NuVal Scores Galore

 I've talked about NuVal scores in the past. I put together a huge compilation of NuVal scores which were provided on their website, along with a preface discussing how the NuVal system works. I hope you find it interesting, I sure did!

Question: Does your local grocery store provide NuVal scores? I can't wait for them to come to Oklahoma!

FAQs: How the System Works

Q: How does the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System work?
A: The NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System summarizes the overall nutritional value of food. It uses the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes (quantitative reference values for recommended intakes of nutrients) and the Dietary Guidelines For Americans (advice from the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, and the Department of Agriculture, USDA, about how good dietary habits can promote health and reduce risk for major chronic diseases) to quantify the presence of more than 30 nutrients – including vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants; sugar, salt, trans fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. The system also incorporates measures for the quality of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as calories and omega-3 fats. The NuVal™ System also takes into account how these nutrients influence health based on broadly accepted, published scientific literature.

Q: How is a NuVal™ Score calculated?
A: The NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System takes more than 30 different nutrients and nutrition factors into account when developing a Score, making it a very robust food rating system. The nutrient content for a food is processed through a complex algorithm developed through a rigorous process by a team of twelve experts. Boiled down to its simplest description, here is how the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System works:

• Nutrients with generally favorable effects on health are placed in the numerator, where higher values increase the NuVal™ Score.
• Nutrients with generally unfavorable effects on health are placed in the denominator, where higher values decrease the NuVal™ score.

In addition to the numerator and denominator nutrients, the algorithm takes into account other key factors that measure the quality and density of nutrients, as well as the strength of their association with specific health conditions.

For example, trans fat has a very strong association with heart disease, a highly prevalent and serious condition. Therefore, the algorithm assigns a "weighting coefficient" to trans fat which substantially lowers the Score of foods containing it. Those weighting coefficients are determined by the prevalence, severity, and strength of association with health conditions.

The quality of macronutrients (fats, proteins, carbohydrates) is another key factor in the overall equation. Fat quality, protein quality, carbohydrate quality, and glycemic load (a measure of carbohydrate quality) are among the "universal adjustors" that can move a NuVal™ Score higher or lower. The higher the quality, the higher the Score.

Foods with higher nutrient density -- a significant amount of vitamins and mineral, but relatively few calories -- also receive extra credit and higher Scores. The greater a food's "trajectory" toward numerator nutrients (generally favorable) and away from denominator nutrients (generally unfavorable), the greater the Score.

Q: What specific nutrients and factors go into a NuVal™ Score?
A: The following nutrients and nutrition factors are used in determining a food’s NuVal™ Score

• Nutrients considered to have generally favorable effects on health:
• Fiber
• Folate
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B6
• Potassium
• Calcium
• Zinc
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Total bioflavanoids
• Total carotenoids
• Magnesium
• Iron
• Nutrients with generally unfavorable effects on health
• Saturated fat
• Trans fat
• Sodium
• Sugar
• Cholesterol
• Additional entries
• Protein quality
• Fat quality
• Glycemic load
• Energy density

Q: How did you determine what nutrients to use?
A: Nutrients for inclusion in the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System were selected based on their established relevance to public health as reported and published by the scientific community. For more detailed information on the inclusion of each nutrient, and a bibliography of sources upon which each decision was based, please contact us at experts@NuVal.com.

Yogurt

NuVal™ Scores for yogurt range from 22 to 99, with a median Score of 28*.

