Open Source at NutritionFacts.org

We’re releasing the Daily Dozen Android and iOS apps to the open-source community for collaborative development!

Daily Dozen + Github
Developers and Designers

Are you passionate about mobile development and contributing in an open, collaborative environment? Do you want to contribute to projects that help to improve the mobile experience of thousands of users around the world by providing an intuitive user interface to track daily nutrition habits?

If you are a mobile developer or designer, you can contribute to NutritionFacts.org’s Daily Dozen app for Android and iOS, now an open-source project on Github — meaning anyone, including you, can play a part in its future development.

Github Repositories:

For details on how to get involved in the NutritionFacts.org app community, take a look at the Contribution Guidelines for each application in their respective Github repository (Android or iOS) and start contributing to the Daily Dozen today!

I have an idea for the app or would like to contribute in another way but I’m not a developer or designer!

Post your ideas below in the comments so that everyone can participate in the discussion. There may be tasks related to the Daily Dozen apps in the future that are not development related, but are still incredibly helpful to the developers involved (for example: providing copy or compiling informational resources). Be sure to check the individual repositories for open issues you might be able to tackle as the app progresses.

  • This is awesome, thanks!

  • Gustavo

    wow, super cool! thank you

  • Naveed G

    What about a section in the app with your most common go-to recipes? I’m thinking stuff like the Hibiscus Tea/Cocktail, Breakfast Smoothie, Chocolate Milkshake, Pumpkin Pie/Smoothie, etc. Basically, a lot of recipe ideas you share in the book

    I know you have the daily dozen as separate ingredients, but I think having these recommendations would be very helpful for people who are less creative about getting these things in daily.

    Also another idea: This is a lot more involved, but what about a Nutrition Facts app itself? Although it would be great to read the articles and see videos in a dedicated app, I don’t mean merely a portal to the website. I mean an actual searchable database of items you recommend in addition to access to the site itself. So for instance, if we search for “amla” on the app we see a short description of what it is, the main benefits with hyperlinks to cited papers, how much is recommended daily, ideas for incorporating it into the diet, and possible contraindications. And perhaps you could search based on food item or based on health condition.

    I realize that would be a lot more time consuming, but I’m sure your volunteers would have no problem working on such a thing, as it could be of great benefit to people. I certainly would help compile the data into practical, useful tidbits in an app if I could.

    Anyway, I’m a huge fan, love your style and your work (and that of your volunteers),
    Naveed

  • Jeff

    Hi, I really like the app but have some quick (hopefully) suggestions on how to make the interface better. Clicking on the item then it takes you to another screen to click more buttons to increase or decrease portions is way too much friction. I recommend doing one of these:

    1) When you press a selection, it automatically increases the portion number and stays on the home screen. If you want to see more detail, then you have to hold down the selection for a second.
    2) Leave it as is but add a “swipe” interface where you can swipe a selection right to add 1, swipe left to subtract 1.
    3) Press the very right side to add 1, the rest of the bar for the selection will take you to the detailed screen (this may be the easiest to implement).

    Thanks!

  • steve

    Love the iphone app and have used it as an “ice-breaker” in introducing people to this way of thinking/living/eating! How about integrating the nutritional content of the recommended portions like cronometer? That would be additionally awesome, thanks for your work.

  • Josstopher

    If this could somehow link with my fitness pal or another calorie tracker then that would be amazing.

  • Harriet

    Serving sizes in metric units would be great!

  • Rowenharris

    The graphic for “greens” and “cruciferous vegetables” are reversed.

    • NFmoderatorRenae

      Hi!

      I had a look at this for you, thank you for the suggestion-

      From what I can see, the picture of cruciferous veg looks like collards/silverbeet on the left and mixed leaves on the left, which could be arugula and some kind of lettuce mix? So yes probably not the most accurate, but not specifically incorrect. The mesclun mix looking bowl would be more accurate on the greens page, I agree here.

      The greens picture looks like kale/mustard greens on the right and the left looks like some kind of sprout or maybe watercress.. I agree that the pictures could be a bit more obvious (such as broccoli/cauliflower for cruciferous) but I think because there is cross over between the two categories, it’s not terrible…I have made a note to others involved to see if they think it should be clarified :)

  • Rowenharris

    As you say frequently, “all plants and not created equal.” It would be very informative to see a summary of why each food is on the recommended list. For foods that are high in antioxidant content, for example, list the ORAC score (per serving not for 100 mg) for each recommended food item. For recommended foods that are not high in antioxidants, it would be useful to identify the characteristics or components of that food item that make it beneficial.

    The app could also be turned into a game, “the daily dozen with friends,” by awarding points based on the nutrient content or ORAC score for each food consumed. The app would need to be modified to allow the user to select the specific food eaten and identify the quantity in common units. Your friends could be notified every time you consume foods with antioxidants and you could compete with them on the points collected each day.

    These points could be compared to an antioxidant RDA for each day (the RDA customized by user characteristics). Bonus points could be awarded for achieving the RDA.

