A few NYC restaurants have been called out for banning iPhone photo snaps of food. These establishments claim that taking pictures of food is disruptive. Friends of iPhone shutterbugs tend to agree, most of the time. Do you really need to take a picture of your lunch? Maybe you do. I do. So, I can appreciate a new app called 'Give Your Calories.'

Give Your Calories isn't a regular food app. This app wants you to turn the calories you consume into donation dollars. The more calories you ingest, the more you have to donate. Here are the dense details (like that chocolate cake you just inhaled!).

How 'Give Your Calories' Works

Say you decided to try the new cupcake shop around the block. You opt for three cupcakes (because who can decide?), and go on your merry way. But, before you eat those cupcakes, you snap a photo of each one using the Give Your Calories app. The app then totals the number of calories you are about to consume, and converts those calories into dollar amounts (by the way, there are approximately 900 calories in three vanilla cupcakes).

The calorie to dollar breakdown looks like this: less than 200 calories: $1; 200-300 calories: $2; 300-400 calories: $5. Each additional equals: $1. Once you've figured out how many calories and how much money you will donate, you can head to your PayPal account via the app to check out. The money that you pledge will then be donated to 'Action Against Hunger,' which is an international organization that fights hunger all across the world.

Discouragement, Receipts, and Other Details

This app does two things. It provides an innovative way for people to donate dollars to a charity in need. The app may also help you think twice before you scarf down those cupcakes - do you really want to add an extra 300 sugar-packed calories to your day? This app puts it into perspective.

I know that some of you think this app is a great idea, but are probably wondering: do I get a receipt for this donation? Taxes are behind us, but receipts are important, aren't they? Since you've donated using PayPal, you can use your PayPal receipt as a tax donation receipt. So, yes, you are covered. But, let's bring this back to the beginning for a moment.

A Clever Combination of Food and Photography

The 'Give Your Calories' app really combines the fun of taking food photos with charity. So, the app is likely to entice people that like to snap photos of food and donate money to charities. The app was developed by a Belgian agency called 'Happiness Brussels' - maybe after watching tourists chow down on waffles and chocolates?

The next time you sit down to take a photo of your food, you can turn to any ridiculer and state: "actually, you insensitive person, I'm donating to charity here. What have you done to better humankind today?" Yep; that'll teach 'em! The app can be found in the App Store. Check it out.