Inspiration
As a fitness enthusiast frustrated by "healthy" snacks loaded with hidden sugars and additives, I wanted a tool that cuts through marketing spin. I saw friends and family falling for misleading labels—so I built SnackHealthy to make informed snack choices simple for everyone, from busy parents to keto dieters.
What it does
SnackHealthy analyzes snack ingredients to calculate a 1-10 health score (10 = healthiest), flags harmful additives/hidden sugars, filters snacks by dietary needs (gluten-free, low-sugar, vegan), and recommends healthier alternatives. Users can save favorites and browse snacks by category—no logins needed.
How we built it
I started by mapping core user needs (quick nutrition checks, dietary filtering) and designing a card-based UI with soft, approachable colors. Using HTML/CSS/React/TailwindCSS, I built responsive pages (Home, Search Results, Detail) and coded logic for health score calculations (weighting sugar, protein, additives). LocalStorage powers favorites, and dynamic JS handles real-time filter updates.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest hurdle was refining the health score algorithm—balancing factors like sodium and fiber to keep scores fair and intuitive. I also struggled with handling conflicting filters (e.g., "keto + high-sugar") and ensuring the UI updated seamlessly without lag. Testing on mobile revealed grid layout issues that required tweaking responsive breakpoints.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We created a tool that’s both functional and user-friendly—no jargon, just clear health scores and actionable insights. The ingredient breakdown feature (flagging hidden sugars like maltodextrin) has already helped users spot misleading labels, and the local storage favorites system works flawlessly across devices.
What we learned
I deepened my understanding of nutrition data parsing and client-side data storage. I also learned how to prioritize user experience—simplifying complex filter logic into intuitive UI controls, and designing error messages (e.g., "no alternatives found") that guide users instead of frustrating them.
What's next for this project
Next, I plan to expand the snack database to include more regional products, add a serving size calculator, and refine the alternative recommendation logic to include more taste-matching criteria. I’m also exploring adding a "snack tracker" to help users log daily intake—all while keeping the tool free and login-free.
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