TABLE 1.

Glossary of terms

	Definition
Whole grains	The FDA defines whole grains as “the intact, ground, cracked, flaked or otherwise processed kernel after the removal of inedible parts such as the hull and husk. All anatomical components, including the endosperm, germ, and bran must be present in the same relative proportions as in the intact kernel.”
Dietary fiber/cereal fiber	Carbohydrate polymers with ≥3 monomeric units, which are not digested or absorbed in the human small intestine and may be naturally occurring, isolated, or synthetic.
Ready-to-eat cereals	Sometimes referred to as “cold” breakfast cereals and can include both whole-grain and refined-grain varieties.
Dietary patterns	Refers to the quantities, proportions, variety or combinations of different food and beverages in diets, and the frequency with which they are consumed.
Nutrient density	Nutrient content per reference amount of food per 100 g, 100 kcal, or serving.
Nutrient profiling	Quantitative methods to capture nutrient density of individual foods, but also meals and the total diet.
Food groups and categories	A collection of foods that are classified in the same food category (e.g., dairy, meat, grains) or grouped together because they share similar nutritional properties.
Nutrient Rich Food index	A formal scoring system ranking foods based on their nutrient content; can be used together with food prices to aid in the identification of foods that are both nutritious and affordable.
Nutri-Score	Front-of-pack labeling system first adopted in France in 2017 based on 5 colors and letters (from green/A to red/E); allows consumers to identify at a glance the nutritional value of prepackaged foods.
Health Star Rating	Front-of-pack labeling system developed in Australia rating the nutritional profile of packaged food on a scale from ½ a star to 5 stars; provides a standard way to compare similar packaged foods—the more stars, the healthier the choice.
Nutrient-composition databases	Databases that contain data on energy, energy-yielding nutrients, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.