Yogurt Scores vary depending on the amount and type of fat the products contain, as well as the presence of sodium, sugar, calcium, and levels of vitamins A and D. Yogurts with the lowest scores have between 30 to 40 grams of sugar, which is equal to almost 10 teaspoons of sugar, as well as some saturated fat. Yogurts without saturated fat and added sugar tend to score the highest.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Breyers Light Yogurt, Boost Immunity Light Black Cherry Jubilee	99
Lightfull Smoothie, Mango Oasis	91
Dannon Activia Light Fat Free Blueberry	89
Weight Watchers Yogurt, White Chocolate Raspberry	87
Dannon Light 'n Fit Rasberry Yogurt	81
Yoplait Yogurt Light Fat Free Boston Cream Pie	66
Stonyfield Farm Organic Fat Free Black Cherry Fruit on the Bottom	64
Yoplait Light Fat Free Strawberry	60
Yoplait Light Thick & Creamy Peaches 'N Cream	59
Stonyfield Farm O'Soy Strawberry/peach	48
Yoplait Yo-Plus Strawberry Yogurt	40
Yoplait Go-Gurt, Burstin' Melon Berry	39
O Soy Blueberry Yogurt	35
Activia Plain Yogurt	34
Yoplait Trix, Burstin Berry	32
YoCrunch Yogurt, Cookies N Cream Oreo	29
YoCrunch Mild Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt with Chocolate Crunch	25
Dannon Yogurt, Activia Low Fat Mixed Berry	23
Brown Cow Cherry Vanilla Whole Milk Yogurt	23
Dannon Dan Active Probiotic Dairy Drink Immunity Blueberry	22

Bread

NuVal™ Scores for bread range from 2 to 81, with a median Score of approximately 25*.

Bread Scores vary with the content of whole grain, fiber, sugar, salt, and oil. Breads made from just whole grain flour, water, and yeast can earn very high Scores. Highly processed breads – those made from refined flours and with high additions of sugar, salt, and/or harmful fats – will score quite low. What is surprising is how different the NuVal Score can be from what is suggested by the name of a bread – i.e., “whole grain,” “whole wheat,” multi grain,” etc. But that simply reveals that what a bread is called, and what it is made out of, may be two very different things.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread	81
Alvarado Street Bakery Sprouted Flaxseed Bread	56
Arnold By Brownbery Natural Flax And Fiber Bread	48
Pepperidge Farm Natural Whole Grain 9 Grain Bread	40
Weight Watchers 100% Whole Wheat Bread	39
Country Kitchen Light Oatmeal Bread	36
Healthy Choice Hearty 7 Grain Bread	35
Country Kitchen All Natural Whole Grain 100% Whole Wheat Bread	32
Wonder Light White Bread	31
Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Whole Grain White Bread	28
Arnold Whole Grain Classics 100% Whole Wheat Bread	26
Sara Lee Honey Wheat Bread	24
Thomas' Cinnamon Swirl Toasting Bread	23
Wonder Big White Bread	23
J.J. Nissen Butter Top White Bread	19
Sara Lee Classic Dinner Roll 12 Count	16
Lender's Bagel Shop Bagels Cinnamon Raisin Swirl	14
Wonder Cinnamon Raisin Bread	8
Sara Lee Garlic Bread	5
Turano Old Fashion Italian Bread	2

Cereal

NuVal™ Scores for cereal range from 4 to 100, with a median Score of approximately 25*.

The very word “cereal” refers to cereal grains, and the most nutritious breakfast cereals of all contain just that – whole grain, and little or nothing else. At the other end of the spectrum, however, are products still called cereal, but with sugar as the first (and therefore most abundant) ingredient. As a result, the range of NuVal Scores in the cereal aisle is one of the largest in the entire supermarket. Scores in this category will tend to vary with whole grain content and fiber (more is better); and with additions of sugar, salt, and saturated or trans fat (less is better). In some cases, as with toasted rice or corn flake cereals, Scores may be relatively low partly because of what is added (such as sugar and salt), as well as what is taken away (parts of the whole grain).

