Calculating the nutrient density of common snack foods

Most Americans aged 2+ eat at least one snack a day and receive roughly a quarter of their daily energy from snacks. Nutrient density scoring, or calculating a numeric score for foods based on their nutrient profiles, could be an important metric to include on the front of food packages to help consumers identify more healthful products. A study published in the Journal of Food Science examines the nutrient density of commonly consumed snacks using two measures—Nutrient Rich Foods Indices 9.3 (NRF 9.3) and 15.3 (NRF 15.3).

First, the researchers identified common categories of snack foods consumed in the United States and then identified specific snacks to analyze within each category. The categories examined were: cakes/cookies/pastries, sweets, vegetables, alcohol, milk desserts, crackers/salty snacks, soft drinks, other grains, whole fruit, coffee/tea, and miscellaneous. Next, the researchers calculated NRF 9.3 and 15.3 scores for the specific snacks selected within each category. Finally, they calculated an average nutrient density score and standard deviations for each category of snacks with both NRF 9.3 and 15.3.

The researchers found that vegetables and coffee/tea received the highest category scores (most nutrient dense) on both indices, while cakes/cookies/pastries and sweets had the lowest category scores. NRF 9.3 scores for individual snacks ranged from -46 (soda) to 524 (coffee). NRF 15.3 scores ranged from -45 (soda) to 736 (coffee).

The researchers concluded that if added to food labels, NRF scores could help consumers identify more nutritious choices. However, given the different scores generated for the same foods between NRF 9.3 and 15.3, careful consideration is needed as to which nutrient density measure to include on food labels. In addition, consumer education is key as their understanding and likelihood of using nutrient density scores has not yet been evaluated.

Abstract