Most people can tell that fruits and vegetables are healthy, and perhaps sugary drinks are unhealthy, but beyond that, how about other numerous foods? How healthy or unhealthy are they? Most people find it difficult to tell.

On a mission to simplify things, a team of researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts in Massachusetts has developed a new tool that ranks more than 8,000 foods and beverages, based on how healthy they are, from the best to the worst.

The new nutrient profiling system, called Food Compass, was developed over 3 years and is the most comprehensive and science-based to date.

The researchers said the system was designed to help consumers make healthier food choices, encourage companies to make healthier products and provide public health bodies with labelling system.



How Food Compass works


Details of the research work published 14 October 2021 in Nature Food show that Food Compass system was developed and validated using a detailed national database of 8,032 foods reported in the United State’s Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015 to 2016.

The researchers designed a uniform scoring system that combines a broader range of foods and beverages characteristics and attributes. Scores were assigned to each food or beverage across 9 domains, representing different health-relevant aspects:

nutrient ratios
vitamins
minerals
food ingredients
additives
processing
specific lipids
fibre and protein, and
phytochemicals

The domain scores were summed into a final Food Compass Score (FCS) ranging from 1 (least healthy) to 100 (most healthy) for all foods and beverages.

Based on the FCS, the researchers went on to recommend as follows:

- foods and beverages that have a score of 70 or above, should be encouraged.
- those that score between 31 and 69, should be eaten in moderation, while
- anything that scores 30 or lower, should be eaten minimally or avoided.


Your foods and their Food Compass Scores


Major food categories

In the Food Compass, major food categories scored as follows:

- fruits scored the highest, with an average score of nearly 74, and nearly all raw fruits receiving a score of 100
- Vegetables had an average score of 69
legumes, nuts, and seeds scored about 79 on the average
- The lowest scoring category was snacks and sweet desserts with an average score of 16
- In the meat category, seafood was the healthiest option with an average score of 67, followed by poultry with an average of about 43. Beef is the least healthy with an average of 25.
- Starchy vegetables scored an average of about 43
- Among beverages, the average score ranged from 27.6 for sugar-sweetened sodas and energy drinks to 67 for 100% fruit or vegetable juices.


Individual foods and beverages

When it comes to individual foods and beverages, some of the interesting findings include:

White rice: 10
Brown rice: 63
White bread: 8
Pita bread: 1
Whole wheat bread: 64
Instant nodules: 1
Cooked nodules: 17
Cooked pasta: 9
Avocados: 100
Quinoa: 81
Plain oatmeal: 78
Kellogg’s Raisin Bran: 72
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes: 15
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes: 19
Carrot juice: 100
Raspberries: 100
Non-fat cappuccino: 73
French fries: 55
Pickles (cucumbers, sweet): 33
Chicken Kiev: 20
Apple pie: 19
Tomato catsup: 9
Teriyaki sauce: 4
McDonald’s Cheeseburger: 8
Ice cream: 10
Duck sauce, marshmallows, ready-to-eat pudding, and candy bar: 1
All sorts of energy and sports drinks: 1
Soft drinks, cola: 1


According to the researchers, foods that scored highly did so based on high nutrient density – high ratio of vitamins, minerals, and fibre compared to negative factors such as bad fats.

On the other hand, foods that scored poorly have low nutrient density (few vitamins, minerals and fibre) and many negative health impacts such as higher risk of diseases like obesity, cancer and heart disease if consumed too often.


What the researchers said


In a press release issued by Tufts University, the study’s lead and corresponding author, Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School, said: “Once you get beyond ‘eat your veggies, avoid soda,’ the public is pretty confused about how to identify healthier choices in the grocery store, cafeteria, and restaurant.”

“Consumers, policy makers, and even industry are looking for simple tools to guide everyone toward healthier choices.”

Renata Micha, the last author, said: “With its publicly available scoring algorithm, Food Compass can provide a nuanced approach to promoting healthy food choices–helping guide consumer behavior, nutrition policy, scientific research, food industry practices, and socially based investment decisions.”

For references and more, visit:

https://www.yourhealthng.com.ng/2021/10/17/food-compass-ranking-healthiness-of-foods-from-best-to-worst/