Depending on where you live and what grocery store chain you use you may have become familiar with or will soon become familiar with the NuVal scoring system for food.
I have been reviewing the NuVal website as well as piecing through articles related to the subject and have found some interesting as well as entertaining information.
First off, NuVal is a Nurtitional Scoring System based on a proprietary algorithm developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts. The idea is based on this formula which takes into account more than 30 "generally favorable nutrients" and "generally unfavorable nutrients" dividing them out to an answer that equals "good nutrition".
It also measures the quality and density of each nutrient which can factor into the food's score. The foods are scored by brand which allows you to compare say 1 oat cereal to another oat cereal. Foods receive a score of 1-100 with 1 being the worst nutrition while 100 is the highest nutrition.
As mentioned above this was developed by an 'independent' panel of scientists ranging from ivy league medical school professors/doctors, to top rated nutritionists, as well as former presidents of the American Diabetes Association and the American Cancer Society. Additionally, as I understand it there was also some governmental oversight, which always makes me slightly suspicious of the data and intent. As with some numerical food programs in the past this is not sponsored or linked to any food manufacturing brand and has been funded by the Griffin Hospital.
So, is this the new, next best thing in a country obsessed with food? My short answer is maybe, sort of? What I like is that for the on the go parent who has little time to put thought into grocery shopping it is a quick and easy way to compare brands without reading labels and weeding through the general muck of information out there as well as misleading food packaging. It appears to be a nice jumping off point, particularly for those who know little to nothing about nutrition. It is better than nothing.
That being said, it is also confusing and limited in it's ability to really give good information for parents feeding their children. For example, if you stick to all foods that are 80-100 you will ultimately be cutting out major food groups that are needed for a well rounded diet like whole grains. This is particularly problematic for individuals with health conditions that require a specific diet. For example, if you are on a low salt diet this will not help you at all. This scoring system also doesn't speak on portions. Therefore, the regular, uneducated consumer will think for a snack I will have the all natural Garden of Good Eatin Tortilla ships with a score of 40. Let's face it when we have chips, we aren't eating the recommended portion size unless we count it out, put it in the bowl, and put the bag back in the pantry. On the flipside, the all natural dark chocolate is given a score of 10 and a diet soda is a 15. It seems slightly misleading and arbitrary when it all shakes into place. Similarly, and I just had to mention, the iceburg lettuce and the spinach are given the same score. Phew, that is a mind blower to me.
Additionally, and probably my biggest criticism, is this system gives higher scores in some instances to processed food over natural food items like eggs, cheese, and meat. I know many people are committed to a vegan diet. However, ultimately, I believe unless your system doesn't do well with animal products as I understand many don't, or it's a socially driven decision, they are still a healthy and important staple of a natural diet in moderation. I could also go on to the conflicting studies of choloesterol in food may or really may not being related to your blood cholesterol, but that is for another time.
All in all, my thoughts are this. It is worth noting these scores, and it may even help you in certain situations. However, this is yet again another band aid and gimmick that ultimately doesn't paint a whole picture to your nutrition. My advice has been the same for years and I don't see it changing. Eat a well balanced diet consisting of a good base of fruits and vegetables with moderate amounts of protein and grains, and good fat, exercise daily, and keep moving. The answer is so easy, but we try to reinvent the wheel. So, what do you think? You can read their arguement and decide for yourself at NuVal.
