How to Export Your Data from MyFitnessPal (Step-by-Step Guide)

Whether you are switching to a different nutrition tracker, want a personal backup, or just want to see your data outside the app, MyFitnessPal does allow you to export your data — but the process is only available on the web, and what you get has significant limitations. This guide walks through the exact export process, explains what your export file contains (and what it does not), and addresses the bigger question: is importing your old data into a new app actually useful?

How to Export Your Data from MyFitnessPal (Step-by-Step)

MyFitnessPal data export is only available through the website — you cannot export from the mobile app. Here is the process:

Step 1: Log in on the Web

1. Open a browser on your computer (not your phone's browser — desktop works more reliably).
2. Go to myfitnesspal.com.
3. Log in with your MyFitnessPal account credentials.

Step 2: Navigate to Account Settings

1. Click your username or profile icon (usually in the top-right corner).
2. Click Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. You should now be on the Account Settings page.

Step 3: Find the Export Option

1. In the settings page, look for a section labeled My Account, Privacy, or Data.
2. Look for an option labeled Download Your Data, Export Data, or Request Data Export.
3. Click this option.

Note: MyFitnessPal has changed the exact location of this feature over time. If you cannot find it in Settings, try:

• Looking under Privacy Settings
• Checking the My Account tab
• Searching for "export" or "download" within the settings page
• Visiting the direct URL: myfitnesspal.com/account/export-data (this may or may not work depending on your region)

Step 4: Request the Export

1. Click the export or download button.
2. MyFitnessPal will process your request. Depending on how much data you have, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
3. You will receive an email when your export is ready.
4. Click the download link in the email.

Step 5: Download and Save Your Data

1. The download will be a .zip file containing one or more CSV files.
2. Save the zip file to your computer.
3. Extract the zip file.
4. Open the CSV files with a spreadsheet application (Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, or LibreOffice Calc).

Tip: Also save the zip file in cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud) as a backup.

What Your MyFitnessPal Export Includes

The export typically contains CSV files with the following data:

Food Diary

• Date of each entry
• Meal category (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks)
• Food name (as you logged it)
• Calories
• Macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat)
• Some micronutrients (varies by how the food was logged)

Exercise Diary

• Date
• Exercise name
• Duration
• Calories burned (estimated)

Weight Log

• Date
• Weight entries

Measurement Log (if used)

• Date
• Body measurements you tracked

What Your MyFitnessPal Export Does NOT Include

This is where the limitations become important:

Custom foods you created — Foods you manually added to the database may not export cleanly or at all. The export gives you the food name and nutritional values you logged, but not the full custom food entry that could be imported elsewhere.

Recipes — Recipes you built in MyFitnessPal do not export as structured recipes. You get the individual logged instances, but not the recipe itself with ingredients and portions.

Barcode associations — Any custom barcode scans or corrections you made are not included.

Meal templates or saved meals — If you created saved meals for quick logging, these do not export.

Detailed micronutrient data — The export includes basic nutrients but may not include the full micronutrient breakdown even if you tracked them. The depth depends on how the food entries were originally created in the database.

Your food database corrections — Any corrections you made to inaccurate entries in MFP's crowdsourced database stay with MFP. Your export reflects what was logged, including any inaccuracies from the database.

Social connections and community data — Friends, comments, and community interactions are not included.

Understanding Your Exported Data

Once you open the CSV files, here is how to make sense of them:

Viewing in a Spreadsheet

Open the CSV in your preferred spreadsheet application. The columns will include:

• Date — When the food was logged
• Meal — Which meal slot (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks)
• Food Name — The entry as logged
• Calories — Total calories for that entry
• Fat (g), Protein (g), Carbs (g) — Macronutrient breakdown

You can use the spreadsheet to:

• Calculate daily, weekly, or monthly averages
• Identify patterns in your eating
• See your most frequently logged foods
• Track your calorie and macro trends over time

Analyzing Long-Term Trends

If you have been logging for months or years, your export contains valuable pattern data:

• Sort by date and create a chart of daily calorie intake over time.
• Calculate your average macronutrient split.
• Identify which days of the week tend to have higher calorie intake.
• Find your most-logged foods (these are your dietary staples).

This analysis can be genuinely useful regardless of whether you continue tracking in a new app or take a break from tracking entirely.

Can You Import MyFitnessPal Data Into Another App?

The short answer: most nutrition apps do not support importing MyFitnessPal CSV data directly. There is no universal food diary format, and each app structures data differently.

Some apps may offer:

• Manual import tools (rare)
• Third-party integration services
• API-based transfers (uncommon for consumer apps)

But for the vast majority of users switching from MyFitnessPal to another app, you will be starting fresh in the new app.

Here is why that is actually fine — and possibly better.

