APP REVIEW: Gluten Free Daily

By Visual Identity Group, Inc.

RATING: 4.5 Stars

SYNOPSIS
Gluten Free Daily is an online guide built to provide education and resources about following a gluten-free diet. Whether you suffer from celiac disease, gluten intolerance, or are in need of guidance in terms of weight loss, wellness or fitness, this app can help.

 

  • Pros
  • Additional information offered at www.glutenfreedaily.com
  • Includes free 7-day trial
  • 24 weeks of meal plans as well as recipes
  • Good grocery shopping list and medications guide
  • Daily exercise videos and nutrition and lifestyle tips
  • Helpful visuals are offered to indicate food portion sizes
  • Offers gluten-free diets as well as Glycemic load-based diets
  • Provides patients with their Resting Metabolic Rate, Body Mass Index and Thermal Effect of Exercise
  • Supplies tips on eating out and healthier food choices
  • Lists chain restaurants that offer gluten-free meals
  • Track progress with food and activity journal available and graphs for progress

Cons

  • After a free trial, must pay for a membership of $59 per year or $9.99 per month
  • Even the trial version requires a credit card, username and login.
  • App encourages anyone to follow a gluten-free diet, even if they do not have celiac disease. As an RD, I believe that only people who have celiac disease or diagnosed gluten intolerance need to be following a gluten-free diet.
  • This diet is not individualized, which is a concern.
  • Although low in calories, the diet’s basic principles to promote weight loss are not likely to cause short term harm, though I believe it could damage the credibility of the site. For example, the five-day fat flush diet plan claims it will help your body detox.  Such terms as “detox” and “fat flush” make me question whether the app’s manufacturer is trying to grab consumers’ immediate attention, as opposed to helping people follow a lifelong eating plan. Nutrition and lifestyle tips are offered, but some of the quotes are misleading. One of its quotes states “we don’t get diseases because we get older, it’s because we continue to follow the wrong diet.” This type of quote may make consumers feels the disease is their fault when Celiac disease is an autoimmune deficiency.

BOTTOM LINE
This app provided helpful information and resources for those dealing with celiac disease and gluten intolerance. I do not recommend those who aren’t suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance partake in a gluten-free lifestyle, and I recommend consumers consider the potential misinformation and cost and seek professional help from a registered dietitian before beginning a gluten-free diet. Many of my clients would benefit from the meal plans, grocery shopping lists, recipes and suggested activities. However, I would let my clients know of the potential misinformation and costs prior to suggesting this app to them.

—Jessica Crandall, RD, CDE

Food & Nutrition Magazine
Food & Nutrition Magazine publishes articles on food and diet trends, highlights of nutrition research and resources, updates on public health issues and policy initiatives related to nutrition, and explorations of the cultural and social factors that shape Americans’ diets and health.