Garmin revealed on Monday that it has added food tracking to Garmin Connect with a nutrition feature that will monitor calories and macros along with using insights to set goals.
The addition of nutrition metrics adds more usability to the platform outside of syncing workouts, displaying health data and coaching.
According to Garmin, the new feature includes a searchable global food database that lets users upload photos or scan barcodes to match the item. A custom food creator keeps track of recipes while detailed reports outlines targeted calories and macronutrients to make sure goals are being met.
The tracker also creates recommendations based on height, weight, gender, activity level and average active calories. The food and nutrition data is then used with AI tools to show insights on how sleep and workouts are impacted by eating habits. All of the data exists in a dedicated section of the dashboard, with a glance of the nutrition highlights displayed alongside existing metics like workouts, sleep, heart rate and steps.
“Our Nutrition feature is designed for all users, no matter where they are in their health journey,” Susan Lyman, Garmin’s vice president of consumer sales and marketing said. “Whether they’re just starting to build healthy habits, wanting to maintain a healthy lifestyle, or looking to perform at their absolute best, users can now track their nutrition, health and fitness data in one app—giving them a simplified approach to reach their goals.”
Garmin’s nutrition feature now means that its users won’t have to rely on popular apps like MyFitnessPal, Cronometer or Lose It! for third-party food tracking, but using the service will come at a cost as part of the Garmin Connect+ tier that is $6.99 per month or $69.99 annually. Opting into a paid Garmin Connect+ subscription is the only way for users to access the feature but it’s a move that now appears to deliver value to the tier that was introduced early last year.
At launch, Garmin Connect+ seemed promising but was met with tepid reception and was hard to justify paying a premium over the standard version of the service. The AI-driven summaries — Active Intelligence — seemed underwhelming and the 30-day trial period to use Garmin Connect+ was far shorter than those from Apple and other manufacturers.
But a beefed up Garmin Connect+ nutrition tracking experience makes the subscription hold up against MyFitnessPal, which is $24.99 a month and 99.99 yearly, Cronometer’s $39.99 a month cost and paying either $149.99 lifetime fee or at least $29.99 a year for Lose It!.
The bulk of the nutrition insights can only be viewed on the Garmin Connect platform but users can get some general information on their watches. Functions like accessing the food database, scanning barcodes and uploading photos will have to be handled on the app.
