Table 3.
Nutrient profile of each NOVA food group overall (comparing the highest tertile of each food group) (Median values and percentiles; mean values and standard deviations)
| Unprocessed/minimally processed foods |
Culinary ingredients |
Processed foods |
Ultra-processed foods |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median | 25th–75th percentiles | Median | 25th–75th percentiles | Median | 25th–75th percentiles | Median | 25th–75th percentiles | |
| Energy (kJ)* | 7344 | 5764–9172 | 9619 | 7484–12 338 | 11 314 | 8334–14 862 | 10 982 | 7561–14 958 |
| Total protein (g)* | 74·2 | 56·7–95·7 | 62·6 | 47·5–82·4 | 794 | 55·4–105·7 | 72·5 | 52·8–107·2 |
| Plant protein (g)* | 34·8 | 24·9–48·5 | 28·8 | 21·8–37·9 | 25·1 | 19·7–31·7 | 31·8 | 23·8–45·3 |
| Animal protein (g)* | 37·4 | 25·2–52·6 | 31·5 | 21·1–45·6 | 40·1 | 26·4–56·3 | 38·0 | 23·1–57·3 |
| Total fat (g)* | 76·8 | 49·9–103·5 | 71·4 | 49·3–100·9 | 83·7 | 56·5–110·7 | 77·9 | 50·2–109·4 |
| Saturated fat (g)* | 14·4 | 10·1–21·5 | 17·1 | 11·3·25·2 | 22·8 | 16·1–31·5 | 21·9 | 14·9–32·5 |
| Monounsaturated fat (g)* | 24·2 | 15·9–32·7 | 22·3 | 14·6–31·7 | 26·5 | 17·9–35·1 | 24·4 | 15·9–34·4 |
| Polyunsaturated fat (g)* | 21·1 | 13·5–29·8 | 19·8 | 12·8–29·2 | 23·7 | 15·2–32·6 | 21·3 | 13·7–30·8 |
| Cholesterol (g)* | 198·0 | 125·7–282·1 | 252·3 | 151·0–399·1 | 330·4 | 192·9–490·2 | 286·8 | 166·5–432·3 |
| Total CHO (g)† | ||||||||
| Mean | 339·4 | 328·6 | 354·7 | 346·1 | ||||
| sd | 185·2 | 177·4 | 173·6 | 179·9 | ||||
| Added sugar (g)* | 60·8 | 34·9–95·6 | 84·1 | 43·4–154·4 | 79·2 | 41·9–121·1 | 82·3 | 41·8–141·9 |
| Dietary fibre (g)† | ||||||||
| Mean | 28·1 | 21·4 | 19·8 | 19·7 | ||||
| sd | 14·9 | 10·9 | 9·7 | 13·1 | ||||
| Protein: CHO: Fat ratio‡ | 1:4·6:2·3 | 1:5·2:2·5 | 1:4·5:2·4 | 1:4·8:2·4 | ||||
| Ca (mg)* | 552·1 | 367·0–815·6 | 404·3 | 244·7–621·3 | 363·9 | 288·1–543·4 | 520·8 | 365·1–717·2 |
| Fe (mg)† | ||||||||
| Mean | 17·2 | 15·1 | 17·2 | 17·1 | ||||
| sd | 9·4 | 6·7 | 5·9 | 8·9 | ||||
| Mg (μg)† | ||||||||
| Mean | 352·1 | 309·9 | 319·7 | 344·9 | ||||
| sd | 195·4 | 143·7 | 119·1 | 171·4 | ||||
| P (mg)* | 1139·2 | 816·7–1679·8 | 946·7 | 704·7–1227·5 | 1068·8 | 815·7–1331·1 | 1121·8 | 899·9–1437·5 |
| K (mg)* | 2770·5 | 1998·1–3724·1 | 2086·3 | 1562·1–2784·3 | 1956·7 | 1483·9–2459·6 | 2618·4 | 2071·8–3217·5 |
| Na (mg)* | 1644·6 | 1135·6–2257·9 | 19 988·4 | 1353·9–2868·6 | 2375·5 | 1636·8–3338·7 | 2159·1 | 1466·3–3069·5 |
| Zn (mg)† | ||||||||
| Mean | 14·1 | 12·6 | 14·2 | 13·5 | ||||
| sd | 7·3 | 6·7 | 6·8 | 6·9 | ||||
| Cu (mg)* | 1·6 | 1·2–2·2 | 1·4 | 1·1–1·8 | 1·5 | 1·2–1·9 | 1·5 | 1·1–2·1 |
| Mn (mg)† | ||||||||
| Mean | 2426·8 | 2168·2 | 2358·7 | 2266·2 | ||||
| sd | 1537·1 | 1143·7 | 1000·5 | 1204·8 | ||||
| Vitamin A (μg)* | 1744·2 | 1158·1–2536·3 | 1393·3 | 858·8–2122·8 | 133·0 | 889·2–2073·2 | 1638·1 | 1058·6–2314·1 |
| Thiamine (mg)* | 2·0 | 1·6–2·5 | 1·5 | 1·2–2·0 | 1·8 | 1·4–2·3 | 1·9 | 1·4–2·5 |
| Riboflavin (mg)* | 1·7 | 1·2–2·6 | 1·6 | 1·2–2·1 | 1·6 | 1·2–2·3 | 1·6 | 1·1–2·5 |
| Niacin (mg)* | 26·0 | 19·1–36·4 | 21·7 | 16·0–28·6 | 23·7 | 18·1–30·6 | 25·6 | 21·1–32·5 |
| Vitamin B6 (μg)* | 3·8 | 2·8–5·3 | 3·3 | 2·2–4·2 | 2·8 | 2·0–3·8 | 4·1 | 3·2–4·1 |
| Folate (μg)* | 500·7 | 355·4–674·1 | 436·6 | 334·8–604·9 | 448·5 | 343·9–578·3 | 481·4 | 374·6–612·2 |
| Vitamin B12 (μg) * | 5·0 | 2–9–8·5 | 4·5 | 2·5–7·3 | 4·5 | 2·7–6·9 | 4·9 | 2·7–7·9 |
| Pantothenic acid (mg)* | 5·7 | 4·4–7·3 | 5·0 | 3·7–6·4 | 5·3 | 3·9–6·7 | 5·8 | 3·9–8·1 |
| Biotin (μg)* | 53·7 | 35·5–75·7 | 46·9 | 33·2–65·6 | 47·2 | 34·7–62·1 | 49·9 | 37·4–7 |
| Vitamin C (mg)* | 79·0 | 45·3–153·6 | 41·9 | 28·4–78·1 | 51·8 | 29·7–94·1 | 55·5 | 34·3–94·1 |
| Vitamin D (mg)* | 4·0 | 2·2–6·9 | 3·8 | 2·2–6·5 | 4·4 | 2·6–6·9 | 4·8 | 2·9–6·9 |
| Vitamin E (mg)* | 14·1 | 9·1–19·1 | 11·7 | 8·1–17·8 | 13·2 | 9·3–18·9 | 13·9 | 9·2–19·5 |
CHO; carbohydrate; n/a, not applicable.
*
Non-parametric data presented as median (25th–75th percentiles).
†
Parametric data presented as mean values and standard deviations.
‡
P value for significance of differences in nutrient value between each dietary pattern, comparing the highest tertile of each dietary pattern (Wilcoxon signed-rank test for non-parametric data and Paired t test for parametric data). Calculated as percentages, using each macro-nutrient’s energy (kJ/d), divided by total energy from total protein + carbohydrate + fat.