Carb counting doesn’t exactly scream fun! Especially when the stakes of getting it wrong can be pretty high. For those living with diabetes and trying to match insulin doses to carbohydrate intake, it can feel stressful, inconvenient, and downright exhausting.

Miscalculations can lead to dangerously low blood sugar—which quite literally stops you in your tracks. Imagine you’re finally curled up on the couch, snacks in hand, ready to binge the next episode of your favourite show—and just as the theme song starts, it hits. That shaky, dizzy, tunnel-vision feeling. Suddenly, it’s not “Next episode playing in 5 seconds,” it’s you launching off the couch in search of fast-acting carbs. Everything - your chill, your snack, your plotline - goes on hold. On the plus side, you were already in snack mode… so at least the jellybeans are nearby. I say this in jest, but it’s no joke.

And then there are the highs… and no, not the kind where you feel like you're winning at life. I’m talking about high blood sugars, the kind that sneak up on you like an annoying relative at Christmas. You can tolerate them for a bit (I mean, they brought a gift), but after a while, you’re just wishing they’d take that gift and go. Cue a rage bolus of insulin to cope - followed by regret and, you guessed it, a low. And now you’re right back where you started.

Math is tricky, online carb info is often unreliable, and standard carb suggestions? They're not exactly custom-fit. So, what’s a busy person (or tired parent) to do?

Enter CalorieCam: Your New Food-Pic Buddy

CalorieCam, the app that promises to take the stress out of carb counting by letting you simply snap a photo of your meal. I’ll admit it… it was kind of fun! I loved testing whether this little piece of tech could outsmart me when it came to estimating carbs. Spoiler alert: sometimes it could.

Would my new food-pic-hungry buddy nail my lunch count, or leave me hangry and disappointed? (As a dietitian, “hangry” is my least favourite state.) The good news? CalorieCam left me satisfied. Its accuracy was surprisingly spot-on for many foods.

What It’s Like to Use CalorieCam

I eat a lot of mixed dishes—think stir-fry with noodles, chicken, and veggies (you know, the kind of meal my kids detest because “the peas are touching the chicken!”). I braced myself for CalorieCam to be just as picky, but surprisingly, if I added a quick caption like “stir-fry chicken, rice noodles, vegetables,” the app got it pretty close.

Sorry kids, if CalorieCam can handle food touching, so can you.

The app felt intuitive, quick, and practical—perfect for busy people who want control without overwhelm. And let’s face it, who isn’t time-poor these days? I mean Gen Alpha just expects tech to make life easier. And while I’m no Gen Alpha (or even Gen Z), I still loved how simple it made a complex task.

Peace of Mind for Parents, Too

I've even installed the app on my daughter’s phone, she lives with type 1 diabetes. Her standard carb guess is always 30 grams (for everything). Now I have peace of mind knowing she has a tool that can estimate more accurately than her guessing teen brain. Now if I could just get her to remember to actually use it...

Was It Perfect? Not Quite (But Close!)

Look, no app is perfect. Out of the seven days I trialled CalorieCam, I had just one food item that missed the mark: a gluten-free hot cross bun. The app guessed 50g of carbs, but the nutrition panel said 30g. (Guess it kneaded more info.)

But like my teen, CalorieCam improved when I spelled things out. Once I gave feedback and specified the product, it adjusted the count to a more reasonable 40g. Lesson learned: the app performs best when you provide clear info, just like a teenager with a chore list (minus the eye roll).

Who Will Love CalorieCam?

• People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes

• Busy parents or caregivers

• Anyone new to carb counting

• People who eat mixed dishes or dine out frequently

• Tech lovers looking for practical, time-saving tools

Key Features

• Available on Apple and Android

• Free 3-day trial

• Subscription plans:

• $23.05/month

• $58.54 for 3 months

• $118.29/year

Beyond carb counting, it also tracks:

• Calories

• Hydration

• Fats, protein, carbs

• Exercise and steps

• Personal nutrition goals

It offers motivational nudges, recipe tips, and allows data sharing with your healthcare team - so they can better support you in reaching your health goals.

My Final Thoughts

Let’s be clear, CalorieCam isn’t here to replace your knowledge. If you understand carb counting already, this app becomes a powerful tool, not a crutch. And if you’re still learning? It’s a great way to reinforce your skills and build confidence.

I’m actually surprised it’s taken this long to find a reliable carb counting app that works this well. Maybe I’m more Gen Alpha than I thought.

So, whether you're juggling insulin doses, raising a teen with T1D, or just trying to make peace with peas touching chicken, CalorieCam might just become your new best food friend.