    It would be useful to be able to record partial servings well. Bonuses could be awarded for consuming a complete serving but partial credit should be allowed as well. Of course, for example, it is best to do 90 minutes of exercise but there should be some ability to acknowledge some exercise even it doesn’t reach 90 minutes.

    A bonus should be awarded for eating a variety of food as well.

    Points can be awarded for avoiding foods and activities (like cigarettes) with a net oxidizing effect.

    A recommended “my plate” for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner, would help the user organize the 18 servings of food (24 daily items minus five beverages and 1 exercise) that need to be consumed each day. Beans, for example, would be on each plate since they are recommended with each meal. Spices should be on each plate for at least three servings a day.

    Food should be grouped according to their nutritional profile. So that if, for example, snap peas are similar nutritionally to beans and legumes, they should be grouped there instead of with vegetables. Tomatoes should be categorized with fruit and peanuts as a bean, for example.

    Mushrooms should not be listed under vegetables. They should have their own category as should alium vegetables like garlic and onions because of their rare nutritional components.

    Turmeric might deserve its own category as well like flax seed.

    • I’m really enjoying this app and the simplicity helps to use it daily, but planning meals with it is a bit difficult – it would help if I could record in the app what “type” of food I’m going to eat (from the list under each category, i.e. strawberries under berries) & which meal/time I plan to eat it. I picture a drop down menu for the types instead of checkmarks. As for categorizing the meals/times, that could be more complicated… it would be nice if I could point and drag but that may be asking too much. Maybe you could customize to show the list multiple times under different sections the user can name, i.e. “breakfast.”

  • Cal

    I hope this works on Replicant, the TRULY Free Software/Open Source version of Android.

  • Alan Proctor

    Needs to be a category for b12

  • 1) It would make more sense to have the different categories weighted unequally instead of equally which is how it is now. For example: that 5th cup of water probably isn’t as valuable in one’s day as that 1 cup of berries or greens.

    2) Right now the app shows you how much % you have completed. It would be cool to see a score card that would show 1) Your average % score. 2) Your lowest score. 3) Your highest score. 4) Your least check-marked item.

    • Also is not Iodine (sea veggies) considered essential as one of categories (perhaps not daily, but necessary no?)

      • (Also perhaps be more inclusive in the “Seeds section” by suggesting Hemp Seed and Chia Seed in addition to the solo Flax Seed.)

  • Razmikb

    Please add translation option, would love to contribute for Georgian and Russian

  • Aileen

    I started using the iPhone app just a week ago and love it. Could someone have a look at pictures for cruciferous and greens. I think they are matched wrongly and need to be swopped.
    Well done though. Very useful.
    Aileen

    • NFmoderatorRenae

      Hi Aileen-

      I had a look at this for you, thank you for the suggestion-

      From what I can see, the picture of cruciferous veg looks like collards/silverbeet on the left and mixed leaves on the left, which could be arugula and some kind of lettuce mix? So yes probably not the most accurate, but not specifically incorrect. The mesclun mix looking bowl would be more accurate on the greens page, I agree here.

      The greens picture looks like kale/mustard greens on the right and the left looks like some kind of sprout or maybe watercress.. I agree that the pictures could be a bit more obvious (such as broccoli/cauliflower for cruciferous) but I think because there is cross over between the two categories, it’s not terrible…I have made a note to others involved to see if they think it should be clarified :)

  • Maybe include something that is hard to come by- optimal daily amounts of essential nutrients and their optimal sources- vitamins, minerals, omega-3, lysine, fiber, and an “add your own” marker, and an “add your own condition” for easy recommendations. If this is already incorporated, please ignore.

  • Jake Edmiston

    Hello I am wondering if someone can help me. I am a Dietetic Intern and I am teaching a class on heart health. I wanted to know if I could use a copy of Dr. Greger’s daily dozen as a handout to the class. Am I allowed to use this? Also is there somewhere on this site that I can print a pdf version or any other version? Thank you for your help.

  • Curtis

    The option to switch locations so that the serving sizes are in countries weighing measurements would be great! E.g. at the moment beans are displayed in cups hut for the UK grams would be useful.

    • Kate

      Not sure whether a conversion chart link (similar to the size guide charts in online clothing stores) would be easier, therefore faster to implement?? I have one a fridge magnet version at home – it’s really helpful :)

  • Maurice

    Hi is the daily dozen available or will be for ubuntu linux format thanks

  • Tom

    Wonerful App Michael. Just started using it. Very practical reminder at the kitchen food table as well as the produce isle.

    Notes:
    -The picture on the “greens” and “cruciferous vegetables” seem to be reversed.
    -You won’t be surprised that many of the produce named are unfamiliar to the public. Clickable Popping picture could greatly help identifying it at the local store.
    -Was missing out on some recommendations from your videos:
    -Peanuts at the nuts section?
    -Seaweed for iodine?

