Table 3.
Examples (nonexhaustive list) of Nova coding of food items in the reference and alternative approaches in What We Eat in America, NHANES 2017–2018
| Nondisaggregated mixed dish (i.e., restaurant, Mexican, Spanish rice) | Oil, PAM5 cooking spray, original | Cream and sour cream | Evaporated milk, coconut cream, stevia | Cottage, cream, and ricotta cheese | Bacon, smoked or cured pork, pork chop, or pork roast | Apple pie filling; chili with beans, canned; tomato products, canned, sauce | Jellies, jams, applesauce, honey-roasted nuts, mustard | Breads (nonhomemade) with uncertain classification (i.e., Injera, Ethiopian bread; tortilla) | Ready-to-eat cereals with uncertain classification (i.e., corn flakes; Post Shredded Wheat) | Salty snacks (unflavored) with uncertain classification (i.e., corn chips, plain; crackers, matzo, plain) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reference approach | Grains (unprocessed /minimally processed food) (coded according to the main ingredient) | Plant oils (processed culinary ingredient) | Animal fats (processed culinary ingredient) | Other processed culinary ingredients | Cheese (processed) | Ham and other salted, smoked or canned meat or fish (processed) | Vegetables and other plant foods preserved in brine (processed) | Other processed foods | Bread (ultraprocessed) | Breakfast cereals (ultraprocessed) | Salty snacks (ultraprocessed) | |
| Alternative approach | Approach 1 (most conservative)1 | Nondisaggregated mixed dishes (additional separate group without a Nova assignation) | Plant oils (processed culinary ingredient) | Animal fats (processed culinary ingredient) | Other processed culinary ingredients | Cheese (processed) | Ham and other salted, smoked or canned meat or fish (processed) | Vegetables and other plant foods preserved in brine (processed) | Other processed foods |
|
|
|
| Approach 2 (least conservative)2 | Nondisaggregated mixed dishes (additional separate group without a Nova assignation) | Other ultraprocessed | Other ultraprocessed | Other ultraprocessed | Other ultraprocessed | Reconstituted meat (ultraprocessed) |
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Bread (ultraprocessed) |
|
|
|
| Approach 3 (not accounting for Food Source/Combination Food type)3 | Grains (unprocessed/minimally processed food) (coded according to the main ingredient) | Plant oils (processed culinary ingredient) | Animal fats (processed culinary ingredient) | Other processed culinary ingredients | Cheese (processed) | Ham and other salted, smoked or canned meat or fish (processed) | Vegetables and other plant foods preserved in brine (processed) | Other processed foods | Bread (ultraprocessed) | Breakfast cereals (ultraprocessed) | Salty snacks (ultraprocessed) | |
| Approach 4 (using SR codes only)4 | Grains (unprocessed /minimally processed food) (coded according to the main ingredient) | Plant oils (processed culinary ingredient) | Animal fats (processed culinary ingredient) | Other processed culinary ingredients | Cheese (processed) | Ham and other salted, smoked or canned meat or fish (processed) | Vegetables and other plant foods preserved in brine (processed) | Other processed foods | Bread (ultraprocessed) | Breakfast cereals (ultraprocessed) | Salty snacks (ultraprocessed) | |
Items with uncertain classification were classified using the lowest potential processing level.
Items with uncertain classification were coded using the highest potential processing level.
Energy contributions were recalculated using the reference approach without taking into consideration participant-specific variables of “Combination Food Type” and “Source of food” from the dietary recall.
Energy contributions were recalculated using SR codes only for all food items (instead of only using SR codes for potential homemade dishes or when indifferent). Reference approach was used taking into consideration participant-specific variables of “Combination Food Type” and “Source of food” from the dietary recall. SR code, standard reference code or ingredient code from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.
PAM, Product of Arthur Meyerhoff.