize?

First, ensure your meal workflow is set to either 'In-app and Meal Photos' or 'In-app and Full Meal Tracking' in your profile settings. Then, tap the blue plus button on your dashboard and select 'Meal' to begin logging.

Can I use a barcode scanner to log my food?

Yes, the Trainerize app includes a barcode scanner for quick and easy logging of packaged foods. Tap the barcode icon within the meal logging menu to use it.

MyFitnessPal data is not syncing with Trainerize. How can I fix this?

Check that your MyFitnessPal 'Diary Sharing' is set to 'Public' and the 'Diary Sync' option is toggled on in the Trainerize app. Also, ensure you logged into MFP with your username during the connection process.

How do I add a food item that is not in the database?

When in the meal tracker, go to the 'CUSTOM' tab. You can manually enter the food's name, serving size, calories, and other nutritional details. Once saved, it will be available for future logging.

Is it possible to track past meals?

Yes. In the meal-logging interface, you can change the date at the top of the screen to log meals for a past day. You can also access a history of recently logged meals to add them to other days.

Can I add custom recipes in Trainerize?

Yes, clients can create and save their own recipes in the 'My Recipes' tab within the meal tracker, provided their trainer has enabled the full meal tracking option. Trainers can also add custom recipes via the web platform.

How do I add a meal for multiple days at once?

When logging a meal, you can tap the 'Date' option at the top of the screen. This allows you to select multiple days from a calendar to add the same meal to each selected day.

What is the difference between meal photos and full meal tracking?

Meal photos provide a simple visual log for accountability, while full meal tracking requires entering specific food items and quantities for detailed calorie and macronutrient data.