GrammiHow to log food that has no barcode or isn’t in the database
Barcodes cover packaged food, but plenty of what you eat has none: fruit and vegetables, bread from the bakery, food from a market stall, a dish you cooked. And sometimes you scan a package and the database simply does not know it. Here are three ways to log it anyway.
Step by step
- Photograph the nutrition label. If the package has a nutrition table but the barcode is not found, take a photo of the label. Grammi reads the table, shows you the values to check and remembers the product: the next time you scan that barcode, it is found straight away. This is part of the free plan.
- Enter it by hand. If you have the numbers (on the label, a menu or a recipe), type them in. Check whether they are given per 100 g or per serving, then enter the amount you ate in grams. Calories are the essential number; protein, carbohydrates and fat make your daily totals more complete.
- Search the catalog for home dishes and fresh food. Fresh produce and common dishes have no barcode, but they are in Grammi’s catalog of everyday foods and home-style dishes, from soups and stews to lasagna and paella, with typical portions next to the grams. Search for the name of the dish and pick the closest match.
Tips for home cooking
A home recipe varies, so the catalog gives a typical value. If you cook the same dish often, weigh the main ingredients once and log them separately: the oil, the meat and the pasta make up most of the calories. For a shared pot, log your share in grams.
For loose food without a label, weigh it once or estimate by size: a medium apple, a slice of bread, a handful of nuts. The calorie table shows typical portions and calories per 100 g for common foods.
Why it matters
Foods that are hard to log are usually the ones people skip, and skipped entries make a day look lighter than it was. A quick estimate or a photo of the label keeps the diary honest.
Grammi’s search also looks through what you logged before, so a food you entered once is quick to find again. Barcode scanning with no daily limit, label photos and manual entry are all free, with no ads and no account.
Questions
What if my food isn’t in the calorie app’s database?
Photograph the nutrition label if there is one, or enter the values by hand. In Grammi, a product you add from a label photo is found again the next time you scan its barcode.
How do I log fruit and vegetables without a barcode?
Search for the food by name and pick a portion, such as a medium apple, or enter the weight in grams.
Is photographing a label free in Grammi?
Yes. Barcode scanning, reading a nutrition label from a photo and manual entry are all on the free plan.