Lark’s Coach+ and the Evolution of Food Logging & Meal Planning

For those unfamiliar with Lark’s history of AI innovation, here’s a quick recap: Lark started experimenting with a sophisticated, decision-tree-based conversational AI in 2012 and spent 7 years in R&D before bringing our AI-powered chronic condition prevention and management platform to market. As AI technology continued to evolve, so did Lark’s health coaches. But this was just the start. 

Research has shown that food logging is a critical component to drive weight loss by highlighting unhealthy eating patterns, identifying trigger foods, uncovering food sensitivities and developing more mindful eating habits¹. Subsequently, better food logging and coaching recommendations equate to better meal planning.

The opportunity this enhancement presented for Lark's conversational AI was its capabilities to match the dynamic landscape of new diets, wearables, and consumer preferences for more realistic food logging and dietary recommendations. For example, users could ask, "What's a side dish I can bring to the party that meets my Keto diet?" When OpenAI introduced LLMs and related technology to the public in 2023, the Lark team recognized its potential. After a year of dedicated R&D, Lark is excited to announce the launch of our Coach+ technology.

“Through extensive user research and analysis, Lark discovered that our LLM-based approach to nutrition coaching, meal learning, and food logging delivers a best-in-class, immersive, contextual, and adaptively personal experience that is unmatched,” explains Brock Howard, Vice President, Product Management.

Coach+ allows Lark’s coaches to educate members about the qualities of individual meals instead of logging as many meals a week as possible. This feature helps members make sustainable, healthy food choices and lets members learn about what they ate or are considering eating. Additionally, integration with Lark’s LLM helps coaches add deeper levels of personalization as it learns from a member’s inputs over time. Members can also expect a more streamlined, user-friendly experience when it comes to logging their meals in-app. 

The new food logging functionality will certainly improve the Lark member experience, but when it comes to meal planning, that’s really where Lark members can expect to experience the full benefits of Coach+. Whether it’s planning a meal at home, at a restaurant, or searching for new recipe ideas, Lark’s coaches can help members plan nutritious meals tailored to their dietary needs and preferences. Both aspiring and experienced home cooks will find this feature particularly useful for helping them find recipes that support weight loss, cooking for a family and even managing tight budgets. 

When dining out, the Lark’s coaches provide invaluable guidance on making healthier choices when at a restaurant— addressing the common challenge of navigating restaurant menus while trying to lose weight. Lark members should expect more personalized advice and practical tips for meal planning. Ultimately, enhancing their overall success in achieving and maintaining their health goals.

Lastly, there’s another new feature of Coach+ that will provide members with additional insights into their meal choices: Meal Recap. Members can simply ask their Lark coach to recap the meals consumed that day and receive an evaluation of the pros and cons of their food choices. This Lark Coach capability coupled with real-time meal recommendations will help members identify viable changes which lead to sustainable habits.

Howard enthusiastically shares, “The outcomes are clear— our members demonstrate increased satisfaction and engagement, resulting in improved overall results through our use of Coach+ technology.”

If you’re an employer, PBM, health plan or benefits consultant and want to learn more about Lark’s weight management solutions that incorporate Coach+, get in touch!

¹https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-keep-a-food-journal