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Hodgson Mill Unprocessed Wheat Bran (Millers Bran)	100
Post Shredded Wheat Original	91
Kellogg's All-Bran Extra Fiber Natural Wheat Bran High Fiber Cereal	76
Kellogg's Special K Protein Plus	60
Kashi Golean High Protein & High Fiber Cereal	47
General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch with 75% reduced sugar	40
General Mills Whole Grain Guaranteed Cheerios	34
Post Shredded Wheat Frosted	31
Kellogg's All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes	31
Post Honey Bunches Of Oats Cereal With Almonds	29
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Flakes	29
General Mills Whole Grain Guaranteed Total Raisin Bran	27
Quaker Life Cereal	25
Kellogg's Corn Flakes The Original & Best	25
Kellogg's Rice Krispies Toasted Rice Cereal	23
General Mills Whole Grain Guaranteed Basic 4	23
General Mills Whole Grain Garanteed Lucky Charms	23
Kashi Strawberry Fields	11
Cap'n Crunch Sweetened Corn & Oat Cereal	10
Peace Cereal Organic Low Fat Mango Passion Crisp Cereal	4

Cookies

NuVal™ Scores for cookies range from 1 to 40, with a median Score of approximately 3*.

Look at the range of NuVal Scores in the cookie aisle and you’ll see that while you may choose cookies just because you love them, you can still “trade up” to more nutritious options. Higher Scores in this category identify cookies with less sugar, less salt, less or no harmful oils, more fiber from whole grains, and vitamins and minerals from fruits and nuts. There is good nutrition for you even in the cookie aisle - and NuVal Scores make it easy for you find it.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Kashi Tlc Tasty Little Chewy Cookies Oatmeal Raisin Flax	40
Health Valley Oatmeal Raisin Cookies	34
Kraft South Beach Diet Peanut Butter Cookies Snack Pack	34
Nabisco Mini Teddy Grahams Honey Graham Snak-Saks	24
Pepperidge Farm Soft Baked Oatmeal Raisin Cookies	20
Keebler Chocolate Lovers Chips Deluxe Chocolate Chip Cookies	17
Nabisco Chips Ahoy Chunky White Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies	17
Nabisco Fig Newtons Fat Free	13
Keebler Chips Deluxe Soft & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies	12
Nabisco Snackwells Crème Sandwich Cookies	12
Nabisco Teddy Grahams Chocolatey Chip	12
Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies With Pecans	10
Nabisco Nilla Wafers	8
Nabisco Oreo Double Stuf Cool Mint Crème	5
Nabisco Nutter Butter Big & Soft Cookies	4
Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Alpha-Bits Cookies Mini Cookies	3
Pepperidge Farm Milano Oookies	3
Nabisco Chips Ahoy Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies	2
Archway Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Family Pack	1
Salerno Butter Cookies	1

Eggs and Egg Products

NuVal™ Scores for eggs and egg products range from 26 to 67, with a median Score of approximately 33*.

Eggs are a perfect protein source and provide many nutrients, but at a high cost in dietary cholesterol, which we are told to limit by the Dietary Guidelines, the DRIs, and all other sources of expert guidance. Some egg producers use a feeding process that can change the nutrient profile of the egg and – assuming they provide the data to support this – it may result in higher NuVal Scores for particular eggs in the future.

Egg substitutes that score higher than eggs do so because they retain many of the favorable nutrients in eggs – particularly the high quality protein – while eliminating their principal nutritional liability, cholesterol.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Papetti Foods Better'n Eggs Healthier Real Egg Product	67
Egg Beaters Egg Substitute Original	58
Papetti Foods Better'n Eggs Real Egg Product	53
Egg Beaters Egg Substitute Garden Vegetable	52
Egg Beaters Egg Substitute Southwestern	51
Eggs, Brown All Sizes	33
Eggs, White All Sizes	33
Land O Lakes All Natural Farm Fresh Grade A Brown Eggs	33
Land O Lakes Omega 3 Eggs, All Natural Large Grade A Brown	33
Egg Beaters Egg Substitute With Yolk	31
Egg Beaters 100% Liquid Egg Whites	26
Papetti Foods All Whites 100% Luquid Egg Whites	26

Frozen Vegetables

NuVal™ Scores for frozen vegetables range from 22 to 100, with a median Score of 91*.

