At a Glance
- Garmin now tracks calories, carbs, fat and protein inside its own Connect Plus app
- Users can search a global food database, scan barcodes or photograph meals for AI analysis
- Connect Plus costs $7/month or $70/year with a 30-day trial for new users
- Why it matters: Athletes can ditch third-party apps and keep all training, recovery and nutrition data in one place
Garmin has eliminated the need for MyFitnessPal or any external nutrition app. The company revealed at CES 2026 that its Connect Plus platform now includes built-in calorie and macro tracking, letting users monitor protein, fat and carbohydrate intake without leaving the Garmin ecosystem.
The announcement ends Garmin’s decade-long dependence on MyFitnessPal as the primary nutrition gateway for its fitness watches and cycling computers. MyFitnessPal remains supported, but it is no longer required.
Three Ways to Log Food
Connect Plus offers three input methods:
- Search a global food database by typing the name of the item
- Scan a barcode with the phone camera for instant recognition
- Photograph the meal; on-device AI identifies ingredients and estimates portions
The photo feature mirrors tools already offered by Oura and Zoe Health. Once the image is captured, the app displays a breakdown of calories, carbs, fat and protein for confirmation or editing.
AI Insights Tie Food to Performance
After meals are saved, Connect Plus compiles daily, weekly, monthly and annual nutrition reports. The app factors in the user’s activity level, average active calories burned, height, weight and gender to generate customizable recommendations.
A new module called Active Intelligence uses on-device AI to correlate nutrition data with training load and recovery metrics. Example alerts might flag insufficient carbohydrate intake on high-volume weeks or suggest additional protein after strength sessions. These insights can be pinned to the performance dashboard or viewed on any compatible Garmin smartwatch.
Pricing and Trial Windows
Connect Plus is Garmin’s premium subscription tier. It costs $7 per month or $70 per year. First-time subscribers receive a 30-day free trial. Customers who previously used Connect Plus and let their subscription lapse can reactivate the service for a 14-day trial period to test the new nutrition tools.
The feature is rolling out immediately to iOS and Android versions of the Garmin Connect app in regions where Connect Plus is available.
Key Takeaways
- Garmin now owns the full health data loop: activity, sleep, recovery and nutrition
- MyFitnessPal remains optional, not mandatory
- AI-powered food logging by photo keeps friction low for athletes on the move
- Subscription price unchanged despite the added functionality
