How to Use MyFitnessPal

Use MyFitnessPal to log your daily food intake, track calories, and reach your nutrition goals.

Steps

1
Download the MyFitnessPal app
from your phone's app store. The app is free with an option to upgrade to premium.
2
Create an account and set your goals
by entering your age, weight, height, and activity level. The app calculates a daily calorie target for you.
3
Log your meals by searching the food database
for items you ate. MyFitnessPal has millions of foods including restaurant meals and brand-name products.
4
Scan barcodes on packaged foods
using the app camera. This automatically adds the nutrition information to your diary.
5
Review your daily nutrition summary
to see calories, protein, carbs, and fat. The app shows charts so you can track your progress over time.

Is MyFitnessPal free to use?Show

Yes, the basic version of MyFitnessPal is free and includes food tracking, barcode scanning, and nutrition reports.

Can MyFitnessPal connect to my fitness tracker?Show

Yes, MyFitnessPal syncs with many fitness trackers and apps like Fitbit, Apple Health, and Google Fit.

How accurate is the MyFitnessPal food database?Show

The database is user-generated, so nutrition information may not always be exact for every item.

Do I need to count calories forever?Show

Many people use MyFitnessPal for a few months to learn portion sizes and then maintain without daily logging.

Written by the HowToDoStuff.online editorial team. Last updated May 18, 2026.