Many frozen vegetables have no additives, so their Scores are the same or similar to those of fresh vegetables, varying with the concentration of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. However, frozen vegetables with added salt and salt-heavy seasonings, as well as those with fat- and salt-laden sauces, will have lower Scores. Hence, the wide range of Scores for frozen vegetables.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Birds Eye Frozen Chopped Spinach Box	100
Birds Eye Frozen Tender Broccoli Cuts Plastic Bag	100
Green Giant Frozen Cut Green Bean Steamable Bag	100
Green Giant Select Frozen Sugar Snap Peas Plastic Bag	96
La Choy Frozen Snow Pea Pods Box	96
Birds Eye Frozen Cooked Winter Squash Box	91
Green Giant Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Corn, Carrots, Peas, Green Beans) Steamable Bag	87
Green Giant Simply Steam Frozen Broccoli And Carrots With Sauce	82
Green Giant Frozen Sweet Baby Peas No Sauce Steamable Bag	71
Green Giant Frozen Spinach No Sauce Box	67
Birds Eye Steamfresh Frozen Asian Medley	62
Birds Eye Steamfresh Frozen Specially Seasoned Garlic Baby Peas & Mushrooms	47
Green Giant Frozen Cauliflower & Three Cheese Sauce Plastic Bag	42
Green Giant Frozen Creamed Spinach In Low-Fat Sauce Box	34
Green Giant Health Blends Healthy Weight Frozen Blended Vegetables Box	33
Green Giant Frozen Sweet Baby Peas And Low-Fat Butter Sauce Box 10oz	30
Birds Eye Steam And Serve Frozen Asian Vegetables With Roasted Cashews	29
Birds Eye Deluxe Frozen Artichoke Hearts Box	28
Green Giant Frozen Green Bean Casserole Box	23
Birds Eye Carrots and Cranberries	22

Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt

Sample scores for Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt are as follows:

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Breyers Extra Creamy vanilla Ice Cream	45
Blue Bunny Reduced Fat Double Strawberry Ice Cream (No Sugar Added)	39
Edy s Slow Churned All Natural Vanilla Flavor Rich & Creamy Light Ice Cream (No Sugar Added)	34
Haagen-Dazs Black Walnut All Natural Ice Cream	24
Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream	24
Blue Bunny Cheesecake Fat Free Frozen Yogurt with Strawberry	23
Haagen Dazs Rum Raisin Ice Cream	23
Edy's All Natural Vanilla Flavor Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Light Ice Cream	22
Breyers Natural Butter Pecan Ice Cream	22
Ben & Jerry s Cherry Garcia Cherry Ice Cream	21
Haagen Dazs Low Fat Frozen Yogurt Vanilla Raspberry Swirl	20
Ben & Jerry s Dublin Mudslide Irish Cream Liqueur Ice Cream	19
Kemps Black Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream	18
Breyers Vanilla Ice Cream with Fudge Twirl	18
Starbucks Coffee Java Chip Ice Cream	16
Ben & Jerry s Cherry Garcia Cherry Low Fat Frozen Yogurt	15
Deans Healthy Delight Strawberry Frozen Yogurt	14
Edy's Rich and Creamy Grand Chocolate Chip Ice Cream	8
Edy s Mint Chocolate Chip Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Light Ice Cream	5
Breyers Vanilla Ice Cream with Snickers	3
Haagen Dazs Fat Free Strawberry Sorbet	1

Milk

NuVal™ Scores for milk range from 12 to 100, with a median Score of approximately 54*.

