[Logging] Broaden Food Database/Improve search functionality
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Lynette Diaz
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Item name found by Barcode should also be found when searched by that same name
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Tuna Ertemalp
I'll give just one example. This morning, I scanned a container of Turkish olives in its Turkish retail container, and to my surprise Levels found it correctly as "Kuru Sele" with 8690103292888 barcode (as seen on https://www.barcodelookup.com/8690103292888). However, searching it as "Kuru Sele" gave me a whole bunch of random things that had nothing to do with the actual item nor olives. It is as if these two things are looking up in different databases... Ultimately, the (three different?) databases used for barcode scanning and name searching and created by Levels users entering unfound items need to be seamlessly integrated as one, either literally by maintaining your own database drawn from these different sources or virtually by the magic of software making up for the inconsistencies between them all.
DK T
The app says it’s the most recent. I did try the describe and even manual entry I get frequent try again later pop ups.
DK T
Not a fan of the food log. It’s extremely antiquated (even with updates), it needs complete overhaul. Written and Photography seem not to be very intuitive.
I also get a lot of try again notices.
Basics with their macros should already be integrated.
When I take a photo of the bar code display the actual food item, not a photo of the bar - if the bar is recognized have the nutritional label there so I can add the serving / weight of food and it’s already tabulated/ calculated.
This app and whatnot offers isn’t competing with anything out there, it lacks in all areas I feel. This isn’t sour grapes but honest feedback so that you have repeat customers.
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Lynette Diaz
DK T Thank you so much for taking the time to provide feedback. Based on what you've described, it sounds like you might have an older version of the Levels app. Would you mind double checking to see if you have the latest version?
Also, in the most recently updated version you can use a feature we call Meal Describe. I've spoken to quite a few members who don't realize they can use the new logging flow in very much the same way as they did previously. Would you minding giving this a try and let me know how it works. Select the + button, then select 'Describe', enter your entire meal contents in the text box, just like you used to in the previous way of logging, then select add items to log. AI will take a few seconds to analyze the information, if you don't care about the macros you can simply select log items on the top of the screen and you're done! Let me know how that works.
Kristen Valentine
Hi Lynette! I have been using the describe function some, especially if I'm eating out and guesstimating anyway. I'm getting to the point where detailed macro tracking has helped me find new habits and I don't need to be perfectly accurate 100% of the time. Given that, I like describe as a way to still have a food log in case there is a surprise glucose response, but not have it be a perfect macro tracker. That's what I liked about the old tracking method you're sunsetting - just take a picture or enter a few key words and you're done. Macro tracking is a great tool for a period of time, but too tedious to do forever.
I usually end up putting in a few key ingredients separated by commas rather than describing the entire dish. For example, I'll type "chicken, spinach, creamy lime dressing, and avocado" instead of something like "southwest chicken salad". That works well enough for me and then I sometimes adjust the quantities, which I've developed some skill at since I've been macro tracking for a while.
A couple of wish list items as it relates to describe (probably some repetition with my prior feedback). Since I use it when eating out, it would awesome if I could type in "Chipotle keto salad bowl" and have it bring in accurate nutritional information based on Chipotle's posted menu.
Another wish list item is that describe could pull in my custom foods (and eventually recipes when you get that feature added). Or something even easier like "copy my breakfast over from yesterday".
Not specific to describe, but for the barcode search I wish I could see my previously scanned barcode items rather than have the scan the barcode each time. I decant some of my grocery items and it's annoying to have to search for a label to scan for commonly used things like chia seeds.
For the search function in general, it's a bit cumbersome to have each type of search in its own silo. For example, if I am logging a meal that includes a food from the "My Foods" tab and then I want to use the general "Search" feature for the next food, I often forget to switch tabs and then the search function can't find anything. I wish I could just search in one place and the search feature would return results from "My Foods", "Search" or previously scanned "Barcode" and I could choose from there.
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Lynette Diaz
Kristen Valentine Thank you so much for the additional feedback! Getting this over to the team now. I'll create some separate feature requests from your wishlist!
I'm not sure if you've used 'recents' but that tab will show all the meals you've ever logged. So if you've scanned a barcode for a food you should be able to find it under recents! I also would like for the search bar to search the database, recent meals and custom foods! I'll be sure to add this as a separate feature request.
Kristen Valentine
Lynette Diaz Thanks Lynette! I've used the "recent" tab quite a bit, but it only lets me import entire meals. If I just want one ingredient from that meal that was a scanned item, I have to import the entire meal and delete the other items. That's my current work around.
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Lynette Diaz
Kristen Valentine Yes very good point! (I run into the same issue). I'll be sure to surface this feedback to the team!
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Cheryl Bryant
I'm not using it because I'm more interested in precision results than guesstimation. I believe---without having tested it---it would take me more time to fix the result than to enter the foods from searching the database.
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Lynette Diaz
Cheryl Bryant I hear you! I personally use barcode scanning and recent meals the most, (even for things like veggies almost everything has a barcode these days). I tend to use Meal Describe if I'm out to eat or if the ingredients are very generic, like today for lunch I might use Meal Describe to say ' 5 oz chicken, 1 cup mixed greens, 2 tablespoons vinaigrette, and 1/3 medium sweet potato' and meal describe does a REALLY good job. Especially if you include relative portion sizes in your text.
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Cristina Escalante
Lynette Diaz the database is definitely an improvement from what it was before. However, how the text input works - write a sentence, have AI search, and have the app prepopulate including portions, is a bit overkill.
Before if I entered a comma-separated list of items, there was a relatively quick search then the items showed up without portions.
Now it's a relatively long search (let's say i put in "hersheys kiss, pistachios"), the AI flow takes longer than it used to, even though it should be faster.
Also something the AI might be really cool for, extracting foods from images doesn't seem to be there?
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Lynette Diaz
Cristina Escalante Totally we have something in the works that would essentially eliminate the wait time for AI to assess your meal that should speed things up!
AI photo detect is actually on the roadmap and will be released VERY soon... like in the next few weeks and should also be a very quick way to log! 🙌🏼
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Lynette Diaz
Hi there - Lynette here from the Levels Research and Member Experience team. I'm curious how many people here are using the Describe feature we've recently rolled out. I'd be really curious how you like it. Simply type or speak the contents of your meal in the describe box, select add to log and AI will automatomagically separate out each ingredient and it's relative macros. Side note: The updated food database is coming very soon!!
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Aris Cruz
Lynette Diaz i've been using the describe feature of late and it's been great! Even recipes i've followed from the internet like a keto beef stew has been pretty good. The voice feature has worked pretty well the few times i've used it, but i'm often a typer so i don't use that feature too much.
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Cosima Travis
in progress
Great news! We're actively working on this feature you've requested. Stay tuned for more updates!
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Sky Pate
Cosima Travis Yay!!!!
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Armin Torres
Agree here. The Levels food database is not currently competitive with other apps. I'm using myfitnesspal and weight watchers as they excel in meal logging and robust food databases.
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