Source-backed analysis9
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
9 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 13, 2026
How we review
the Meal: Calo & Dinh Dưỡng Review
Photo-based calorie tracker focused on Vietnamese dishes, launched late 2025
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Fact-checked
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
A fit for people who eat mostly Vietnamese food and want photo-based calorie and macro estimates plus activity and sleep tracking in one app with a free tier. The trade-offs: it is new, has few public ratings, its Plus and Pro tiers are priced but not described, and accuracy figures come mainly from the developer.
Best for: People who eat a lot of Vietnamese food and want quick photo-based calorie estimates
Skip it if: People who need a large international food database or an app with years of independent reviews
Pros
- Photo-based food scanning; the developer says it recognises 5,000+ Vietnamese and international dishes
- Free tier that, per the vendor, combines calorie, activity and sleep logs with blood-test analysis
- Rated 4.6/5 on the App Store (172 ratings) and 4.5/5 on Google Play (77 reviews)
Cons
- The App Store lists Plus and Pro prices, but nowhere describes what each includes; the vendor's pricing policy page does not mention either tier
- The "90%+" accuracy figure is self-reported with no independent validation found, and dish counts differ by page (1,000+, 5,000+, 10,000+)
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
More pros
- Regular updates: version 1.0.33 on 2 Nov 2026 added dark mode and fixed step counting
More cons
- The privacy policy allows sharing with many partner categories, has no update date and does not match the "no sharing" declaration on Google Play
- Few ratings because the app is new; one App Store reviewer could not log in (the developer cited the open beta) and a Google Play reviewer reported lag after adding a dish
Best for
- People who want meals, activity and data from the vendor's own ring, band and scale in one place
Experience & key features
What it is
the Meal is a nutrition and health app from The Meal VN Joint Stock Company (Hanoi), available on iOS and Android. According to its about page, the company was founded in March 2025 and the app launched in October 2025; App Store data shows a first release on 24 Sep 2025. Since early 2026 it has also sold a smart ring, band and scale, plus nutrition courses.
Key features
Take a photo of a dish and the AI estimates calories, protein, carbs and fat. Store listings also describe goal-based menus (weight loss, muscle gain, vegetarian, blood-sugar control), a shopping list, logging for 20+ activity types, sleep and heart-rate tracking, and blood-test analysis. The vendor says its nutrition data comes from USDA and Vietnam's National Institute of Nutrition, and states the app is not a medical device.
Pricing and value
The app is free to download with no card required. The Vietnam App Store lists two in-app tiers: Plus at 79,000 VND/month or 399,000 VND/year, and Pro at 149,000 VND/month or 799,000 VND/year. Google Play only notes in-app purchases, and neither the website nor the stores say what each tier includes. Separately, the website sells three lifetime-access courses at 799,000 VND (Basic Nutrition), 699,000 VND (Menu Building) and 399,000 VND (Food Selection & Combination); the pricing policy lists Meal Ring rings from 1,590,000 to 2,990,000 VND and the Meal Fit Insight scale at 1,890,000 VND.
More analysis
Compared with alternatives
The vendor's stated differentiators are its focus on Vietnamese dishes and its own device ecosystem. MyFitnessPal and Yazio have much longer track records; the Meal is new, has few public ratings, and we found no independent check of its accuracy.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 13, 2026
Miễn phí
PersonalFree
Free to download, no card needed. The vendor's pricing policy says basic features are free.
Plus
Personal₫79,000/mo
₫33,250/mo billed yearly
In-app purchase: 79,000 VND/month or 399,000 VND/year (Vietnam App Store prices). Neither the website nor the stores describe what this tier unlocks.
Pro
Personal₫149,000/mo
₫66,583/mo billed yearly
In-app purchase: 149,000 VND/month or 799,000 VND/year (Vietnam App Store prices). No public description of how it differs from Plus.
- Free plan limits
- The pricing policy only says basic features are free and that paid plans will be announced clearly; although the App Store already lists Plus and Pro, nowhere states which features are locked in the free version.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
Devices can be returned within 7 days of delivery for a wrong item, a manufacturing defect or transit damage, if unused and with tags and box intact; change-of-mind returns are not accepted. The policies reviewed say nothing about refunds for Plus, Pro or courses.