Scores in the milk category vary primarily with saturated fat content. Other factors that strongly influence the Scores for milk products include added sugar and salt, and the concentrations of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D. Non-dairy and lactose-free beverages usually have the same influencers as regular milk, however, they may also contain fiber, which can influence the Score. Lactose, itself, is not a differentiating nutritional factor.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Deans Fat Free Skim Milk	91
Garelick Farms Over The Moon Fat Free Milk	91
Horizon Organic Fat Free Skim Milk	91
Silk Light Soy Milk Plain	82
Garelick Farms 1% Milkfat Milk	78
Organic Valley 1% Milkfat Milk	78
Silk Soy Milk Chocolate	68
Silk Light Soy Milk Chocolate	56
Horizon Organic 2% Milkfat Milk	55
Dean's Whole Milk	50
Garelick Farms Whole Milk	50
Heartland Creamery Plain Goat's Milk	38
Horizon Organic 1% Milkfat Chocolate Milk	36
Hood Simply Smart Chocolate Milk Fat Free	33
Nestle Nesquik Chocolate Fat Free Milk	31
Anderson Erickson Chocolate Milk 2% Milkfat	24
Organic Valley Chocolate Milk 2% Milkfat	24
Nestle Nesquik Strawberry Milk Reduced Fat 2% Milkfat	23
Chug Milk Shake Cookies ‘N Cream	14
Chug Milk Shake Vanilla	12

rozen Pizza

NuVal™ Scores for frozen pizza range from 2 to 25, with a median Score of approximately 11.

Nearly all frozen pizza options contain saturated fat, which impacts their scores. Sodium can also be a factor, with some brands having as much as 1,400mg per serving. Scores can rise when the product uses a whole grain crust (which raises the fiber) and real cheese, which raises the score because of the added calcium. Pizzas that use partially hydrogenated oils, a source of trans fat, tend to have scores at the bottom of the NuVal scale.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
South Beach Living Pepperoni Pizza with Harvest Wheat Crust	25
Kashi All Natural Margarita with Tomato Garlic Cheese Thin Crust	23
McCain Ellio's Cheese Pizza	23
Piggly Wiggly Three Meat Frozen Pizza	23
Di Giorno Rising Crust Pizza with Spinach, Mushroom and Garlic	20
WeightWatchers Smart Ones Stone Fired Crust Pepperoni Pizza	15
McCain Ellio's Pepperoni Pizza	12
Tombstone Brick Oven Style Pepperoni Pizza	9
Stouffer's French Bread Pizza with Sausage, Pepperoni & Bacon	8
Stouffer's Lean Cuisine Deep Dish Spinach & Mushroom Pizza	7
DiGiorno For One Traditional Crust	6
Celeste Original Pizza	4
Freschetta Pizzamore Presliced Pepperoni Duo Pizza	4
Totinos Crisp Crust Party Pizza Classic Pepperoni	2

Seafood

NuVal™ Scores for seafood range from 36 to 89, with a median Score of approximately 81*.

Like meat and poultry, seafood is a source of neatly perfect protein. But unlike most other meats, fish tends to be low in saturated fat, and is often a concentrated source of fish oil, which is rich in health-promoting omega-3 fats. Because omega-3 fats are so important for health, they get a lot of credit in the calculation of NuVal™ Scores. For this reason, the fish that are richest in omega-3 fats, such as salmon, get very high scores. Fish and seafood with lesser amounts of omega-3 and higher concentrations of sodium get lower scores. Hence the Score of 36 for lobster, which is fairly high in sodium and, by and large, lacking in omega-3 fats.

Product	Score
Whitefish	89
Sardines (fresh)	88
Atlantic Salmon Fillet	87
Atlantic Halibut Fillet	82
Catfish Fillet	82
Cod Fillet	82
Grouper	82
Sea Bass	82
Tuna, Ahi	82
Oysters	81
Swordfish Steak	81
Prawns	75
Shrimp	75
Clams	71
Mussels	71
Haddock	64
Crab (Alaskan King, Blue, Dungeness, & Snow)	57
Bay Scallops	51
Turbot Fillet	51
Lobster	36

Shortening/Oils

NuVal™ Scores for shortening/oils range from 2 to 34, with a median Score of 11*.

