A Healthy Eating Lifestyle with NuVal®
In the quest for health and wellness, six key steps can help you not only prevent chronic
disease and some cancers, but also maintain or reach a healthy weight.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Reduce unhealthy fats in the diet
Replace unhealthy fats with healthy fats
Eat less refined carbohydrates and more whole grains
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
Eat frequently and with a balanced plate
Practice portion awareness
Taking these steps, along with the help of NuVal®, can help you reach your goals as well as
make nutritious and delicious food choices that fit into the healthy lifestyle you want to live!
NuVal® is a food scoring system that helps people find more nutritious foods quickly and easily.
Scores range from 1 to 100, the higher the score, the better the food is for you. Simply look
for higher scoring foods in the grocery store and you’ll be on the right track!
The NuVal® Nutritional Scoring System takes into account more than 30
different nutrients, all found on the Nutrition Facts Panel and in the
ingredient list.
Nutrients that have been found to be beneficial to our health bring a
score up, such as fiber, healthy mono- and poly-unsaturated fats,
omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Nutrients that have been shown to affect our health negatively by
contributing to our risk of diseases bring a score down, such as saturated
fat, Trans fat, sodium, and added sugar.
With so much information on a food package, figuring out if a food
is good for us or not can be difficult. NuVal® can help by boiling
down all of that information into one simple number.
The NuVal® Score is found on the price
tag at the grocery store, helping you
easily compare and trade-up to higher
scoring foods.
Step 1: Reduce Unhealthy Fats in the Diet
*The higher the NuVal® Score, the healthier the fat profile of a food will be and the
leaner and more nutritious a protein will be.
Saturated fat raises your ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, leading to increased risk of heart disease. This
kind of fat is solid at room temperature and is mainly found in animal products such as red meat,
poultry and its skin, processed/fatty meats, and dairy products such as butter, milk, cheese, ice
cream, and cream.
Studies have shown that eating red meats significantly increases risk for specific cancers, while
reducing red and processed meats has been linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers. This
unhealthy fat is also found in a few vegetable products such as palm oil.
The good news is that the NuVal® Score takes into account the amount of unhealthy
saturated fat in a food, which pulls the score down.
By looking for meats, poultry, and dairy products with higher scores, you’ll automatically be
choosing foods with a lower amount of saturated fat!
Yogurt
Cheese
Stonyfield Organic Nonfat Plain Yogurt: 100
Fage 0% Plain Greek Yogurt: 99
Yoplait Fiber One Nonfat Strawberry Yogurt:
84
Weight Watchers Apple Pie Nonfat Yogurt: 60
Oikos 0% Strawberry Greek Yogurt: 40
Stonyfield 0% Lemon Yogurt: 42
Dannon Light n Fit Strawberry Banana yogurt:
41
Chobani 0% Raspberry Greek Yogurt: 31
Fage 2% Strawberry Greek Yogurt: 26
Sorrento Fat Free Ricotta Cheese: 91
Sorrento Low Fat Ricotta Cheese: 53
Kraft 2% Milk American Singles: 27
Muller Low Fat Very Cherry with Fruit Mousse:
18
Yoplait Trix Strawberry Banana Blast Yogurt:
13
Cabot Sliced Swiss Cheese: 25
Athenos Crumbled Feta Cheese: 24
Sargento Reduced Fat Colby-Jack Sliced: 24
Kraft Singles American Cheese: 24
Kraft 2% Shredded Mozzarella Cheese: 23
Kraft Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar Cheese Chunk:
20
Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese: 18
Chavrie Creamy Goat Cheese: 15
Milk
Fat Free Milk: 100
1% Milk: 89
2% Milk: 84
Whole Milk: 82
Meats & Poultry
Butter, Margarine & Spreads
Skinless Turkey Breast: 73
Ground Turkey, 97% Lean: 72
Skinless Chicken Breast: 57
Spectrum Naturals Cholesterol Free Spread: 24
Country Crock with Calcium and Vitamin D: 7
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter w/ Calcium and Vitamin
D: 7
Smart Balance Light: 7
Olivio Original Olive Oil Spread: 4
Land O Lakes Light Butter with Canola Oil: 4
Smart Balance Spreadable Butter: 3
Land O Lakes Sweet Cream Salted Butter: 2
Ground Beef, 95% Lean: 57
Pork Tenderloin: 48
Ground Beef, 90% Lean: 46
Chicken Drumstick & Thigh: 44
Sarah Lee Deli Oven Roasted Turkey
Breast: 35
Ground Beef, 70% Lean: 31
Boar’s Head Smoked Ham: 26
Earth Balance Coconut Spread: 2
Cabot Unsalted Creamery Butter: 2
Trans fat not only raises your ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, it also lowers the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol.
