Comparison of NutriComp and Yazio in estimating energy and macronutrient intake: Accuracy and clinical applicability

BACKGROUND: Dietary apps are widely used for tracking food intake due to their convenience and accessibility. However, their accuracy, particularly compared to expert-driven dietary assessment tools, remains insufficiently examined. OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the accuracy of dietary intake estimations-focusing on energy, carbohydrates, protein, and fat-using NutriComp (NC), a professional dietary software, and Yazio (Y), a commercial mobile application, to assess their suitability for both clinical practice and research purposes. METHODS: Twenty-two 3-d dietary records were analyzed, with identical food entries provided for both tools. NC utilizes a scientifically validated food database, while Y incorporates user-generated, domestic, and international food data. Mean differences in energy and macronutrient estimations were compared using paired t tests, and agreement was assessed via Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS: Significant differences were found for energy (P < 0.001), carbohydrates (P < 0.001), protein (P < 0.001), and fat (P = 0.019). NC reported systematically higher values for energy, carbohydrate, and protein intake, whereas Y tended to overestimate fat consumption. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated systematic biases in energy (115.4 ± 197.1 kcal) and protein (20.3 ± 11.4 g), while fat intake exhibited greater variability (4.2 ± 14.8 g) in Y. These discrepancies may be related to differences in database quality, food categorization, and user input variations. CONCLUSIONS: While Y is user-friendly, its dependence on non-validated databases results in notable inaccuracies, limiting its clinical and scientific applicability. In contrast, NC's validated database ensures more precise estimations, making it more suitable for professional dietary assessments. These findings underscore the need for continuous validation and refinement of dietary tracking applications to enhance their reliability and long-term practical utility in nutritional monitoring and research.