Trace Elements: Food Diary

Trace Elements (formerly Dietary Element Tracker) is a simple, private, local-first food diary built for people following a restricted diet — such as a low-nickel diet for Systemic Nickel Allergy Syndrome (SNAS). Log what you eat, and the app estimates how much of your chosen trace element each meal and each day adds up to.

It works fully offline, has no account, no ads, and no tracking. Your data stays on your device.

Track the element that matters to you
The app ships pre-seeded with reference values for foods (nickel by default), so you can start logging right away. Switch the tracked element in settings and the food database follows.

Fast daily logging
• Add foods to Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
• Enter amounts in grams or common serving sizes with a built-in unit converter
• A circular progress ring shows your running daily total at a glance
• Copy a meal forward from yesterday with one tap

A food database that grows with you
• Search a large built-in list of foods and their reference values
• Edit or add your own values — they're saved and reused
• Can't find a food? Optionally look it up via the USDA FoodData Central database, or fall back to an in-app web lookup. These optional lookups are the only times the app touches the network — everything else is offline.

Custom recipes and favorites
• Build compound foods (e.g. a sandwich or a stew) from ingredients, and the app totals them automatically
• Save favorite meals as templates and re-add them in seconds

See your trends
• A calendar view colors each day Good, Caution, or Over against thresholds you set
• Keep a per-day journal with mood and free-text notes
• Set your own daily limits

Export and back up
• Export a PDF report to share or keep
• Full backup and restore of your logs, food values, favorites, recipes, and settings

Private by design
• No sign-in, no user accounts
• No advertising, analytics, or crash-reporting SDKs
• Your food logs and settings live only in the app's private storage
• Two optional outbound requests (USDA and an in-app web search) happen only when you actively look up a food the app can't find locally

A note from me
I built this app for my wife after she was diagnosed with a nickel sensitivity. Managing it day to day was harder than it needed to be, and this was the only way I knew how to help. If it makes your days a little easier too, it's done its job.

Please note: Trace Elements is a self-tracking aid. Reference values are estimates and vary by source, growing region, and preparation. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical or dietary advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your diet and any food sensitivities.