Blueberries Earn Highest Score for Nutrient Density
In a new food scoring system appearing in supermarkets across the country, blueberries earned the highest nutrient-density score possible, in recognition of their potent nutritional profile and superfood status. The more nutrient dense a food is, the higher nutritional value it provides per calories consumed.
The NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System was developed and funded by Griffin Hospital, a non-profit community hospital and teaching affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine. It ranks foods by a single score on a numeric scale from 1 to 100. The system was developed in an effort to help consumers make healthy choices by making it easy to compare the nutritional value of the foods they buy and consume. Blueberries were one of only three foods that received a perfect score of 100 within the high-scoring fruit and vegetable categories.
The NuVal™ system uses an algorithm known as the ONQI™ algorithm, or Overall Nutritional Quality Index. Dr. David Katz of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, who convened and led the 12-member scientific panel that developed the algorithm, said that the system not only reinforces the message to eat more fruits and vegetables (the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest eating 1 to 2½ cups of fruits every day), but offers further guidance within those categories.
While NuVal™ scores are expected to help unravel confusing messaging on packaged foods, according to Katz, scoring for fruits and vegetables will serve two purposes. “First, and perhaps most important, they will reaffirm that the most nutritious foods of all tend to reside in the produce aisle. The scores will make that visible, and show that when all foods are judged by the same sophisticated criteria, fruits and veggies tend to be the standouts,” he said. “Secondarily, the scores will show that while virtually all fruits and veggies score well, they are not created exactly equal. There are ‘the best of the best.’” One of the primary goals of the NuVal™ system was to combat the country’s alarming obesity and diabetes rates. Katz said, “When you consider that the two primary vegetables in the American diet are French fries and the ketchup poured over them, and the number-one fruit is orange juice, that ‘within category’ guidance is important, too.”
The ONQI™ algorithm looks at “nutrient density” — the ratio of nutrients to calories — and then compares favorable nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, to unfavorable nutrients, such as added salt, added sugar, trans fat, and saturated fat. For example, spinach and broccoli score higher than iceberg lettuce or potatoes, and blueberries come out ahead of many other fruits. “As nutritional experts agree they should,” asserts Katz. “Blueberries are very low in calories, and rich in fiber, potassium, and antioxidants, leading to big numbers for positive elements. They have nothing in the denominator. Lots of good stuff, no bad stuff — do the math, and you get a score of 100.” Learn more about new ONQI™ scores for frozen blueberries.
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As their ONQI™ score indicates, blueberries, especially Wild Blueberries, have been widely known as a nutrient-rich food. Wild Blueberries are rich in phytonutrients — antioxidants such as anthocyanin, as well as anti-inflammatories. These natural substances can protect against disease and promote healthy aging. In fact, The Wild Blueberry Association of North America is a founding member of the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition (NRFC), and choosing foods according to nutrient density has been a long-standing idea supported by the NRFC. The NRFC encourages choosing foods according to nutrient density by first choosing nutrient-dense foods and then choosing less nutrient-dense foods — those that provide calories but few or no nutrients — as calorie needs and activity levels permit.
ONQI™ scores will be posted in local grocery stores beside the food it represents; the first two supermarkets launched the system in January of this year. There will eventually be a score for almost every product available in stores, and scores for frozen blueberries are in the process of being generated. “Frozen blueberries should receive the same score of 100 as fresh,” said Katz. “This is an important message for consumers who may not realize how well freezing tends to preserve nutritional quality. Often, frozen produce provides a more economical way for people to get the nutritional benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.”
Katz also confirmed that both Wild Blueberries and cultivated blueberries would receive a score of 100 on the ONQI™ scale, even though they are not differentiated in the NuVal™ System. Wild Blueberries have a larger skin-to-pulp ratio than their cultivated cousins, and as a result, their antioxidant capacity is stronger. Katz admits that a scale built for effective guidance, especially at the lower end of the scale where it is needed most, can have its limitations in distinguishing between high-nutrient foods. “If we reach the point where improving diet quality and health has come to shifting people from standard to Wild Blueberries, we will have come a long way from where we are now, and will be dealing with a very good problem!” he said. Until then, an ONQI™ Score of 100 placed beside blueberries in the supermarket will remind consumers that when they pick up blueberries, whether fresh, frozen or Wild, they are making the best nutritional choice possible.
