A food diary works the way a bank statement does: it only helps if the entries are there. Ramen is a food diary app designed so that putting an entry in takes a few seconds. You write the line, and the calories and macros appear next to it.
What a food diary app is
A food diary is a daily log of what you ate and drank. The old paper version needed a pen and good intentions. The app version should need less than that.
People start a daily food log for many reasons. Some want to understand their habits. Some are preparing for an appointment. Some are just curious how a normal week looks on paper.
A typical day in the diary
In Ramen, each food gets its own line. Here is how a day might look.
porridge, milk, handful of berries ~290
black coffee ~5
cheese and pickle sandwich ~450
apple ~95
chicken stir fry, rice, big bowl ~620
// snacky evening, long day at work
These numbers are illustrative, not measured outputs. The "~" means the app is less sure, which tends to happen with home cooking. The last line, starting with //, is a note to yourself.
Tap any number for a plain-language explanation. Most real answers arrive in about 2 seconds, and a line you have logged before comes back instantly.
Why most food diaries get abandoned
Diaries tend to fail in the same few ways.
- Too slow. Searching a database for each ingredient turns lunch into homework.
- Too strict. Miss a day and the streak breaks, which feels like failing.
- Too tidy. The app rewrites your entry, so the diary stops sounding like you.
- Too loud. Red numbers turn a record into a verdict.
Ramen takes the opposite view on each. Lines are quick, there are no streaks, your words are never rewritten, and nothing turns red. If the second one resonates, track calories without obsessing is a good read.
How to write entries that help
A daily food log is only as good as its lines, but good does not mean long.
- Write soon after eating. Memory fades by evening.
- Use household amounts. "A mug", "2 slices", "a big handful". Add grams only if you have them.
- Mention the fat. "Fried in oil", "with butter", "creamy sauce".
- Include drinks. They are the most commonly forgotten lines.
There is more in what to write in a food journal, and the food journal app page covers the longer-term habit.
Eating out and mixed days
Restaurant meals are the hard part of any diary. You cannot see the kitchen. Name the dish and the place, and Ramen will give you an estimate with a "~" where it is less sure. How to log restaurant meals goes through typical cases.
Ramen also works offline. Write at the table with no signal and the numbers fill in later.
Looking back over the week
A diary earns its keep when you read it. Ramen offers a calendar, search and insights, and a weight trend if you log your weight or bring it in from Apple Health. It also writes calories and macros back to Health.
If you want to share a good week, you can make a day or week card for Instagram Stories or save the image. Numbers can be hidden, and only the picture leaves your phone.
Your diary is yours
For a lookup, only the single food line is sent, with no email attached. Your body details stay on your phone. You can export everything, and if you leave you can delete your account and your data is erased.
Start a diary you will keep
Ramen is coming soon to iPhone. It will cost $9.99 a month, or $39.99 for the first year then $59.99 a year, and waitlisters get the $39.99 first year. No card is needed to join. Join the waitlist and we will send one email when the diary is ready.