The Case for Starting Fresh (Instead of Importing)

This might sound counterintuitive, but importing your MyFitnessPal data into a new app is often less useful than it seems. Here is why:

The crowdsourced data problem

MyFitnessPal uses a user-contributed food database. This means:

• The same food can have dozens of entries with different nutritional values.
• Many entries are inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated.
• Your historical data includes whatever inaccuracies existed in the entries you selected.

If you logged "banana" and chose an entry that said 90 calories, but the actual banana you ate was 105 calories, that error is baked into your historical data. Multiply this across thousands of entries over months or years, and your historical data contains a meaningful accumulated error margin.

A verified database resets accuracy

When you switch to an app with a verified food database (one curated by nutrition professionals rather than crowdsourced), you start with more accurate data from day one. Your future tracking will be more reliable than your historical MFP data, even if the historical data felt comprehensive.

Your habits transfer even if your data does not

The most valuable thing you built while using MyFitnessPal is not the data — it is the habit of tracking, the awareness of portion sizes, the knowledge of which foods are calorie-dense, and the discipline of logging consistently. All of this transfers automatically to any new app.

Historical data rarely changes future behavior

Most people do not regularly reference their food diary from 6 months ago to make today's eating decisions. The data that matters is what you are logging right now and the trends from the last few weeks. Starting fresh in a new app means you will have current, accurate data very quickly.

If You Are Switching: Why Verified Databases Matter

The quality of your future tracking depends on the quality of the database behind your next app. This is worth understanding:

Crowdsourced databases (MyFitnessPal, Lose It):

• Largest number of entries
• Many duplicate entries for the same food
• Nutritional values vary between entries
• Entries can be created by anyone — accuracy is not verified
• Best for: finding obscure or brand-specific items

Verified databases (Nutrola, Cronometer):

• Entries curated or verified by nutrition professionals
• Consistent and accurate nutritional values
• Fewer duplicates and errors
• More comprehensive micronutrient data
• Best for: accurate tracking of calories, macros, and micronutrients

If accuracy frustrated you with MyFitnessPal — if you found yourself wondering which of the five "chicken breast" entries was correct — a verified database solves that problem at the source.

If You Are Looking for Something New

Nutrola — Verified Database + AI Logging

For MyFitnessPal users who valued the large database but were frustrated by accuracy issues, Nutrola offers a different approach. Its database of over 1.8 million verified foods provides the coverage you need without the accuracy lottery of crowdsourced data. At €2.50 per month after a free trial, it also adds AI-powered logging — photo recognition, voice input, and barcode scanning — that MFP's free tier does not match. Over 100 nutrients tracked (not just calories and macros), Apple Watch and Wear OS support, recipe import from any URL, 15 languages, 2 million users, 4.9 rating, zero ads.

The specific improvement for MFP users: you never have to choose between five "chicken breast" entries and hope you picked the right one. One verified entry, accurate data, move on.

Cronometer — Maximum Micronutrient Detail

If you want the deepest possible micronutrient data and do not mind a more clinical interface, Cronometer's curated database and nutrient focus is excellent. The free tier is functional.

Lose It — Similar to MFP but Cleaner

If you liked MyFitnessPal's approach but want a cleaner experience, Lose It offers similar features with a more polished interface. The free tier includes basic calorie tracking and barcode scanning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I export MyFitnessPal data from the mobile app?

No. As of this writing, data export is only available through the MyFitnessPal website. Log in at myfitnesspal.com on a computer to access the export feature.

How long does the MyFitnessPal data export take?

It varies based on how much data you have. A few months of data may export in minutes. Years of daily logging can take several hours. You will receive an email when the export is ready.

What format is the MyFitnessPal export?

The export is a zip file containing CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files. These can be opened with any spreadsheet application.

Can I export MyFitnessPal data to Apple Health or Google Fit?

MyFitnessPal can sync with Apple Health and Google Fit while you are using the app. However, the bulk data export does not directly import into these health platforms. The sync is real-time, not retroactive.

Will my MyFitnessPal data be deleted if I cancel Premium?

No. Your data remains in your free MyFitnessPal account even if you cancel Premium. You can still access and export it.

Can I delete my MyFitnessPal account after exporting?

Yes. After you have downloaded your export and confirmed the files are complete, you can delete your account through MyFitnessPal's settings. Make sure to save your export files in multiple locations before deleting.

Is there a way to transfer custom foods from MyFitnessPal to another app?

Not directly. Custom foods you created in MFP are not exportable in a format other apps can import. You will need to recreate custom food entries manually in your new app.

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Your MyFitnessPal data is your history, but it does not have to be your future. Whether you analyze it in a spreadsheet, reference it occasionally, or simply archive it and start fresh, the nutritional literacy you built is what actually matters — and that goes wherever you go.