MarcoLearn
How to count calories by texting
To count calories by texting: join Marco, message what you ate in plain English, and read the reply with calories and macros. Ask for daily totals anytime. No food-database search — Marco matches USDA-backed data and logs the meal for you.
The three-message habit
Breakfast, lunch, dinner — three short texts cover most days. Snacks get their own line when they matter. That rhythm is easier than opening an app six times.
- “oatmeal with banana and peanut butter”
- “turkey sandwich and an apple”
- “salmon, rice, and broccoli”
What to include in the text
Brand, cooking method, and portion help when you know them. “2 tbsp peanut butter” beats “peanut butter.” If you skip detail, Marco may ask — that is a feature.
Daily scoreboard
Ask “calories so far?” or “what’s left today?” after you set a goal. Because meals are stored in a real log, yesterday still exists tomorrow.
Texting vs chatbot guessing
Counting calories in a general AI chat is not the same product. Marco is built to match foods, refuse invented items, and keep history — see our ChatGPT comparison if you have been estimating in a chatbot.
Frequently asked questions
Can you really count calories over text?
Yes. Marco is a text-based calorie tracker: you message the meal, it matches nutrition data, logs it, and replies with totals.
Does texting work for restaurant meals?
Yes — name the restaurant and order when you can. Marco uses published facts when available and asks when the order is ambiguous.
Is this only for iPhone?
No. iMessage on iPhone, SMS/RCS on Android where supported.
Ready to track by text?
Join the waitlist for early access. No app to download — once you’re in, you text Marco from the messaging app you already use.