Eat This!

So, on my hunt for motivational apps, the first that caught my eye was Eat This, Not That! The Game. It spawned from the popular book series of the same name, whose platform is "The no-diet weight loss solution!" because it doesn't tell you to eat health food per se, but offers healthier alternatives of the foods that we already eat. (A disclaimer in the game actually reads "Warning: this is NOT healthy food..." for one of the alternatives.)

Apparently this app was really popular back in 2010, but me being new to the whole smart phone/iPad world, I've just discovered it.

The game has four editions (classic, kids, restaurant, and drinks) which are each broken down into smaller categories. During the round, you are shown pictures of two food choices with a name or description of each food and you must guess which is the healthier choice. There is a time limit for your choice, and every few seconds that you don't choose, a hint pops up on the screen telling you a break down of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium in each food.

Honestly, I was a little annoyed that the hints popped up without having to ask for them. I guess I'm a slow reader, but most of the time, the first hint came up on the screen before I was done reading the description of the foods. I really wanted to be able to use my own judgement first to see if I could get it right if I was out a restaurant without any of the info.

Sadly, the answer is probably no, since I was shocked with most of the answers.

Luckily, the game gives explanations for why each correct choice is better either during the round or after you are finished, depending on if you play a casual or a speed round. (I actually took notes!)

Bottom line, I liked the game. It did what I wanted it to, which was to force me to focus on what I eat. I was talking to my mom recently (who has lost a lot of weight herself) and she offered me something to eat. I turned it down because I don't like whatever it was she was offering me. She told me sometimes you have to eat things you don't like because it's good for you. I told her that I can find healthy things that I like. While I already know Eat This, Not That doesn't give you healthy food, it's a start to know that there are better choices for me out there.