Privacy
The privacy policy lists account details, browsing data, purchase history and health data from mealFit devices (weight, BMI, body fat, heart rate, steps). It commits to not sharing health data with third parties for commercial purposes without clear consent, but other data may go to delivery, finance, insurance and marketing partners and to government agencies. Users can access, correct or delete their data and withdraw consent. The policy shows no last-updated date. On Google Play the developer declares no third-party data sharing and encryption in transit; on the App Store it declares that usage data may be used to track users across other companies' apps.
the Meal: Calo & Dinh Dưỡng alternatives
6.8/10MyFitnessPal
Calorie and macro tracking with a large food database; key shortcuts are Premium
6.3/10VNeNUTRITION
Vietnam National Institute of Nutrition lookup app built on official national data
Controversies & incidents
Issues documented by the press, regulators, courts or the vendor itself. Every item is sourced; unproven claims are labelled as allegations. Last researched: Nov 13, 2026
No significant controversies or incidents found in the sources we checked.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Meal free?
There is a free tier. The Vietnam App Store lists Plus (79,000 VND/month or 399,000 VND/year) and Pro (149,000 VND/month or 799,000 VND/year), but the vendor has not published what each includes. Courses are sold separately, from 399,000 to 799,000 VND.
Who is behind the Meal?
The Meal VN Joint Stock Company, tax code 0110983384, based in Hoang Mai, Hanoi, per the website. On Google Play the developer appears as "the Meal Corporation".
How is my health data used?
Per the privacy policy, health data is used for personalised nutrition suggestions and is not shared with third parties for commercial purposes without clear consent. You can request deletion by email, via the hotline or through the in-app support section.
Does it replace medical advice?
No. The Google Play listing states the app is not a medical device and does not diagnose or treat; all figures and suggestions are for reference only.
Review evidence & sources9
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.0
- Features
- 7.0
- Value for money
- 6.5
- Performance
- 6.5
- Support
- 6.5
- Privacy & security
- 6.0
Why this score
The photo-to-calories flow is simple, and some short App Store and Google Play reviews call it easy to use. Store descriptions are in Vietnamese while the App Store language field lists only English, so the interface languages are unclear.
Why this score
Includes AI food scanning, goal-based menus, a shopping list, logging for 20+ activity types, blood-test analysis, a nutrition chatbot and sync with the vendor's devices. The website still labels the Miu AI assistant as coming soon.
Why this score
There is a free tier; the App Store lists Plus at 79,000 VND/month (399,000 VND/year) and Pro at 149,000 VND/month (799,000 VND/year), but nothing says what each unlocks, which makes comparison with peers hard. Courses (399,000–799,000 VND) and devices (from 1,590,000 VND) are sold separately.
Why this score
The website claims about 3-second recognition and 90%+ accuracy, both self-reported. The November 2026 release still fixed step counting and device connections, and a Google Play review reports lag.
Why this score
Email, a hotline and Zalo chat are offered, and the developer replies to reviews on both the App Store and Google Play. No detailed help centre was found in the pages reviewed.
Why this score
The policy commits to not sharing health data commercially without consent and grants deletion rights. But other data may be shared widely, no update date is shown, the Google Play declaration (no sharing) does not match the policy, and the App Store notes usage data may be used for tracking.
What users say
- App Store (Việt Nam)4.6/5 · 172
- Google Play4.5/5 · 77
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial website (themeal.vn)Nov 13, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial privacy policyNov 13, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial terms of serviceNov 13, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial about pageNov 13, 2026
- storeApp Store listing (Vietnam)Nov 13, 2026
- storeiTunes lookup API (Vietnam)Nov 13, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listingNov 13, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial returns policyNov 13, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial pricing policyNov 13, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Công ty Cổ phần The Meal VN
- Headquarters
- Vietnam
- Launched
- 2025
- Category
- Health
Capabilities
- AI features
- Mobile app
- Integrations
Platforms
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- Vietnamese
Integrations
- Thiết bị mealFit (nhẫn, vòng tay, cân thông minh)
Support
- Phone
- Live chat
Change history
- Feature.Version 1.0.33 adds dark mode, fixes step counting and improves device connection stability.
- Launch.The company officially launches the app with AI food recognition.
- Launch.First release of the app on the Vietnam App Store.
Full change history (4)
- Company.Company founded, per the vendor's about page.
About the author
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