There’s no doubt that kids of today are already digital natives. My Miss 8 has been writing her blog for nearly a year now. Yes, far longer than me. Some people are amazed, but when I explain it as really nothing more than a personal journal shared with a handful of family members…it sinks in. At our recent Dietitians Association of Australia workshop on social media, guest expert Sarah Stokely challenged us to think about what social media footprint or legacy we would like to leave? Perhaps you have a few photos or old letters of your great grandmother? My daughter’s great, grandchildren will have an amazing historical record with video, pictures and anecdotes of growing up in the 2010’s. And in order to keep up with digitial natives, especially as parents, I’m a firm believer that all gen’s, not just the young y’s and younger, need to get tech savvy. So even if you’re yet to get a smart phone, believe me within a blink of an eye you will. And you need to be aware of where they are leading us. In the case of nutrition? There are plenty of signs that we will be lead down a nutritious path. Let’s give you a taste of two of my faves:
Nutrition Gurus – Eating Trainer
A personal fave of mine, as it’s developed by my Aussie dietitian friends, is – Nutrition Gurus Eating Trainer. Designed to help you eat mindfully and in response to true hunger signals, this handy app helps you space out your meal time and s-l-o-w down. The gurus tell me they are already getting great interest, especially from people post weight loss surgery. Hopefully one of the gurus will leave a comment below and fill us in a little more.
Top tip:
It’s important to remember that there are smart apps and then there are the crap apps. Make sure you click through to the “support” website for the app and check out the credentials of the people behind the design. In the case of nutrition, you are looking for an Accredited Practising or Registered Dietitian.
Jamie Oliver – 20 Minute Meals
Search for a celebrity chef on the itunes store and bingo, there’s a recipe app ready and waiting for you. Jamie Oliver has just announced on Twitter today that his app has won an Apple Design Award. To quote his tweets “Hay guys, I’m over the moon!! My “20 Minute meals” App just won the best APPLE DESIGN AWARD!!!!! we won against an unbelievable 225.000 apps !! that’s mad. apps are wear its @”. So I guess you can gather that he is rather excited. Sure, Jamie has not calorie counted every recipe and a few I may wave my own magic makeover wand over, but what a fantastic way to encourage culinary skills? You can consult Jamie when you’re shopping for ingredients at the supermarket. Or sort your ‘what’s for dinner dilemma’ decision on the commute home from work. And once the ipad fairy godmother has paid us all a visit we can custom fit our bigger screen and invite Jamie right into our kitchen. Check out this post on ipads in the kitchen by tech expert Mashable and this i-want-it-now photo of the kitchen ipad. 
Too appy for words….
There are thousands more apps in the i-tunes library under the Healthcare and Fitness category alone and even more if you expand your search to Lifestyle or Food. I’m not convinced we need the Fast Food Finder . But i-love the idea of the Find Fruit app. It’s a geo-locator for in season fruit growing free in local parks and public spaces so we do not waste a precious piece of nature’s bounty. So how about you? Are you using your smart phone to eat smarter too? Love to hear your top tips and hot picks for apps that you recommend. Drop us a comment below.
