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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Oct 10.
Published in final edited form as: Ann Intern Med. 2013 Nov 5;159(9):584–591. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-159-9-201311050-00004

Appendix Table 1.

The Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 scoring system

Component Criteria for minimum score (0) Criteria for maximum score (10)
Fruita, servings/day 0 ≥ 4
Vegetablesb, servings/day 0 ≥ 5
Whole grainsc, g/day 0 75
Red/processed meatsd, servings/day ≥ 1.5 0
Alcohole, drinks/day ≥ 2.5 0.5–1.5
Long-chain n-3 fatsf, mg/day 0 250
PUFAg, % of energy ≤ 2 ≥ 10
Trans fat, % of energy ≥ 4 ≤ 0.5
Sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juiceh, servings/day ≥ 1 0
Sodiumk, mg/day Highest decile Lowest decile
Nuts, beans and soy productsl, servings/day 0 ≥ 1

Abbreviations: n-3: omega-3; PUFA: polyunsaturated fats.

The cut-offs were based on previous knowledge on food and nutrients and disease risk (11). The AHEI-2010 used sex-specific cut-offs for whole grains and alcohol; values are presented for women only.

a

Includes only whole fruit. One serving is 1 medium piece of fruit or 0.5 cup of berries (1 cup=236.59g).

b

Includes all vegetables except potatoes (including French fries). One serving is 0.5 cup of vegetables or 1 cup of green leafy vegetables.

c

Grams of whole grains account for the variability of the percentage of whole grains in various “whole grain” products. One serving of a 100% whole grain product (i.e., 0.5 cup of oatmeal or brown rice) contains ~ 15–20g of whole grains per dry weight.

d

One serving is 4 oz of unprocessed meat or 1.5 oz of processed meat (1 oz=28.35g).

e

Nondrinkers received a score of 2.5. One drink is 4 oz of wine, 12 oz of beer, or 1.5 oz of liquor.

f

Includes eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. The cut-offfor optimal intake (250 mg/day) is ~ 2–4 oz servings of fish/week.

g

PUFA do not include EPA or DHA intake.

h

One serving is 8 oz.

k

Values in lower decile were ≤ 1,112 mg/day, and in highest decile were ≥ 3,337 mg/d in 1984 in the Nurses’ Health Study.

l

One serving is 1 oz of nuts or 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of peanut butter or 3–4 oz of tofu or soybeans.

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