Reviews

“In the last six months since being gluten-free, I have searched the internet and the app store on my smart phone for the best sources of information. Since being diagnosed with coeliac disease, I’ve expanded that search to learn as much as possible about the disease, as well. Some of the information is, well, not the greatest – either from a functionality standpoint or a credibility standpoint. So, I was intrigued early last week when my co-worker introduced me to the iPhone app ‘ShopWell’. He told me it was an app that you could use to scan consumer products to tell you two things: 1.) how beneficial that product is to fit your wellness needs that you have predefined in the app; and (more applicable) 2.) tell you if that product posed a food-allergy risk. Needless to say, it sounded like the missing Holy Grail. Those of us with coeliac disease and/or on a gluten-free diet can probably list off pretty easily our preferred ‘go-to’ places for information regarding where and what we can eat. I had yet to hear of an app that does what my co-worker described. Could it really be true? Could there be an app that allows me to scan a product’s bar code, and know instantly if it was not only safe for me to eat, but also a healthy choice based on my personal health goals? (I probably should state at this point that this is an independent review. ShopWell has not reached out to me to do this review, nor am I being paid after this review is posted.) I won’t bury the lead – it is true. One-hundred-per-cent, completely true. And the best part – it’s a free app in the iPhone App Store. Here’s my experience with ShopWell. … [Editor’s note; for full review, see link.] … Overall, I wholly endorse ShopWell for individuals with food allergies, health concerns, or just healthy-eating goals in general. I would love to see additional features down the road, like being able to use Foursquare API/GPS to determine which store you are in to get you the best trade ups for that store. However, I know that the app still relatively new – it was in beta in Sept 2010 – so I’m sure they have a lot of improvements in their pipeline. I’m looking forward to the future development of this app. For me, it should be an essential part of every grocery-shopping trip, right alongside the grocery list.”