Table 2.
The top quartile of nutrient dense, low-cost food categories. NRF 9.3/100 kcal, NZD/100 kcal, nutrient density-to-cost ratio, and NOVA processing level of each food category are shown.
| Food Sub-Groups 1 | NRF 9.3/100 kcal | $/100 kcal | Nutrient Density-to-Cost Ratio 2 | Processing Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables | ||||
| Other vegetables | 355.7 (162.8) | 1.3 (0.8) | 337.9 (179.9) | Unprocessed |
| Orange/yellow vegetables | 205.3 (88.1) | 0.9 (0.3) | 324.3 (335.0) | Unprocessed |
| Potatoes and red kumara, unprocessed | 96.4 (19.9) | 0.6 (0.3) | 196.1 (77.7) | Unprocessed |
| Vegetable dishes | 99.7 (90.8) | 0.6 (0.4) | 183.2 (192.9) | Ultra-processed |
| Fruit | ||||
| Fruit juices | 272.2 (105.8) | 0.7 (0.3) | 416.0 (102.7) | Processed |
| Fresh fruit | 116.6 (106.8) | 0.7 (0.4) | 159.1 (84.2) | Unprocessed |
| Dried fruit | 24.3 (4.2) | 0.2 (0.1) | 126.8 (46.0) | Unprocessed |
| Cereals and grain foods | ||||
| Hot porridge | 27.5 (9.8) | 0.2 (0.1) | 246.0 (153.6) | Unprocessed |
| Pasta and noodles | 14.2 (6.8) | 0.2 (0.2) | 180.9 (137.1) | Unprocessed |
| Breads and rolls, wholegrain, fortified | 19.4 (2.2) | 0.1 (0.0) | 150.5 (55.1) | Ultra-processed |
| Breakfast cereal, unfortified, sugars ≤15 g/100 g | 23.1 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.0) | 148.9 (3.5) | Ultra-processed |
| Breakfast cereal, fortified, sugars 15–30 g/100 g | 46.4 (19.8) | 0.3 (0.0) | 148.4 (58.4) | Ultra-processed |
| Rice and grains | 10.5 (6.3) | 0.1 (0.0) | 136.4 (70.3) | Unprocessed |
| Meat and alternatives | ||||
| Nuts and seeds | 35.5 (11.8) | 0.1 (0.0) | 303.6 (50.7) | Unprocessed |
| Other foods | ||||
| Oils | 2.9 (4.8) | 0.04 (0.0) | 138.5 (103.9) | Culinary processed |
| Discretionary foods | ||||
| Potatoes and red kumara, processed | 25.4 (10.3) | 0.2 (0.1) | 129.2 (81.4) | Ultra-processed |
1 Data are mean (SD). 2 The nutrient density-to-cost ratio for a food category is the mean of the individual ratios of the representative foods within each food category. NRF, nutrient rich foods index.