Those products with the highest NuVal scores are also the best source of omega-3 fatty acids. Conversely, oils with the lowest NuVal scores tend to have the lowest amounts of omega-3s in this category. As the NuVal scores show, liquid oils are often a better choice than butter, margarine and other solid shortenings.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Benissimo Basil Tomato Olive Oil	34
International Collection Walnut Oil	27
Benissimo Roasted Garlic Oil	24
Sunera Canola Oil	24
Botticelli Chef Select Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Canola Oil Blend	23
Colavita Canola and Oli ve Oil	23
Olivado Olive Oil Gold Avocado	20
Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil	16
Wesson Pure Vegetable Oil	16
Bella Pure Olive Oil	11
Kalamata Gold Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil	11
Pampa Extra Virgin Olive Oil	11
Spectru Unrefined Olive Oil	11
Star Extra Light Olive Oil	11
Kusha Grapeola Grape Seed Oil	10
International Collection Sesame Oil	8
Crisco Natural Blend Oil	7
Hollywood Safflower Oil	4
Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening	3
Planters 100% Peanut Oil	2

Snack/Granola Bars

NuVal™ Scores for snack/granola bars range from 1 to 42, with a median Score of 14*.

Snack and granola bar Scores vary with the content of sugar, fiber, and sodium. They also vary by the type of fat they contain; products with mono- and polyunsaturated fats tend to score higher, while those with saturated and trans fats receive lower NuVal Scores. Finding nutritious choices in this category can be more difficult, given the complexity of flavors and added ingredients commonly found. Using NuVal scores can reassure consumers that they will have the information to make an educated buying decision when it comes to nutrition.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Glutino Gluten Free Breakfast Bars - Blueberry	40
Fiber One Chewy Bars Oats & Strawberries With Almonds	32
Kashi, TLC, (Tasty Little Cereal Bars) - Blackberry Graham	31
Curves Chewy Granola Bars - Chocolate Peanut	29
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars - Chocolate Chip	26
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars - Pecan Crunch	25
Nutri-Grain Cereal Bar - Mixed Berry	24
Health Valley Apple Cobbler Cereal Bars	24
Quaker Breakfast Oatmeal Raisin Cookies	20
Quaker Muffin Bars - Baked Banana	19
Kelloggs Granola Bars - Crunchy Nut Sweet and Salty	16
Quaker Breakfast Cookies - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip	13
Quaker Chewy 90 Calorie Granola Bars - Variety Pack	11
Kudos Milk Chocolate Granola Bars	9
Sunbelt Granola Bars, - Chewy Graham & Chocolate	8
Kudos Milk Chocolate Granola Bars with Snickers Chunks	6
Nature Valley Granola Bars - Sweet & Salty Nut Cashew	5
General Mills Reeses Sweet and Salty Granola Bars	4
Kellogs Special K Cereal Bars - Vanilla Crisp	2
Little Debbie Apple Flips	1

Cheese - Processed and Natural

Saturated fat has a significant impact on cheese scores, with some products having as much as half of their calories coming from saturated fat. If a product is low fat, reduced fat or fat free, they tend to score higher because some or all of the saturated fat has been removed. The presence of sodium and calcium can also impact scores (calcium positively, sodium negatively).

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Galaxy Nutritional Foods Veggies Slices Cheddar Flavor	82
Weight Watchers Singles Process Cheese Product American	31
Laughing Cow Gourmet Cheese Bites Light Creamy Swiss Original	29
President Fat Free Feta	28
Kraft Fat Free, Natural Shredded Cheddar Cheese	27
Kraft Singles 2% American Cheese Slices	26
Kraft Singles White American	25
Cabot Cheddar 50% reduced fat	23
Cabot Vermont Cheddar Chunk	22
Kraft 100% Real Parmesan Three Cheese Blend Shaker	20
Wispsride Cheese Ball	20
Kraft Cheddar Cheese Chunk	19
Sorrento Mozzarella Cheese Chunk	19
Land O Lakes American Cheese Slices	18
Kraft Velveta Cheese Slices	17
Saga Blue Cheese Wedge	15
Chevrion Goat Cheese	14
Swissrose Lichester Stilton Cheese Wedge	13
4C Shredded and Grated Parmesan Romano Shelf Stable	12
Kraft Reduced Fat Parmesan Style Grated Topping Shelf Stable	11
TOFUTTI American Soy Slices	3

Crackers

NuVal™ Scores for crackers range from 2 to 87, with a median Score of approximately 14*.

