Eating healthy food is important for most people. But sometimes making good food choices can be difficult. Now, there are apps that can help people learn about the food they eat to improve their health and their dining-out experience.

Happy Cow app

Vegetarians do not eat animal meat. Vegans do not eat any animal products. The Happy Cow app is made for both groups. Users can search for vegetarian-vegan restaurants and stores around the world. A free version of Happy Cow is available for Android that has ads and requires an Internet connection.

Open Table app

The Open Table app helps people choose restaurants when they want to go out to eat. It is a free service that shows users restaurants available based on where and when they want to dine. It gives users points when they make reservations, which can add up to discounts on restaurant visits.

Local Eats app

Restaurant chains, like McDonalds, can be found almost anywhere a person might travel. But sometimes travelers want to eat like locals. The Local Eats app is designed for that. It can help you find local restaurants in major cities in the US and in other countries. It costs about a dollar.

Where Chefs Eat app

Where Chefs Eat is a 975-page book. Most people would not want to carry that around. But there is a much lighter app version of the same name for just $15. Six hundred chefs provide information on 3,00 restaurants around the world on the Where Chefs Eat app.

We’re frequently told that our attention problem-being easily distracted-result from modern technology. If we truly want to focus, according to the popular belief, we need to turn off all our digital devices and quit social media.

Here’s my opinion about that idea. This era(时代)is no different than any other-there has always been a “crisis of attention”. Think about life long ago: people in ancient India or Europe didn’t have smartphones and social media, but they were faced with the same problem.

A crisis of attention can happen anytime you don’t allow yourself a break-when you don’t allow your mind to daydream, which may inspire your creativity. We are always engaged in something. With these digital tools at our fingertips, we have constant access to all these forms of communication, content, and interaction, and we don’t let our thoughts wander(漫游)freely. When was the last time you stood in line at a store and just…looked around? Thought about whatever came to your mind? Or did you pull out your phone, check your texts, read your email during that time?

We all do it. We catch ourselves all the time going from one type of mental engagement to the next. Like surfing online (clicking from link to link), we go from one task to the next and the next. We are “all task and no downtime”. Even something you might think of as relaxing is more engagement. Checking your phone messages may seem “fun”, but it’s just another task for your attention. Your attention is focused on task after task after task, without a moment for the mind to wander freely.

It’s not always realistic to unplug. We can’t just turn off our phones and pause our email. We can’t create a distraction-free world. The problem is not the existence(存在)of modern technology; rather, it’s how we’re using it.

Educational apps are a great and fun way to keep your kids learning outside of the classroom, but the cost can add up fast. Luckily, there are some free apps for kids that are both educational and fun but won't break the bank.

Poptropica

Ages 6 to 12 For Android and iOS

This free story-based game allows kids to customize their own characters, complete quests and play with friends in a safe environment. Kids love creating their avatars and finishing game tasks for prizes.

Coolmath Games

Ages 13 and up For Android and iOS

Coolmath Games features math activities and games for anyone ages 13 to 100. Coolmath Games is a brain-training app, where logic and thinking meet fun and games. These games have no violence, no empty action, just a lot of challenges that will make you forget you're getting a mental workout!

Science360

Ages 12 and up For Android and iOS

The National Science Foundation's Science360 app (for tablets only) brings cutting-edge science and engineering news, images, and video right to your child's fingertips. All content is gathered from scientists and universities around the world, so you can be assured that your child is receiving the best quality information out there.

NASA Visualization Explorer

Ages 7 and up For iOS

NASA Visualization Explorer is the coolest way to explore the latest news and stories about the Earth, the sun, and the universe. The app features amazing images and video from space and animations that can make challenging concepts easier to understand. Your young kids can begin learning about the planets and stars with this app.