As advanced AI models become better at understanding different types of input — such as text, voice, and images — and converting them into nutritional data, fitness apps that let people log their food using these methods have exploded in popularity. We have seen new startups like Alma and Cal AI — along with existing apps like LifeSum, Healthify, MyFitnessPal, and MyNetDiary — either launching new apps or adding new functionality around nutritional tracking.
Now, strength training app Ladder is throwing its hat into the ring by launching its own calorie-tracking platform called Ladder Nutrition within the main app. Like other trackers, Ladder Nutrition allows you to input your food intake in any way: taking a picture, scanning a barcode, typing it in, or describing the food you had through voice. The app will estimate your macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) based on your input, and you can edit the portion sizes as well.
Ladder said that its advantage is that people are already tracking workouts through the Ladder app, with nutrition tracking their inputs (macros, calories) and outputs (workouts) in one place.
The company said it uses a series of AI models for image recognition, ingredient identification, and calculating macros. It noted that by default, most AI food models are trained on U.S.-centric data, which means they may not accurately recognize international cuisines, so it partnered with a nutrition data provider to get accurate data for food from other parts of the world. This approach means that if one model fails to identify a dish or macros, another can step in.
The tracker also has a protein mode, which helps you track your daily protein intake. Ladder said that it has also included streaks, badges, and progress reminders to gamify the process of nutrition tracking and help people regularly log their food.
Ladder said that when it surveyed its members last year, the results showed that they wanted a nutrition tracker within the app, rather than having to use another app for it. This is why the company focused on shipping the nutrition tracking feature this year.
The company said it has been testing food tracking over the last month and that 70% of testers said that they intended to switch calorie tracking apps after using Ladder’s features.
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“Nutrition was the next logical step for Ladder, and our members were pleading with us for it,” Ladder CEO Greg Stewart told TechCrunch over email. “They wanted a simple, smarter way to connect what they eat with how they perform — and that’s exactly what Ladder Nutrition delivers.”
It’s just the start, Stewart continued. He said that in the future, Ladder will “build on this foundation with features that offer more prescriptive guidance — what to eat, how to fuel, and how to optimize nutrition based on individual training habits and goals continuously.”
The nutrition tracking feature is free for all Ladder members, who pay $29.99 per month or $179.99 a year. According to Ladder, the app has more than 300,000 paid members worldwide.
