When it comes to healthy eating, there seems to be new advice every week.
take eggs Once demonized for their high cholesterol, they gained hero status when high-protein diets became the holy grail for weight loss. No wonder we’re so confused.
But a new study could be the definitive guide we’ve all been looking for.
US researchers have developed the Food Compass, which they believe is the most comprehensive system ever developed to assess the nutritional value of our food. The Boston team spent three years examining more than 8,000 foods and drinks, from a melon to a McDonald’s, and using cutting-edge science to rank them according to 54 different attributes.
They gave each food a score between 1 and 100 – the higher the score, the healthier the food. Foods with a score between 100 and 70 are recommended, foods between 69 and 31 should be eaten in moderation, while anything below 30 is bad news.
US researchers have developed the Food Compass, which they believe is the most comprehensive system ever developed to assess the nutritional value of our food
Some of the top-scoring foods will hardly surprise you. Legumes, nuts and seeds (average score 78.6), fruits (73.9) and vegetables (69.1) all do well. Savory snacks and desserts (average score 16.4) are on the no-go list.
But there are some surprises. Sweet potato chips get a score of 69, as does bulgur wheat, which is typically considered a healthy grain. The vitamins and minerals in both are comparable. But break it down further, and other factors emerge.
Sweet potatoes have more vitamin A and potassium and are low in sodium.
While bulgur wheat has more protein and fiber than sweet potatoes, it also has more starch (a bad thing) and fewer healthy fats.
And those of you who ditched cereal in favor of eggs for breakfast might be surprised to learn that Cheerios (95) and Shredded Wheat (83) are not only top scorers in the grain category, they also outperform a boiled egg (51).
“Cereals are not inherently bad. Because if they’re high in whole grains they get a good score for it, and if they don’t have added sugar they don’t lose points,” explains Professor Jeffrey Blumberg, one of the study’s co-authors.
coffee addict? Oddly enough, according to Food Compass, an espresso (55) isn’t the best choice
Although eggs are a great source of protein, they may not contain as many nutrients as, say, a cereal that has been fortified with vitamins and minerals, hence the lower score.
Do you want to supercharge your diet? Here’s what you can choose from – with their Food Compass ratings in parentheses.
FOLLOW THE NUTRITION COMPASS
Foods with the highest score – 100/100
- avocado
- Raw or lightly cooked broccoli
- celery juice
- raw salmon
- watercress
- kidney beans
- cherries
Foods with the lowest score – 1/100
- Fizzy Drinks
- White flatbread
- Boiled sweets
- Frankfurters
- Cookies
- fudge
- instant soups
BREAKFAST
Opt for juice for celery (100), which contains an array of vitamins and minerals including potassium, magnesium and calcium, or tomato (100), which is a great source of the antioxidant lycopene.
coffee addict? Strangely, an espresso (55) isn’t the best choice. The healthier option is a skim milk cappuccino (73), which has some protein and, unlike the full-fat option (58), not too much saturated fat.
As far as cereal goes, Special K seems like a good option, but with a score of 18, it’s on par with Cornflakes (19) and not much better than Frosties (15).
Eggs alone, boiled or poached only score 51 points. But make an omelet and you can move it up or down depending on what you put in it. A ham and cheese omelet cooked in butter drops the score to 15, but a protein omelet with veggies gets you a 59. If toast is your thing, leave jam on white (1) for reduced-fat peanut butter on whole grain (63).
HAVING LUNCH
Unadulterated sashimi (thinly sliced seafood) is a solid choice (100), while a sushi-style California roll (1) has almost no health benefits, thanks to starchy rice, sugary vinegar, and processed crab sticks.
White Rice Noodles (17) may look healthy, but they’re almost empty calories. But if you opt for whole-wheat spaghetti (70), you’ll get a lot more fiber, as well as iron and potassium. Add a tomato-based sauce with seafood and veggies and you get 78 points.
Sandwiches are not a good choice, regardless of the filling. Even a vegetable submarine sandwich with non-fat spread only gets 14, while roast beef gets 11. If you absolutely must grab a sarnie, choose grilled chicken on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomato (68). Unfortunately, but predictably, cakes (1) and cookies (4) are not recommended.
DINNER
You won’t be surprised to learn that a McDonald’s cheeseburger (8) isn’t very nutritious. Ditch meat and starchy carbs for seafood—it’s high in protein, low in saturated fat and packed with vitamins and minerals.
Try mussels in tomato sauce (95) or a tuna salad with light mayonnaise (73). For top marks, try a seafood salad with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and other veggies. The bad news is that to get a perfect 100 you have to keep the bandage.
If you can do without meat, a curry is not a bad option. Vegetable curry scores 90 points, beef curry only 51.
Finally, while a sundae with chocolate sauce and whipped cream scores 10, you can still get a chocolatey fix — skim milk frozen chocolate yogurt scores a pretty impressive 81.