App Showcase: Fddb

What it does

Fddb is a comprehensive calorie counter and nutrition tracking app designed to help users manage their diet and achieve health goals. The core function revolves around a detailed food diary where users can log meals from an extensive database and track physical activities to monitor their net energy balance. The app also includes features for tracking weight progress over time and discovering healthy recipes.

Where it shines

The app's strength lies in its depth of nutritional data and flexible logging options. When a user searches for a food item, such as "bread" (02:25), Fddb presents a full-page breakdown of macros, vitamins, and minerals before it's even added to the diary. This empowers users to make informed choices. Additionally, the app thoughtfully includes a "Dummy" entry feature (03:29), allowing users to quickly log a calorie amount without searching the database. This is a practical solution that prioritizes consistency over perfection, acknowledging the realities of daily tracking.

UX highlights

• Detailed Previews: Tapping a search result (02:23) opens a comprehensive detail screen, giving users full nutritional context before they commit to logging an item.
• Flexible Logging: The "Dummy" entry tab (03:29) provides a frictionless way to log estimated calories, preventing users from getting stuck and abandoning their diary.
• Efficient Management: Standard swipe gestures are used to quickly copy or delete logged items (03:47), making diary adjustments feel fluid and intuitive.
• Clear Dashboard: The main screen (01:22) provides an at-a-glance summary of calories eaten, burned, and remaining, using a clear visual gauge for progress.
• Advanced Recipe Filtering: The recipe section (07:12) allows users to filter by preparation time, difficulty, and other criteria, helping them find suitable meals quickly.
• Integrated Health Data: A prompt to connect with Apple Health (01:23) appears early, suggesting a focus on creating a holistic view of the user's health.

Monetization & growth

The app employs a paywall-after-investment strategy. Immediately following the multi-step onboarding quiz and mandatory sign-up, a paywall appears at 01:10. This offer creates urgency with a prominent countdown timer and highlights a significant discount on the annual plan. Throughout the app, advanced features like detailed micronutrient goals and recipe customization are clearly marked with a "PRO" badge, serving as persistent upgrade prompts woven into the core user experience.

Who it’s for

Fddb is best suited for users who are serious about detailed nutrition tracking, moving beyond simple calorie counting. Its extensive database and focus on micronutrients cater to individuals with specific fitness goals, dietary requirements, or a deep interest in the nutritional makeup of their food. The recipe discovery and meal logging features also make it a valuable tool for anyone looking to actively manage their diet with structured, data-driven insights.

Notes & opportunities

While the data is comprehensive, the initial dashboard presents multiple calls-to-action simultaneously ("Track your activities!", "Get Premium", "Welcome offer"), which could create cognitive load for a new user. Focusing the initial view on a single, primary action could improve clarity. Additionally, managing the food diary by deleting multiple items requires repeated swiping (03:47). A bulk-edit or multi-select function could significantly streamline this process for users cleaning up their daily log.