Table A1.

Food groupings based on culinary usage and nutrient content

Food group	Food components
Vegetables	Salad greens (lettuce, celery, green peppers and cucumbers), dark or deep yellow vegetables (spinach, hindbeh, carrots), tomatoes (fresh and cooked), green peas, squash and eggplant, cruciferous vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli), potatoes cooked
Sugar-sweetened beverages	Bottled fruit juices, regular soft drinks
Legumes	Fava beans, chickpeas, lentils, beans, etc.
Bread	White and whole bread
Rice, pasta and cereals	Rice, pasta and breakfast cereals
Bulgur	Parboiled wheat
Fruits and fresh fruits juice	Fresh fruit juices, citrus orange (e.g. orange), deep yellow or orange (e.g. peach, apricots), strawberry, grapes, banana, apple and dried fruits (raisins, dates, apricots)
Fish	Fish fried, broiled and canned
Vegetable oils	Vegetable oil, olive oil
Light soda beverages	All types of light beverages including soda and juice drinks
Sweets	Added sugars (e.g. honey, jam, sugar, molasses), chocolate, ice cream, Arabic sweets, pastries (e.g. cakes, cookies, doughnuts, muffin, croissant)
Poultry and eggs	All types of chicken boiled, broiled, fried, stewed, breaded and eggs
Milk and dairy products	Milk, yoghurt, labneh (strained yoghurt) and cheese (light and whole milk)
Red meat	Red meat, organ meat (liver, kidney, brain), luncheon meats (mortadella, jambon, salami, turkey), sausages (makanek and hot dogs)
Mayonnaise	Mayonnaise and mayonnaise-based salad dressing
Fast food	Falafel sandwiches, chawarma sandwiches, hamburger
Butter ghee	Butter and ghee
Fried potatoes	Fried potatoes, chips
Pizza and pies	All types of pizza (manakish zaatar, cheese and pizza)