guide

How to track supplements, vitamins and minerals in one app

Six in ten US adults take a dietary supplement. Most nutrition apps only count what you eat, so the vitamin D in your softgel and the vitamin D in your salmon never meet. Here is why that matters and which apps fix it.

By the EXO team · Updated

quick answer

Want supplements counted with food from a photo? EXO, on iPhone.

Want the most nutrients, free, on iPhone, Android or the web? Cronometer. MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, Cal AI, MacroFactor and Yazio do not mention supplements on their App Store listings.

Why count food and supplements together?

In CDC survey data from August 2021 to August 2023, 60.2% of US adults had used a dietary supplement in the past 30 days. Among people 60 and older it was 75.9%, and 38.7% of adults took two or more. Yet most calorie apps only count food. That leaves two blind spots:

  • You think you are low when you are not. Your food log says vitamin D is low, but you take a daily softgel.
  • You go over without noticing. The NIH warns that if you take supplements and eat fortified foods, you may get more than you think, and more is not always better.

Upper limits worth knowing

The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements lists a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for most vitamins and minerals: the most you can take each day without a likely risk of harm. These are the adult limits for three common supplements:

NutrientAdult upper limitWhat counts
Vitamin D100 mcg (4,000 IU)Food and supplements (NIH)
Zinc40 mgFood and supplements (NIH)
Magnesium350 mgSupplemental magnesium only, not food (NIH)

Upper limits are not targets. Your doctor may advise more or less for you.

What to look for in a supplement tracker

  1. One total per nutrient. Vitamin D from food and from pills should add up to one number.
  2. Easy entry. A label or barcode scan beats typing every ingredient from the bottle.
  3. A daily check off. You take the same pills every day, so logging them should take one tap.
  4. Enough nutrients. At least the common vitamins and minerals, not only calories and macros.

Apps that track supplements

1EXO

Best for supplements and food from a photo

EXO counts calories, macros, 13 vitamins and 11 minerals from a photo of your meal. Scan a supplement facts label once and EXO adds its vitamins and minerals to what you ate, so you see one total per nutrient. Your supplements sit on your day so you can check each one off when you take it.

  • Keep in mind: iPhone only, no free plan.
  • Price: $79.99 a year with a free trial.

2Cronometer

Best for the most nutrients on a free plan

Cronometer tracks up to 95 nutrients and compounds. Its help center says you add a supplement like a food, from its database or by barcode, and you can make a custom entry for anything missing. It runs on iPhone, Android and the web.

  • Keep in mind: photo logging needs Gold, and you log by search or barcode.
  • Price: free, or Gold at $59.99 a year.

Full EXO vs Cronometer comparison

What about other calorie apps?

We read the App Store listings of MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, Cal AI, MacroFactor and Yazio, and none of them mentions supplements. MyFitnessPal shows some vitamins and minerals, with more in Premium, and Lose It! keeps vitamins and minerals in Premium. In apps that let you create a custom food, you can add a supplement that way, but you type its nutrients in by hand.

A simple routine that works

  • Add each supplement once, ideally by scanning the label.
  • Check it off when you take it, at the time you take it.
  • Look at the week, not the day: which vitamins and minerals run low, and which run high.
  • Bring the list to your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you take medicines.

The NIH puts it plainly: supplements cannot take the place of a varied diet. Tracking both shows you whether you need the pill at all.

Sources

  1. Stierman B, Couch CA, Gahche JJ, Mishra S. Dietary supplement use: United States, August 2021 to August 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 561, May 2026.
  2. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements: What You Need to Know, read October 27, 2026.
  3. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals, read October 27, 2026.
  4. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc fact sheet for health professionals, read October 27, 2026.
  5. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals, read October 27, 2026.
  6. Cronometer Support. How do I add a supplement to my diary?, read October 27, 2026.
  7. Apple App Store US listings for EXO, Cronometer, MyFitnessPal, Lose It!, Cal AI, MacroFactor and Yazio, read October 26 and 27, 2026.

EXO makes this guide and lists its own app first. It is general information, not medical advice. We are not affiliated with any other app here.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best app to track supplements and vitamins?
On iPhone, EXO if you want photo logging and supplement label scans, with supplements added to your vitamin and mineral totals. Cronometer if you want the most nutrients, a free plan, or Android and web.
Do supplements count toward the upper limit?
Yes. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements upper limits cover your total intake, food plus supplements, with some exceptions such as magnesium, where the adult limit of 350 mg applies to supplemental magnesium only.
Can I track supplements in MyFitnessPal or Cal AI?
Neither app lists supplement tracking on its App Store listing or website. MyFitnessPal shows some vitamins and minerals, more in Premium.
Should I take supplements instead of eating better?
No. The NIH says supplements cannot take the place of the variety of foods that matter for a healthy diet. Track both, and talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting a new supplement, especially if you take medicines.

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