Logging meals with Hoot is designed to be instant, intuitive, and judgment-free. Our AI handles the heavy lifting so you can log in seconds — not minutes.
You can start a log from the big “+” button on your dashboard.
1. Photo Logging (Snap or Upload) — The Fastest Way to Log
Photo logging is Hoot’s most powerful and popular logging option. You can either:
Take a photo of your meal in the moment
Upload a photo from your camera roll
Hoot’s AI will automatically:
Identify the foods in the image
Estimate portion sizes
Calculate calories, macros, and Nutrition Score
Display “Hoot Says” insights
Show assumptions (ingredients, toppings, cooking method)
Allow instant corrections via Quick Adjust
Examples of Quick Adjust corrections:
“No fries — just the sandwich.”
“This was grilled, not fried.”
“Add the side salad.”
“Half that portion.”
Photo logging is ideal for:
Multi-item meals
Restaurant or takeout food
Meals that are hard to describe
Times you’re moving quickly
2. Log by Text (Natural Language)
Type what you ate just like you’d text a friend.
Examples:
“Chicken Caesar salad with dressing.”
“Steak tacos with rice and beans.”
“Oatmeal with blueberries and almond butter.”
“Breakfast: eggs and toast. Lunch: burrito bowl. Dinner: salmon and veggies.”
Hoot will parse the foods, estimate portions, and log everything automatically.
Best for:
Clear meal descriptions
Logging a full day in one go
3. Log by Voice (Speech-to-Text)
Tap the microphone icon and simply say what you ate.
Examples:
“A slice of veggie pizza and a side salad.”
“Yogurt with granola and honey.”
Voice logging is perfect when:
Your hands are full
You’re cooking
You’re on the move
4. Log by Nutrition Label Scan
Snap a photo of a nutrition label and Hoot reads it automatically.
Useful for:
Meal kits
Store-made foods
Trader Joe’s / Costco items
Anything without a valid barcode
5. Log an Entire Meal or an Entire Day at Once
Hoot understands context — you can describe multiple meals in a single entry.
Examples:
“A turkey wrap, chips, and an iced tea.”
“Eggs and toast for breakfast, sushi for lunch, steak and potatoes for dinner.”
Hoot breaks everything out automatically.
6. Save Meals as Favorites
Any log — photo, text, voice, barcode, or label — can be saved as a Favorite.
Perfect for:
Go-to breakfasts
Your daily protein shake
Repeated lunches or meal-prep recipes
Favorites make future logging a one-tap experience.
Editing a Meal After Logging
If Hoot ever gets something slightly wrong, you can fix it instantly using Quick Adjust.
Quick Adjust can fix:
Portions
Ingredients
Cooking methods
Add/remove items
Meal type (breakfast/lunch/dinner/snack)
Date (yesterday, another day, etc.)
Or use manual editing if you want to enter exact numbers.
Barcode Scanning (Removed Feature, temporarily)
Hoot previously supported barcode scanning, but we’ve removed it to ensure faster, more accurate logging. Barcode databases are often incomplete or unreliable, and we found that they slowed down the experience and introduced errors we weren’t comfortable passing on to users.
Hoot’s AI photo logging, label scanning, and natural-language logging provide faster, more accurate results, so you can track your meals with confidence and consistency.
The Bottom Line
Photo logging makes Hoot incredibly fast — but every logging method is designed to be simple, flexible, and frustration-free. You choose how to log, Hoot does the math, and staying consistent becomes effortless.