TABLE 1.
Components and optimal quantities for scoring standards for each component of the Healthy Eating Index-2005, Alternate Healthy Eating Index, Mediterranean Diet Score, and Recommended Food Score
| Healthy Eating Index-2005 (total = 100 points) | Alternate Healthy Eating Index (total = 87.5 points) | Mediterranean Diet Score (total = 9 points) | Recommended Food Score (total = 45 points) | |
| Grains | ||||
| Total grains | ≥3 ounces*/1,000 kcal | 5 items† | ||
| Whole grains | ≥1.5 ounces/1,000 kcal | Whole grains ≥ median: 1.19 and 0.98 ounces‡ | ||
| Vegetables | ||||
| Total vegetables | ≥1.1 cups*/1,000 kcal | ≥2.5 cups/day | Excluding potatoes ≥ median: 1.85 and 1.87 cups‡ | 18 items§ |
| Dark-green and orange vegetables, legumes | ≥0.4 cups/1,000 kcal | |||
| Fruit | ||||
| Total fruit | ≥0.8 cups/1,000 kcal | ≥2 cups/day | Fruit ≥ median: 2.29 and 2.32 cups‡ | 15 items¶ |
| Whole fruits | ≥0.4 cups/1,000 kcal | |||
| Milk | ≥1.3 cups/1,000 kcal | 2 items# | ||
| Meats, fish, legumes, and nuts | ≥2.5 ounces/1,000 kcal | 5 items** | ||
| White meat:red meat ratio = 4 | Red and processed meat < median: 3.00 and 1.80 ounces‡ | |||
| Fish ≥ median: 0.66 and 0.53 ounces‡ | ||||
| Legumes ≥ median: 0.09 and 0.06 cups‡ | ||||
| Nuts and soy: 1 ounce/day | Nuts ≥ median: 0.36 and 0.23 ounces‡ | |||
| Oils | ≥12 g/1,000 kcal | Polyunsaturated:saturated fat ratio = ≥1 | Monounsaturated:saturated fat ratio < median: 1.24 and 1.22‡ | |
| Fat | Saturated fat: ≤7% kcal | Trans fat: ≤0.5% kcal | ||
| Sodium | ≤700 mg/1,000 kcal | |||
| Fiber | Cereal fiber: 15 g/day | |||
| Calories from solid fat, alcohol, and added sugar | ≤20% kcal | |||
| Alcohol | Men: 1.5–2.5 drinks/day | 5–25 g/day | ||
| Women: 0.5–1.5 drinks/day | ||||
| Multivitamins | Regular use†† |
One ounce = 28.35 g; 1 cup = 0.24 liter.
Includes dark bread, cornbread, tortillas, high-fiber cereals, cooked cereals, and grits.
Median intake values for men and women, respectively. Mediterranean Diet Score components are adjusted for total energy intake (density method) and standardized to 2,000 calories in women and 2,500 calories in men.
Includes beans, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, carrots, lettuce, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, corn, peas, green pepper, tomato juice, tomato sauce, coleslaw, cauliflower, tomato salsa, mixed vegetables, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and greens.
Includes apples and pears, oranges, cantaloupe, orange or grapefruit juice, grapefruit, other fruit juices, bananas, strawberries, applesauce, grapes, dried fruit, melon, and peaches, nectarines, and plums.
Includes 2% or 1% (fat) milk and skim milk.
Includes chicken white meat (without skin), chicken dark meat (without skin), turkey, fish and other seafood with no fat added, and water-packed tuna.
Regular use defined as at least every other day.