Studies have shown that people who eat more than 6 grams of Trans fat per day have a
significantly higher risk for heart disease than people who eat 3 grams or less. Yet the goal is to
have less than 1 gram of Trans fat per day, if any!
Trans fats are found in foods that have “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oil in the ingredient
list. Even if the Nutrition Facts Label states there are 0 grams of trans fat, there still may be up
to 0.5 grams in the food if “partially hydrogenated oil” is found in the ingredients.
NuVal® takes into account the amount of Trans fat from partially hydrogenated oils in
processed foods, bringing the food’s score down.
Step 2: Replace Unhealthy Fats with Healthy Fats
*The higher the NuVal® Score, the more healthy unsaturated fats are in a food.
Unsaturated fats come primarily from vegetables and are usually liquid at room temperature.
These include mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, which have been shown to lower ‘bad’ LDL
cholesterol, reducing your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Interestingly, a study done by Harvard researchers found that
people who ate a low fat diet had the same risk of heart
attack, stroke, and cardiovascular disease as those who
didn’t have a low fat diet. There is also no link between
overall percentage of calories from fat and any important
health outcome such as cancer and heart disease. What
was important in these studies, however, was the type of fat in the diet; and a diet high in monoand poly-unsaturated fats has been found to help lower the risk for heart disease.
NuVal® Scores reflect how a food affects our health. Since unsaturated fats
have been shown to have these health benefits, their presence in a food
will bring up the score!
Nut Butters
Nuts
Maranatha All Natural Roasted Creamy Almond Butter:
84
Sunbutter Sunflower Seed Spread with Flaxseed: 84
Teddie Smooth Unsalted Peanut Butter: 60
I.M. Healthy Honey Creamy Soy Nut Butter: 56
Justin’s Maple Almond Butter: 39
Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flax Seeds:
93
Genisoy Unsalted Soy Nuts: 93
Diamond Chopped Walnuts: 84
Emerald Simply Natural Almonds: 84
Blue Diamond Roasted Salted Almonds:
70
Diamond Pecan Halves: 69
Smart Balance Natural Chunky Peanut Butter with Flax
Oil: 37
Peter Pan Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter: 26
Jif Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter: 26
Skippy Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter: 25
Jif Chocolate Flavored Hazelnut Spread: 9
Planter’s Unsalted Cocktail Peanuts: 46
Planter’s Honey Roasted Peanuts: 31
Raw Cashews: 25
Emerald Sea Salt and Pepper Cashews: 15
Omega-3 Fatty Acids not only lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, but also raise ‘good’ HDL
cholesterol. Studies have also shown omega-3s to have great potential for helping prevent
cancer, heart disease, arthritis, degenerative eye diseases, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Omega-3 fats are found mainly in fatty, cold-water fish, along with some other vegetable
sources such as walnuts, soybeans, canola oil, and ground flax seeds and flax oil.
Because Omega-3’s play such a significant role in our health, these fats bring up the
NuVal® Score!
Seafood
Oils & Shortening
Sardines (fresh): 94
Salmon, Atlantic & Mackerel, Pacific: 93
Bumble Bee Sockeye Red Salmon, Canned: 82
Cod, Pacific & Halibut, Pacific/Atlantic & Yellow
Fin Tuna: 66
Starkist Low Sodium Chunk Light Tuna in
Water: 82
Chicken of the Sea Solid White Yellowfin Tuna
in Olive Oil: 62
Bumble Bee Chunk White Albacore in water: 56
Bumble Bee Pink Crab Meat, canned: 52
Spectrum Flax Oil: 37
Wesson 100% Canola Oil: 32
International Collection Avocado Oil: 20
Crisco Pure Vegetable Oil: 25
Shrimp: 40
Gorton’s Crunchy Breaded Fish Sticks: 23
Pompeian Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 18
Mazola 100% Pure Canola Oil: 22
House of Tsang Sesame Seed Oil: 10
Earth Balance Natural Non-hydrogenated
Shortening: 3
Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening Sticks, 50% Less
Saturated: 2
Planters 100% Pure Peanut Oil: 4
Step 3: Eat Less Refined Carbohydrates and More Whole-Grains
*The higher the NuVal® Score, the more fiber and less added sugar a food will
have.
