Kurbo Health Coaching (Version 2.0.1)

Synopsis of the App
This food and fitness tracker is geared toward kids, teens and families. It includes an introductory video, educational games and optional one-on-one coaching for additional guidance. Parents may be hesitant to share personal information required to use the app, and some health professionals may dislike the focus on weight loss for children. But with an easy-to-use tracking system and ways to celebrate successes, Kurbo Health Coaching delivers on its promise to help kids get fit, stay healthy and have fun.

Platform and Price
Free. Apple and Android

RDN Score
3 out of 5

Pros

  • Easily track food and exercise daily.
  • Monitor progress and celebrate successes.
  • Fun and upbeat design lets kids select a fruit or vegetable cartoon as an avatar.
  • Play nutrition education games and earn points for tracking food and exercise.
  • Kids can choose a variety of goals beyond weight management, including eating healthier, making parents happy, being a better athlete, feeling better and improving confidence.
  • Includes an introductory video explaining portion sizes and the stoplight system.
  • The well-stocked food database includes restaurant and popular national brands.
  • Teaches portion sizes using hands in a reference tool.
  • Parents or children over age 12 can sign up.
  • Option to use weekly live coaching and daily coaching texts to help keep kids on track.
  • One week of free coaching is provided to allow parents to explore the platform.

Cons

  • Must surrender a date of birth, email address, height and weight to use the app.
  • Privacy policy reveals that some information may be shared with third-party service providers and partners. Concerned parents can write Kurbo to limit this sharing.
  • Has a focus on weight which may not be ideal for all children, especially without a health care professional leading the way.
  • One week free of coaching only accessible after adding payment information to the app. Coaching available at $1.67 to $2.83 per day thereafter.
  • The stoplight system may raise some questions. For example a baked chicken breast is labeled yellow.

Bottom Line
Parents will have decide if it's a good fit for their children, but Kurbo can be a fun educational tool and tracker that can help children and their parents to eat better and be active. 

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Marisa Moore
Marisa Moore, MBA, RDN, LD, is based in Atlanta and specializes in culinary nutrition, communications and consulting. She blogs at marisamoore.com. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.