Table 2.

PCA coefficients for the 20 indicator food groups included in the 20-group diet quality score

Food group	Principal Component Coefficient
Positive Coefficients
Other fruit not canned	0.28
Nuts and seeds	0.24
Salad and other raw vegetables	0.23
Tap water only	0.21
Wholemeal bread	0.20
Apples and pears not canned	0.19
Other vegetables (including homemade dishes)	0.18
Beans and pulses (including ready meals and homemade dishes)	0.17
Leafy green vegetables not raw	0.16
Tomatoes (raw)	0.16
Negative Coefficients
Sugar	−0.03
Baked beans	−0.04
Whole milk	−0.04
Crisps and savoury snacks	−0.05
White bread	−0.06
Meat pies and pastries (manufactured)	−0.06
Burgers and kebabs purchased	−0.10
Manufactured coated chicken/turkey products	−0.13
Chips, purchased including takeaway	−0.17
Soft drinks not low calorie, carbonated	−0.18