Carbohydrates are an important part of our diet; they keep our bodies fueled and provide the
main source of energy for our brain and heart. But the type of carbohydrates you choose to eat
can affect your health.
Refined, or simple, carbohydrates are found mainly in processed foods such as white breads,
pasta, sugary cereals, juices, soda, candy, pastries, cookies, chips, cakes, and sugars. These
contain much less nutrition than whole grains because during processing the bran and germ are
removed, taking away the fiber, B-vitamins, iron, and other nutrients. The vast majority of
these foods score poorly on the NuVal® scale because added sugars and low fiber
content bring down the scores.
Refined carbohydrates contain minimal amounts of fiber, so they are digested and absorbed
quickly – raising blood sugar and insulin levels and making you feel hungry soon after eating.
High blood sugar and insulin also raises harmful triglyceride levels and lowers ‘good’ HDL
cholesterol, which may lead to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
When choosing an occasional treat, such as cookies, chips, or ice cream - be sure to
trade up to a food with a higher NuVal® Score for a better options.
Cookies
Chips
Kashi Oatmeal Raisin Flax Cookies: 34
Food Should Taste Good Blue Corn Tortilla
Chips: 43
Terra Sweet Potato and Carrot Chips: 68
Frito Lay Baked Tostitos Scoops: 27
Cape Cod 40% Reduced Fat Kettle Chip: 31
Nabisco Chocolate Teddy Grahams: 25
Murray Chocolate Bites Sugar Free Cookie: 12
Quaker Banana Nut Soft Oatmeal Cookies: 24
Annie’s Homegrown Cinnamon Bunny
Grahams: 23
Nabisco 100% Whole Grain Fig Newtons: 6
Newman’s Own O’s Chocolate Sandwich
Cookie: 7
Nabisco Chips Ahoy Chocolate Chip Cookie: 2
Murray Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookie: 3
50 Fifty Low Glycemic Strawberry Vanilla Cream
Wafers: 1
Snyder’s Multigrain Braided Pretzel Twists: 28
Frito Lay Doritos Reduced Fat Cool Ranch: 23
Popchips Original Potato Popped Chip Snack: 24
Frito Lay Rold Gold Honey Wheat Pretzel Twists:
16
Pringles Multigrain Original: 9
Utz Ripple Cut Potato Chips: 6
Complex carbohydrates contain more nutrients because they have not been processed.
Whole grains are considered complex carbohydrates because they still have the bran and germ
intact – so they are ‘whole’! These include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as brown
rice, whole wheat bread, and high fiber cereals. Because these foods have more fiber, it takes
longer for the body to break them down; therefore, you feel full for longer and there is a lower
and slower rise in your blood sugar.
Fiber is also important because it binds to excess cholesterol and carries it out of the body. It
may also help to prevent certain cancers such as colon cancer. Fiber in foods bring the
NuVal® Score up!
Cereals
Breads, Wraps & Rolls
Post Shredded Wheat Original: 91
Food For Life Ezekiel Low Sodium Sprouted Grain
Bread: 98
Mission White Corn Tortillas: 89
Flat Out Multigrain Wrap with Flax: 79
Arnold Triple Health 100% Whole Wheat Bread: 69
Quaker Multigrain Hot Cereal: 94
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs Cereal: 91
Bear Naked Fit Vanilla Almond Granola: 92
Newman’s Own Cinnamon Fiber Flakes: 60
Fiber One 80 Calorie Honey Squares: 39
General Mills Cheerios: 36
General Mills Frosted Mini-Wheats: 33
Post Grape Nuts Flakes: 29
Special K Protein Plus: 30
Kellogg’s Corn Flakes: 23
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies: 22
Special K Original: 23
Kashi Blackberry Hills: 17
Quaker Instant Oatmeal Peaches n Cream: 8
Nature’s Own Double Fiber Wheat with Omega: 63
Pepperidge Farm 15 Grain Whole Grain Small Slice: 60
General Mills Fiber One 12 Grain Thin Sandwich Rolls:
61
Thomas’s Light Multigrain English Muffin: 46
Freihofer Stone Ground 100% Whole Wheat Bread: 43
Country Kitchen Light Raisin Bread: 35
Martin’s 100% Whole Wheat Potato Rolls: 38
Sara Lee Honey Wheat: 27
Thomas’s Original English Muffin: 23
Mission Multigrain Flour Tortillas: 28
Sunmaid Cinnamon Swirl Raisin Bread: 10
Choosing higher fiber grains such as whole grain
bread, whole wheat pasta, wild rice, high fiber cereal;
as well as high fiber foods such as vegetables and
fruit, is important for your health in many ways.