You’ll see an incredible range of Scores in the cracker aisle which indicates that some crackers are very nutritious and others much less so. And while the names and claims about “reduced fat” or “low sodium” may not reliably tell you which is the more nutritious choice, the NuVal Score - which factors in all aspects of nutritional quality - will. Higher Scores here mean more whole grain and fiber, less salt, less sugar, and less harmful saturated and/or trans fats.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Ryvita Rye & Oat Bran All Natural Crispbread	87
Kelloggs All-Bran Crackers Garlic Herb	35
Kashi Tlc Party Crackers Mediterranean Bruschetta	30
Annie’s Homegrown Whole Wheat Bunnies	27
Keebler Club Crackers Original	27
Keebler Club Crackers Reduced Fat	25
Nabisco Ritz Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers	25
Nabisco Wheat Thins Reduced Fat	24
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Cheddar	24
Blue Diamond Almond Nut-Thins Nut & Rice Cracker Thins	23
Sunshine Cheez It Reduced Fat	23
Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Pretzel	20
Back To Nature Cinnamon Graham Sticks	15
Keebler Townhouse Flipsides Pretzel Crackers Original	14
Nabisco Cheese Nips Reduced Fat Cheddar	9
Nabisco Honey Maid Mini Smores Graham Sandwich Crackers	9
Nabisco Ritz Bits Cheese Sandwich Crackers	7
Austin Peanut Butter Sandwich Cracker S	4
Sunshine Cheez It Stix White Cheddar	4
Keebler Townhouse Bistro Multigrain Crackers	2

Fruits and Vegetables

NuVal™ Scores for fruits and vegetables range from 24 to 100, with a median Score of 100*.

Many of the most nutritious items in the supermarket are found in the produce aisle. While vegetables and fruits tend to score very high on the range of NuVal Scores, they don’t all score exactly the same. Scores vary in the produce category based on the concentration of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber in particular. Those at the very top of the range are very highly concentrated in many nutrients and low in calories. The lower scoring produce items are less packed with nutrients (as in the case of iceberg lettuce) or higher in calories (as in the case of passion fruit).

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Apricots	100
Blueberries	100
Broccoli	100
Kiwi	100
Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red Leaf & Romaine)	100
Orange	100
Grapefruit	99
Pineapple	99
Sweet Potatoes	96
Tomatoes	96
Cucumber	93
Mango	93
Bananas	91
Corn	91
Grapes	91
Pomegranate	91
Avocado	86
Iceberg Lettuce	82
Passion Fruit	78
Coconut	24

Meats and Poultry

NuVal™ Scores for meat and poultry range from 24 to 53, with a median Score of 28*.

Meat and poultry scores tend to vary based on the content of saturated fat and sodium in particular; when these are more concentrated in a product, the NuVal™ Score will tend to be lower. Processed meats with added sodium will also tend to score lower. The saturated fat content of poultry varies between white and dark meat.

