Why We Built ShredSheet (And Why the World Doesn't Need Another Calorie Tracker)

There are hundreds of calorie tracking apps. MyFitnessPal alone has over 200 million users. So why on earth would anyone build another one?

Because we think they all got it wrong.

The Problem with Existing Apps

We used every popular nutrition tracker for months before writing a single line of code. Here’s what we found:

They’re Bloated

Most calorie trackers started simple and then bolted on feature after feature: social feeds, recipe sharing, workout programs, meal plans, premium coaching, community forums. The core experience – logging what you eat – got buried under layers of stuff most people never use.

They’re Designed to Keep You Paying

Free tiers are intentionally limited to push you toward subscriptions. Want to scan a barcode? Premium. Want to see your macros? Premium. Want to set a custom goal? You guessed it.

We believe the fundamentals of nutrition tracking should be free. Period.

They Look Like They Were Designed in 2014

Because most of them were. The UI in many popular trackers hasn’t fundamentally changed in a decade. Dark mode is an afterthought. Animations are janky. The experience feels like using a utility, not a product you enjoy.

Their Data Is a Mess

User-generated food databases are full of duplicate entries, wrong values, and inconsistencies. Search for “banana” and you’ll get 47 results with calorie counts ranging from 80 to 150. Which one is right? Who knows.

What We Did Differently

Free Core, No Tricks

Calorie tracking, macro tracking, barcode scanning, goal setting, progress charts – all free. No trial period, no feature gates. We make money from optional premium features like AI insights and advanced analytics. If you never pay us a cent, you still get a complete, fully functional tracker.

Clean, Modern Design

We spent more time on design than on any other aspect of the app. Every screen, every animation, every interaction was crafted to feel premium. Dark mode isn’t an option – it’s the default, because that’s what looks best and is easiest on your eyes.

Verified Food Data

We use Open Food Facts as our primary data source – an open, community-verified database. Combined with barcode scanning, this means the nutrition data you see is tied to the actual product you’re holding, not a random user submission from 2016.

AI That Actually Helps

Take a photo of your meal and our AI estimates the calories and macros. It’s not perfect – no AI is – but it’s remarkably good for quick estimates when you can’t scan a barcode. And it gets better with every update.

Privacy by Default

We don’t sell your data. We don’t show ads. We don’t use creepy analytics. Your nutrition data stays on your device unless you explicitly enable cloud sync – and even then, it’s encrypted.

The Philosophy

ShredSheet is built on one core belief: your nutrition tracker should be a tool, not a product that extracts value from you.

It should help you reach your goals and then get out of the way. It shouldn’t guilt-trip you for missing a day. It shouldn’t flood you with notifications. It shouldn’t make you feel bad about eating a slice of pizza.

Track your food. See your data. Make better decisions. That’s it.

What’s Next

We’re a small team, but we ship fast. Here’s what’s coming:

Android version – built with React Native for full feature parity
Recipes and meal prep – log once, reuse forever
Advanced analytics – weekly and monthly trend analysis
Wearable integrations – beyond Apple Health

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably the kind of person who cares about doing nutrition right. We built ShredSheet for you.

Download ShredSheet and see the difference.