I was just sitting at my desk today minding my own business when this new research conducted by Latitude landed in my inbox. At first I was going to hit the delete button, but something caught my eye. Candidly, I was a bit intrigued by some of the findings it revealed about food. And, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit I think the study has some merit.

Let’s face it, food is a big part of all of our lives. I know I spend an inordinate amount of my income purchasing groceries each week feeding my three children and they always remind me there is never enough food in the pantry. Not sure how that’s possible since my grocery bill always seems to go up and my purse always seems to have a little less cash. What’s more, if my kids aren’t raiding the pantry they seem to be asking me for more money to go to another fast-food haven. All of this leads me to another dilemma. I continue to find myself struggling to uncover new ways to keep my children away from the junk food and more focused on healthier life styles. Even our government wants to send the “Fat Police” to record our children’s BMI (body mass index). Apparently, our government is concerned that our children aren’t eating properly and they are overweight. (But having our government record our BMI is a discussion for another time.)

For this discussion, with M2M technology, we can now track and trace our eating habits. Thus, improved access to information can impact our daily decisions about the foods we eat, which in turn can result in better eating habits and ultimately better health. I hate to admit it, but I too am a fast food junkie. I eat poorly, since I am always on the run. So anything that can help me better select quality products when I’m grocery shopping, I’m all over it.

And this research indicated there are lots of people just like me that will use their smartphones and mobile apps to help them make better food selections. Not surprisingly, Latitude says consumers see that mobile devices can impact their everyday lives – playing an even greater role in making their lives healthier, with more sustainable in-store decisions about food. Checking labels was a manual process, but now, with connected devices, shoppers can make better decisions about ingredients, product selection, and so much more.

Moving forward consumers are hoping food selection will be tied to store coupons, store displays, and even restock dates. Connected devices and apps will help individuals who have illnesses that must know the ingredients of the products they consume. These are individuals with ceIiacs, diabetes, or other food allergies, let alone those consumers who are just trying to eat healthier. I know I can use all the help I can get.