Remember that while lean meat may be a very important part of a balanced diet, it will never score as high as most vegetables. That is because the NuVal System measures the ratio of nutrients to calories, and meats are generally a much more concentrated source of calories than fresh produce. So don’t look for a NuVal Score of 100 in this category; instead, just compare meat Scores to one another to find the items that are the most nutritious in this category.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Lamb Kidney	53
Alligator	51
Turkey Breast (skinless)	48
Venison	41
Chicken Breast (boneless)	39
Rabbit	39
Pork Tenderloin	35
Flank Steak (Beef)	34
Turkey Breast	31
Beef Tenderloin	30
Ground Sirloin (Beef – 90/10)	30
Pork Chop (boneless center cut)	28
Chicken Wings	28
Lamb Chops (loin)	28
Leg of Lamb	28
Bison or Buffalo (ground meat)	27
Ham (whole)	27
Ground Chuck (Beef – 80/20)	26
Pork Ribs, Country Style	25
Pork Baby Back Ribs	24

Pasta

NuVal™ Scores for pasta range from 11 to 91, with a median Score of approximately 52*.

The NuVal Scores for pasta show you that so-called “carbs” can be your friends nutritionally if you know which ones to choose. Whole grain pastas made from a few simple ingredients are rich in fiber and nutrients and have just about no harmful nutritional baggage. Even their glycemic load is low. Lower scoring pastas are made from refined rather than whole grains, or have added ingredients that drive up calories, cholesterol, and salt content.

PRODUCT	NuVal SCORE
Barilla Plus Pasta Spaghetti Multi Grain	91
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Extra Wide Noodle	91
Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Fusilli	91
Barilla Pasta Penne Whole Grain	89
De Boles Thin Corn Spaghetti	87
No Yolk Egg Noodles Broad Cholesterol Free	82
Tinkyada Vegetable Spirals Brown Rice Pasta	81
Bionaturae Spaghetti Gluten Free	77
Racconto Tri-Color Rotini	75
Barilla Pasta Lasagne Wavy	64
Barilla Pasta Rotini	61
Creamette Pasta Spaghetti	57
Martha Gooch Regular Macaroni Elbows	56
Martha Gooch Regular Spaghetti Long	56
Harringtons Egg Noodles Regular Cut Ribbon	53
Tinkyada Spirals Brown Rice Pasta	44
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Pasta Wide Egg Noodles	32
Creamette Egg Noodle Wide	23
Martha Gooch Egg Kluski Noodles Regular Cut	13
Amish Kitchens Kluski Noodles Extra Thick Ribbon	11

Salty Snacks

NuVal™ Scores for salty snacks range from 1 to 52, with a median Score of approximately 17*.

Salty snacks are, for the most part, made from grains (such as corn) or vegetables (such as potatoes). There are exceptions, such as pork rinds. The highest scoring items in this category are made from whole grains, and little else, providing fiber and relatively little salt. In fact, many items in the salty snack category are actually less salty than a healthy diet should be on average. This is because when a product has very few ingredients, the taste of each one comes through very clearly, and less salt is needed. In addition to high fiber and low salt, other factors leading to high Scores in this category include: the use of healthful, unsaturated oils such as canola oil; the absence of harmful oils; the addition of nutritious seeds, such as sesame seeds; and relatively fewer calories. Low Scores will tend to mean little or no fiber, more salt, high calorie content.

Product	Score
Garden Of Eatin No Salt Blue Tortilla Chips Made With Organic Blue Corn	52
Snyder's Of Hanover Tortilla Chips Restaurant Style	38
Cape Cod Potato Chips 40% Reduced Fat	32
Tostitos Light Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips	28
Snyder's Of Hanover Pretzel Sticks Honey Wheat Pretzel	27
Lay's Baked Potato Crisps Original	25
Doritos Tortilla Chips Cool Ranch	23
Lay's Baked Potato Crisps Cheddar & Sour Cream	23
Lay's Potato Chips Classic	23
Sunshine Cheez-It Party Mix	20
Fritos Corn Chips Original	16
Cheetos Puffs	14
Rold Gold Pretzels Rods	14
Chex Snack Mix Traditional	13
Lays Stax Original Potato Crisps	10
Pringles Potato Crisp Reduced Fat Original	9
Cheetos Crunchy	5
Utz Potato Chips Barbecue	4
Kitchen Cooked Potato Chips Regular	3
Glutino Pretzel Twists Gluten Free	1