The good news is that NuVal® Scores can help
you boil down all this information into one simple
number. Choose higher scoring grains to get
more fiber and less added sugar!
Pasta
Crackers
Nasoya Shiratake Fettuccine Pasta: 100
Barilla Whole Grain Linguine: 91
Barilla White Fiber Spaghetti: 88
No Yolks Cholesterol Free Egg White Fine
Noodles: 85
DaVinci Durum Wheat Semolina: 65
Prince Enriched Large Elbow Macaroni: 65
DeBoles Gluten Free Rice Spirals: 26
DeCecco Enriched Egg Noodles: 29
DaVinci Spinach Stuffed Tortellini: 16
Maruchan Ramen Noodles with Vegetables: 2
Manischewitz 100% Whole Wheat Matzos: 93
Old London Salt Free Whole Grain Melba Toast: 95
Kashi Heart to Heart Whole Grain Crackers: 67
Nabisco Triscuit Hint of Salt: 39
Kellogg’s All-Bran Multi-Grain Crackers: 38
Town House Wheat Light Buttery Crackers: 23
Nabisco Wheat Thins Original: 26
Nabsico Ritz 50% Reduced Fat: 7
Quaker White Cheddar Rice Cakes: 8
Nabisco Original Saltine Crackers: 5
Snack Bars
KIND Madagascar Vanilla Almond: 77
Bumble Bar Sesame Bar Original Peanut: 59
Kashi TLC Chewy Granola Bar Honey Almond Flax:
58
Lara Bar: 49
Think Thin Crunch Mixed Nuts: 43
Luna Fiber; Vanilla Blueberry Soft-Baked Fruit-Filled
Bar: 27
Nature Valley Roasted Almond Crunchy Granola
Bar: 27
Balance Bar Gold Caramel Nut Blast: 25
Kellogg’s Special K Cereal Bar; Red Berries: 10
Cascadian Farm Organic Vanilla Chip Chewy
Granola Bar: 4
Step 4: Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables
*Fruits and vegetables consistently score high on the NuVal® scale due to their
fiber, vitamin, minerals, and phytonutrient content; along with no added salt,
sugar, or fat!
One of the most consistent findings in nutrition research is that those who consume higher
amount of fruits and vegetables have not only lower rates of heart disease and stroke, but also
reduced risk of several types of cancer.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, providing the body with the
nutrients it needs for top performance and function. They also contain
phyto-nutrients, also called antioxidants. These plant substances help
protect our cells from harmful internal inflammation which may lead
to many chronic diseases.
Every color fruit and vegetable has a different array of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients; so
eating a rainbow of produce throughout the week will provide your body with many of the
beneficial nutrients it needs to stay healthy.
Vegetables
Fruit
Asparagus, Green beans, Broccoli: 100
Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collard greens: 100
Romaine Lettuce, Okra: 100
Spinach, Sweet pepper, Butternut squash: 100
Apricots, Strawberries, Blueberries: 100
Kiwi, Oranges: 100
Grapefruit, Peaches, Pineapple, Plums: 100
Apple, Cherries, Pears: 100
Celery, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Tomatoes: 100
Avocado: 88
Watermelon: 98
Raisins: 88
Step 5: Eat Frequently and with a Balanced Plate
Create nutritious meals and snacks using NuVal® to trade up to more nutritious
foods!
Eat frequently. When you eat is almost as important as what you eat. Timing your meals and
snacks to be at regular intervals throughout the day will ensure that you keep your metabolism
running hot, keep energy levels up, and help keep your blood sugar levels stable throughout the
day. Eating consistent meals and snacks will also help prevent you from becoming too hungry
and overeating at your next meal.
The higher the NuVal® Score, the better the nutrition – so be sure to trade up your
favorite snacks!
Balance your plate. Despite the abundance of conflicting nutritional research and
recommendations, overwhelming evidence suggests that eating a combination of lean protein,
healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits, or whole grains) is a healthful part
of meal creation.
