The visionary behind the NuVal™ Nutritional Scoring System, Dr. David Katz, is a renowned nutrition expert, author, and media contributor. Here he lends his expertise to providing answers and advice on how to use the NuVal™ System.
Q: Why should I use the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System?
A: The NuVal System helps you quickly and easily see the nutritional value of foods, so you can make informed decisions about the foods you buy and eat.
It provides nutritional guidance to help people make more nutritious choices that have the potential to improve their health over time. The ONQI™ algorithm that powers the NuVal System includes a nutrient-by-nutrient consideration of the health conditions that are affected by food choices. Health conditions including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and more can be impacted by diet. Foods with higher NuVal Scores have nutrient properties that – along with physical activity and a balance of food varieties - can help reduce people’s risk for such health conditions.
Q: Why should I trust the NuVal System ?
A: The ONQI™ algorithm behind the NuVal System was created by a team of recognized nutrition and medical experts (including myself) from leading universities and health organizations. The team was entirely funded by Griffin Hospital, a non-profit community hospital and teaching affiliate of the Yale University School of Medicine located in Derby, CT, and home to the Yale -Griffin Prevention Research Center. We had a simple mandate guided by public health concerns: to help improve public health – one person and one food choice at a time. And we developed the ONQI algorithm independent of manufacturers or other parties interested in promoting certain foods. NuVal LLC was created to bring the benefits of the ONQI algorithm to consumers through the NuVal System, and is doing so through programs for retailers and manufacturers who want to offer their customers a new and valuable tool for making informed food choices.
Q: How do I read the scores to know what is a good one?
There are no “good” or “bad” NuVal Scores; the Scores are a mathematical measurement of food’s overall nutritional value using a scale of 1 to 100. Use NuVal Scores to make more informed decisions about food – whether you are buying for better nutrition or pure enjoyment.
When you want to buy more nutritious foods, choose those with higher NuVal Scores. But you don’t always have to buy the product with the highest Score; sometimes you’ll choose a product just because you love it and there is nothing bad about doing so. But, at least by using the NuVal Scores, you’ll have the information at your fingertips and you’ll be able to make these decisions quickly, easily, and with confidence.
Q: Is there an average NuVal Score that I should try to reach each day and when planning meals for my family?
A: No. There is no magic NuVal Score for achieving a healthful diet. Balance and variety are important considerations, so foods across all categories with Scores all the way from 1 to 100 can and should be a part of your diet and your family’s diet. That said, the more frequently you choose foods with relatively high Scores, the better your overall nutrition will be.
Q: Do you recommend eating a certain number of foods of certain NuVal™ scores?
A: No. There are many different ways to put together a very healthful diet. For example, vegetarian diets are strongly associated with health promotion and disease prevention, but so are Mediterranean diets that include fish and seafood and other animal products.
The best way to use the NuVal™ System is also the simplest: keep choosing foods from all the same categories you were eating before. Just use the NuVal™ System to identify, at a glance, which choices in each category are better for you. Choose accordingly, and it can help you eat more nutritiously one well-informed choice at a time.
Q: Do NuVal Scores consider portion size?
A: No. Since the nutritional quality of a food does not vary with serving size, the NuVal System does not offer guidance for portion size. You still need to choose portion sizes of foods appropriate for your daily needs. However, because it factors in properties that influence satiety, foods that score well on the NuVal System can fill you up on fewer calories, and therefore may be a tool to help consumers consciously manage their own portions.
Q: How do I use the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System in conjunction with the FDA’s Nutrition Facts Panel and its recommended daily allowances, as well other recommended dietary guidelines like the Food Pyramid?
A: The FDA, the USDA, and others have provided the public a great service in putting forth that vital information. The NuVal Nutritional Scoring System is a valuable tool – but not the only tool – for improving the nutritional value of your diet. Used in conjunction with dietary guidelines and information provided by the FDA, the USDA and others, the NuVal System can help you pursue your ideal nutrition plan one food choice at a time.
Q: Are the scores additive? If I buy three products with a score of 30, does that equal a 90?
A: No, NuVal Scores are not additive. Use them to make well-informed choices one food at a time across all food categories.
Q: Can I compare products across categories or just within them?
A: Both. NuVal Scores allow you to compare food not just within categories – whole wheat vs. white bread – but also across categories – bread vs. rice, for example.
Q: Which scores should I choose if I want to lose weight?
A: The NuVal System is not a diet or substitute for a doctor’s advice about health conditions. And there are no magic NuVal Scores for losing weight. The best approach to lasting weight loss is a balanced diet made up of wholesome foods in combination with regular physical activity.
What the NuVal Scores will enable you to do is – at a glance – identify and choose more nutritious foods in every food category. If you make more nutritious choices as frequently as possible, you will improve your overall diet, which may facilitate both weight loss and weight maintenance. Why? Partly because foods that are richer in nutrients and lower in calories tend to fill us up faster, which makes portion control naturally easier.
Q: If a product has a higher number, should I buy it?
A: That is up to you. NuVal Scores help you make more informed decisions about food, but do not make those decisions for you. If you want to make a more nutritious choice, then buy the product with the higher NuVal Score. The more frequently you choose foods with relatively high Scores, the better your overall nutrition will be. But you certainly don’t have to – and probably won’t want to – choose the higher number every time. Sometimes, you’ll buy foods simply because they taste good and you love them – and that’s a normal part of a balanced and varied diet.
Q: How can similar products have such different Scores?
A: Let’s use the cereal category as an example, where Scores can range from very low to very high. Why such a big difference in scores? The major influences on NuVal Scores in the cereal category are fiber, salt, sugar, energy density, glycemic load (a measure of carbohydrate quality), and the amount and type of dietary fats. So a cereal that scores on the high end of the range is likely to be richer in fiber, and lower in salt, sugar, glycemic load, calories, and harmful fats. The major influencers on NuVal scores vary for each category.