    Well done.

  • KateL

    One of my greatest concerns in life is the power of social media in the hands of the popular, but uneducated. It would be great to develop a ‘Truth Test’ for those without a health or science education to decode misleading media articles – I developed a similar tool in my role as a Preventative Health Educator (Chronic Disease), would love to get something together for you!

  • Carthalia Ekstrom

    I’d like to see an option where you can select the number of items per category yourself – ie instead of greens showing just two boxes to tick, having a feature to allow me to have five boxes etc

  • lentower

    move this idea section to its own web page.
    then add a menu item, perhaps titled
    “Suggest improvements”,
    to the drop down menu in all platform versions of the app.

  • lentower

    add an item to the drop down menu in all platform versions of the app, perhaps titled
    “What’s new!”,
    that would have a user level description of the changes of each new release.

    newest entries at the top to oldest at the bottom.

    this would help users learn about & benefit from new features sooner.

  • Zabel Connor

    Heya! From my understanding, it takes 20 years for our b12 stores to depleat so the bloods are not a gpod indication of whether you’re feeding your body right. Vegans win healthwise in all departments except vegetarians and vegana have higher rates of Altzymers than meat eaters and it is because they aren’t getting the b12. Our bodies need b12 to process the flaxseed’s omegas into beneficial substances. Taking b12 is so easy and cheap if you buy online, and there is zero shame in suplementimg because animal eaters are being indirectly suplemented b12 becuase the animals are fed the b12.

  • Vaughan

    Hey all. Would like to see B12, iodine (or seaweed) and Vitamin D added to the daily dozen. If I’m not mistaken Greggor and co site these three as the potential weak points of most diets, including vegans. Having B12 pills, at the very least, I think would be a great way to get more people on track with this important vitamin. Perhaps these three could be appended to the existing flaxseed entry for convenience and asthetics, seeing as flax is probably only there because it is essentially an omega source.

    Any thoughts?

    • Thea

      Vaughan: Since you asked, I have some thoughts… ;-) But first note that I’m not speaking for Dr. Greger nor do I have any special insight or connection to “da man.” I’m just sharing my thoughts.
      .
      I had something of a similar thought in that I was thinking we should have “baker’s dozen” with “select supplements” on their own page. But the only simple one is B12. Everything else is a “it depends” on the situation, which makes it hard to convey in a simple list format like the Daily Dozen. Also, Dr. Greger tends to think B12 is easiest to just do as a weekly supplement rather than daily. So, working that into the free Daily Dozen phone apps gets a lot more complicated.
      .
      In addition, there are more than just the three “nutrients of concern” that you pointed out. Here is the whole list: http://nutritionfacts.org/2011/09/12/dr-gregers-2011-optimum-nutrition-recommendations/
      .
      And here’s one more final thought: If you watch the NutritionFacts videos about a) flaxseed and b) the recent series on DHA, I think you will see that Dr. Greger definitely does not recommend flaxseed because of the ALA/omega 3 is has. I would say that Dr. Greger is recommending flaxseed, because of it’s lignans which help to fight cancer and do other nice things.
      .
      It does disturb me some that B12 is not mentioned on the chart. Maybe it could be a footnote? Anyway, those are my thoughts. Do you have some back?

      • shnorb

        Hey Thea, thanks for your thoughtful reply. Great to get some feedback from someone more onto it than I.

        I like your idea of having a kind of sublist. Perhaps a supplements item could replace flax, containing the recommendations listed in the link you provided. (Otherwise it would cease to be a dozen! :P).
        Headings within the description might show some of the information contained in that same link you sent me, with check boxes with each heading, for example:

        Iodine:
        • x grams of Wakame
        • x grams of Dulce
        • 150mcg Supplement

        Vic D:
        • x hours sun exposure
        • 2000IU supplement

        Lignans:
        • 1 TBS flaxseed meal, refrigerated

        Having various heading in the description was previously implemented in the exercise section to distinguish high and moderate intensity exercise.

        It would become more technically challenging for developers to implement want I am about to suggest but is very doable. B12 could appear weekly on the list, on a day of the week indicated in the Settings, or set as a daily indicator like the rest in settings if desired by the user. Maybe defaulting to weekly on Monday.
        Vit D sun exposure hours could be automatically calculated by accessing the devices time zone data.

        Maybe too ambitious? :P

        • Thea

          shnorb: Works for me. :-)

  • Laurie

    I love the simplicity of this app, but it hasn’t worked right since the most recent update. When I check just 1 box in a category, all the boxes in that category are automatically checked.

  • Angela

    I love this app! I want to have a new year resolution contest with my husband. At the end of each month, who so ever should have the highest serving average, is the winner. I think in order to do this, we will have to uninstall and reinstall the app every month, to restart the calculations. Maybe one of you smarty pants app developers can add some sort of game option to this so people can compete by eating healthy. How fun would that be?!
    Thanks and happy new year everyone!

  • Vegan Joti

    Awesome