It’s hard to imagine now a life without smartphones, I can still remember getting my first ever mobile phone at the age of 13 and how excited I was thinking I was the height of sophistication and yet it was so very basic that I wonder what purpose it ever served, even text messages were limited in character! These days, as much as I hate to admit it I would struggle to keep everything together without my trust iPhone in hand and it’s true what they say- there really is an “app for that”, even things you never thought you could need an app for!

I was recently contacted by Vodafone about their super affordable smartphone- the Vodafone Smart First 7 which costs a mere £20 on pay as you go (which costs £15 per month so much cheaper than your standard contract). They offered me the loan of the device as a chance to explore the wide range of food and lifestyle apps available on the Google Play Store. Now I’m usually an out and out Apple girl but I was intrigued by the affordability of this model and also I was curious to see how the two rival app stores could compare.

So before I get on to the apps I’m loving a quick word on the phone itself- I’m genuinely amazed at the price of this. Whilst I might not be about to rush out and replace my iPhone with it I was impressed with how sleek it looks and how fast it runs. It doesn’t have a huge amount of memory (4gb internal but you can expand this with a memory card) but it has all of the features you’d expect from a smartphone and is very easy to use, making it perfect for anyone knew to the mobile technology world or if you’re on a budget but still want access to the benefits a smartphone can offer. Hats off to Vodafone for creating something so affordable that actually works!

I had a good play around on the google play app store which itself is user friendly and provides easy downloads. I’ve selected a few of my favourite food and lifestyle apps as despite not making any resolutions I do want to start off 2017 with good intentions!

The Headspace app is actually one I’ve been using for a while having had it recommended by a variety of health care professionals as well as friends. Initially it is free, you get a 30 day trial before needing to subscribe and in my opinion it’s worth it. The app uses proven meditation and mindfulness techniques to help you train your mind and gain some inner peace, all in 10 minutes a day to begin with. Well worth a download if you’re finding yourself feeling frazzled and stressed- I also find it great for managing anxiety.

Smart Recipes is a free app produced by the NHS to encourage smart food choices by providing family friendly easy to follow healthy recipes. It has over 160 calorie counted meal choices and helps you plan, organise and mix up your meals without spending a fortune.

Another free app I’ve been using for a while is Clue- Period Tracker and I find it invaluable. Since coming off of my pill my cycle has been irregular to say the least and I find inputting each period really does help me keep track not only of when my period is likely to arrive but also where I am in my cycle and when I am most likely to experience PMS symptoms (which is handy to warn other people to avoid me as I get majorly grumpy!). If you’re looking to start a family you can also use the app to track your most fertile days. I can’t recommend this app enough!

The Love Food Hate Waste is another easy to follow recipe app that aims to help you reduce the amount of food waste you generate (and thus save you up to £200 per year!) I’m making a huge effort at the moment to reduce how much food I waste and I really like the selection of recipes provided on this app as well as the ability to meal plan, create a shopping list and get help gauging portions which is something I really struggle with. Again this is a free app and one I use regularly.

Finally another mindfulness based app, Calm. Perfect for beginners the app offers guided meditation sessions ranging from 3 minutes long to 25 minutes. It covers a wide range of topics from anxiety through to gratitude with various programmes and exercises available.

All of these apps are also available on the Apple app store and I’ve been using them regularly on my iPhone- having had the chance to properly explore them I now wonder what took me so long!

I’d love to know what your favourite apps are, covering any topics…leave them in the comments below and let me know if you try out any of my suggestions.