Protein and healthy fats take much longer to digest than carbohydrates, which is why they are
beneficial to add to each meal and snack for a couple reasons.
First, these nutrients have minimal effect on your blood sugar, so including them with all your
meals and snacks plays an important role in preventing blood sugar spikes – and subsequent
energy crashes.
Second, because they take longer to break down, lean proteins and healthy
fats help keep you feeling full and satisfied until your next eating time.
When putting together your meals and snacks, think about filling at least half your plate with
vegetables and fruit, one quarter of your plate with a lean protein, and the last quarter of your
plate with a whole grain. This is your balanced plate!
With NuVal®, you can take your favorite recipes and easily make them over into a more
nutritious meal! Simply trade up some or all of the ingredients to higher scoring foods.
Below are example snack combinations of a complex carbohydrate (fruit, vegetable, or whole
grain) along with a lean protein. Choose the score and foods that fit your lifestyle:
o
o
o
o
1 oz cheese and 5 whole grain crackers
1-2 tablespoons nut butter on 1 banana
½ cup high fiber cereal with 2 tablespoons nuts
1 light yogurt or 1 plain Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon
chopped nuts and fresh fruit
o Fresh veggies and 1/4 to 1/3 cup hummus
o ½ cup low fat cottage cheese with berries or chopped fruit
Step 6: Practice Portion Awareness
NuVal® helps you trade up to more nutritious foods, which you can then eat in
portion sizes that are right for you and your lifestyle!
We are confronted with more than 200 food decisions every day. Even if we choose higher
scoring foods at most of these occasions, the amount of each food we eat is key to helping us
maintain a healthy weight. Most people know exactly what we’re supposed to eat as well as
how much; but with over 50,000 foods in the grocery store and the deluge of food advertising, it
can be difficult to eat mindfully and be aware of our portion sizes.
Here are some tips to help you practice portion awareness:
1. Pre-portion snacks. The bigger the bag, the more we eat. By taking the portion you
would like to eat out of the bag and serving it on a dish (then putting the bag away!), you
will be more likely to stick to the amount you know will be satisfying.
2. Eat off smaller dishes. Studies show that when we eat off of 8” or 10” plates rather
than 12” or 14” plates, we eat less! Putting an appropriate portion on a bigger plate
makes the serving look meager; but putting that same good-for-you portion on a smaller
plate will look like more food – so you will feel more satisfied. Using smaller bowls and
utensils will help with portion awareness as well.
3. Make nutritious food more visible. When cookies are on the counter,
they may be the first thing you crave. However, by putting a bowl of
fruit on the counter or at eye level in the fridge will entice you to eat
that instead. Try storing the more tempting foods out of sight such
as on the back of a high shelf or at the back of the freezer.
4. Keep serving dishes off the table. One study showed that we eat 20% more when the
serving dish is right in front of us. Instead of bringing the serving dish to the table, keep
it on the counter.
5. Eat slower. It takes about 20 minutes for our stomach to tell our brain that we’re full.
So when we eat quickly, we may be more likely to overeat. By slowing down and
chewing fully we’ll not only digest better, but also give our bodies a chance to tell us
when we’re satisfied.
NuVal®: Your GPS for the Grocery Store
It can be overwhelming to alter your eating lifestyle to ensure your health comes first. And yet by
simply choosing the right foods you can help prevent or reverse chronic disease.
With the help of NuVal®, selecting the right foods will feel like less of a burden. While NuVal® is
not a diet and should not be used in place of your doctor’s advice, by choosing foods with a
higher score you’ll be taking strides towards better control of your health and weight. Be sure to
combine these higher scoring, more nutritious foods with each eating lifestyle tip discussed
above for a well-rounded eating pattern.
Trading up to higher scoring foods can help you cut added salt, sugars, and unhealthy fats from
your diet – all while helping to increase fiber, vitamins, minerals, and the healthy fats. Since
NuVal® also takes into account the caloric density of a food; trading up to higher scoring
foods consistently in your diet may even contribute to eating fewer calories - potentially
resulting in weight loss!
The goal is not to eat perfectly, but to have small successes every day. Try one small
trade-up at a time and make each meal just a little bit better!
*Disclaimer: All NuVal Scores shown here were confirmed on 6/1/14. NuVal Scores are subject to change due to
product reformulation and/or changes in national nutritional guidelines.