Barcode scanners give instant nutritional information, extensive food libraries make counting calories quick and accurate while some can be synced with a fitness band or step counter app to combine exercise and activity with diet for all-round healthier results. There are dozens of diet apps to choose from these days but the best offer so much more than a digital diary. You can use a variety of methods, from phone apps to fitness trackers, and the trouble isn't finding a tool to track your calories, it's choosing which one is right for you. It can quickly highlight what your normal eating habits are and where you might make improvements, which can perfectly complement the health and activity information from your wearable gadget. Read this: Mike's food tracking diary from week 1-9 Counting up all those snacks and meals can reveal some shocking news about your eating habits and highlight common misconceptions about the food you eat - not to mention the portion sizes you might be over-consuming. Having said that, using a calorie tracker is one of the best ways to get control of your diet. So just because you cut down your calorie intake it doesn't mean you shouldn't focus on the quality of your food to make sure you feel good and ultimately shift the fat in the long term - not just the weight in the short term.

There's been a lot of debate over recent years about the fact a calorie isn't always a calorie.

Best food tracking app