Five Smartphone Apps for the College Foodie

Smart phones have become so integrated into our daily lives that most of us would find it hard to function without them. From social media to games, there is a downloadable app for everything.

And, there is no denying, the best types of phone apps are the ones that help make life a little bit easier. Eating is a major part of our daily lives – with three meals a day and snacks in between, a food-related phone app becomes all the more necessary to download.

Grand Central found five apps that can assist you in all food-related parts of your life. These apps prove that the unlikely combination of food and technology can be beneficial and innovative.

1. Tapingo (free for Android and iPhone)

Some days, you just don’t have those 15 minutes to spare and wait for a Starbucks coffee in the Bovee University Center or a sub from Subway in the Towers. Fortunately, there is an app that allows you to avoid waiting in the long lines around campus.

Tapingo is a fast and easy way to order and pay for food with your mobile device.

Using the Tapingo app, you can order food from any favorite campus food location and your food will be ready to be picked up the moment you’re there.

Tapingo can be used on 30 college campuses across the United States, including Central Michigan University. This innovative app is the future of online ordering on college campuses.

2. Pocket Points (free for Android and iPhone)

Pocket Points is similar to Tapingo in that it is meant exclusively for college students. You log in with Facebook, and then select your university.

This app is a reward system for not using your phone in class, and it only works when you’re actually on campus. (So, yes this may be the only app that actually encourages you to not use your smartphone.)

Once you’re in class, just open the app and then lock your screen, but no peeking! The longer you leave your phone alone, the more points you earn.

Okay, so what’s so great about these points, and how is this app food-related? Well, you can actually use the points you earn to nab great deals and coupons at a few local food establishments.

Using Pocket Points, you can get coupons for Insomnia Cookies, Menna’s Joint, Firehouse Subs, GNC and even Liquor 1.

And, it’s not just good for food places – there are several other places to redeem your points such as the Central Michigan Bookstore, and Celebration! Cinema right here in Mount Pleasant.

The list of businesses don’t end there, you can also use the points for online shopping websites, too.

The app also features a leaderboard among your school and all schools. It displays who is earning the most points. Most professors don’t allow you to use your cell phones in class anyways, so you might as well be earning points that can save you money.

3. Mixologist (free for Android and iPhone with ads, available for purchase)

With this app anyone can be a professional bartender.

The app includes countless drink recipes that you can sift through by category or popularity.

There is also a liquor cabinet tab that allows you to put in the ingredients you have on hand, and it will give you recipes to try.

For anyone who is completely lost when it comes to making drinks, this app has your back. It shows which glasses are used for what specific drinks, and there is even a list of common bartending terms and their definitions.

This app is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to make the perfect drink or wow their friends with their new bartending skills.

4. Yummly (free for Android and iPhone users)

Anyone with an empty stomach should avoid opening this app, because you’d surely be using it for hours.

It displays endless pictures of delicious meals, desserts and appetizers that you can add to your list of “yums.”

Each recipe pulls up right on the app, even though they come from different websites. It also includes the number of ingredients you will need, the number of calories in the meal and the cook time.

The more recipes you save to your list of “yums” the more new recipe recommendations will pop up (based on what you have already chosen).  This helps give you recipes that you’re more likely to try and like.

Also, you can use this app to keep a digital shopping list. So, when you find a recipe you would like to try, you can add the ingredients to your shopping list before you forget. Yummly is ideal for any food lover or enthusiast looking to try new recipes.

5. Fooducate (free for Android and iPhone with premium purchasable features)

This app is meant to help with weight loss, but it actually includes some great features everyone could find beneficial.

Under the home tab, there is a button labeled “food finder.” This allows you to scan the barcode on any food or snack at the grocery store, and then it gives you a letter grade of how healthy that food is for you and why.

It also provides extra nutritional information on the scanned product.

If you find out that your favorite snack is actually awful for you and you’re not sure what to try instead, Fooducate displays a list of alternative choices that are similar.

Besides the food finder, there are many other great things about this app, including daily tips and a calorie tracker.