What is MyNetDiary's Food Grade and why is it important?
- 6 Minutes Read
The Food Grade is a simple MyNetDiary tool to help you compare similar foods to find the healthiest choice. Instead of reading and comparing the nutrition facts panels of several foods, Food Grade provides each food with a letter grade from A through D.
Read on to learn more about the scoring system used to calculate the Food Grade, as well as limitations of this rating system.
What is the Food Grade, and how is it calculated?
Food Grade is just like it sounds. It is a letter grade ( A, B, C or D) used by MyNetDiary to rank the healthfulness of a product. The Food Grade translates a number called a "food score," determined by a math equation, into a letter ranking or "Food Grade."
Most food scores will vary from -5 (less healthy) to +5 (more healthy) for serving sizes listed on the Nutrition Facts panel. For more detailed information about the food score and how it is calculated, see the Appendix at the end.
Our Food Grade is derived from these 12 nutrients, most of which appear on the Nutrition Facts panel:
- Total fat
- Saturated fat
- Cholesterol
- Sodium
- Total carbohydrate
- Fiber
- Sugar
- Protein
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Iron
How do I locate Food Grade?
Food Grade is located in the upper right-hand corner of the Nutrition Facts Panel in your MyNetDiary app.
Note: This feature automatically turns on when you begin using the app. You can hide the Food Grade from view by disabling it in "App Settings."
Some nutrients have a more substantial effect on Food Grade than others
Nutrients with a positive impact
- Fiber
- Protein
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Iron
Nutrients with a negative impact *
- Saturated fat
- Total fat
- Cholesterol
- Sodium
- Total carbohydrates
- Sugars
*Foods with a higher amount of these nutrients will have a negative impact. For instance:
| Item | Serving Size | Food Score |
|---|---|---|
| SpaghettiOs spaghetti in tomato and cheese sauce | 1 cup | -1 |
| Spaghetti cooked, enriched, without salt | 1 cup | 2 |
| Spaghetti, whole wheat, cooked | 1 cup | 4 |
Some people have a good feel for numbers, whereas others prefer grades. The relationship between the food score and Food Grade is a simple conversion developed by MyNetDiary.
Higher positive numbers are considered healthier by this food-scoring system, so their Food Grade is higher. Negative numbers are considered less healthy, so their Food Grade is lower.
| Food Grade | Food Score |
|---|---|
| A | ≥ 1.5 |
| A- | 1 |
| B+ | 0.5 |
| B | 0 |
| B- | -0.5 |
| C+ | -1 |
| C | -1.5 |
| C- | -2 |
| D+ | -2.5 |
| D | ≤ -3 |
Serving size matters
If you log a larger or smaller serving size, your score will be higher or lower, depending on the nutrient content.
How should I use Food Grade?
Use Food Grade simply to compare similar types of foods instead of using it to determine a food's worth.
To achieve the following dietary goals, choose foods and beverages with higher Food Grade.
By doing so, you will more likely be choosing foods which are:
- Lower in saturated fat, total fat, total carbs, sugar, cholesterol, and sodium
- Higher in fiber, protein, calcium, and Vitamins A and C.
Following a Low-carb or Keto diet?
MyNetDiary realizes that one size does not fit all when it comes to nutrition and health. The Low-Carb and Keto Food Grades can help you refine your choices to help you find healthier foods that fit these plans.
Once you select Keto or Low-Carb as a Premium diet, the corresponding Food Grade system will automatically be enabled.
What are the limitations of Food Grade?
- The food scoring system was originally developed in 2009, and the original research team has not updated the scoring system since then. For instance, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans no longer have a recommended cholesterol cap, yet this scoring system still penalizes cholesterol content.
- Even healthy fats and oils (like olive oil) tend to have low Food Grades due to the nature of these foods (nearly all fat).
- Food Grade does not apply to restaurant food or packaged food from other countries because data is not included for all 12 nutrients.
- The Nutrition Facts Label was updated in 2020, and as a result, vitamin A and vitamin C are no longer listed on the label yet are still accounted for in Food Grade.
- The new Nutrition Facts Label lists foods' vitamin D and potassium content; however, this is not factored into the Food Grade equation.
- Foods containing other important nutrients (e.g., omega-3 fats, zinc, polyphenols, etc.) may or may not have a high Food Grade. Use your best judgement if you feel that a nutritious food should be included in your diet even though the Food Grade is not as high as another food you deem less nutritious.
- The food grade does not include calories. Yet, many MyNetDiary users are working to lose weight. Pay attention to calories if your priority is weight loss, and use Food Grade to help you pick more nutritious choices among like items.
Healthy eating is nuanced, going beyond the Food Grade. Listen to your body and the advice of your medical provider and dietitian to craft an eating plan that considers your unique health goals and eating preferences.
Appendix: Food score background
The methodology was published in the June 2009 issue of The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, in the article "Modeling Expert Opinions on Food Healthfulness: A Nutrition Metric," by Jolie M. Martin, MBA, PhD; John Beshears, AM; Katherine L. Milkman; Max H. Bazerman, PhD; Lisa A. Sutherland, PhD, and used by MyNetDiary with permission. Read the article for more details about how and why the food score was created.
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Still new to MyNetDiary? Learn more today by downloading the app for FREE.
Content written, reviewed, and updated by the MyNetDiary Dietitian Team
Oct 3, 2022
