IF YOU HEED popular advice
You stop eating foods such as almonds and avocados, which are both rich in heart-protecting monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. In fact, you're down to almost no foods
Instead of cutting out fats and carbs to manage weight, focus on eating foods that naturally provide lots of vitamins and minerals. These almost always have healthy carbs and fats--the kind your body needs, and that don't weigh you down with empty calories.
Consider the "naturally nutrient-rich" score. Developed by University of Washington-Seattle researcher Adam Drewnowski, the NNR score takes into account 14 nutrients and total calories
Instead of counting calories, people can use the NNR system
The idea is to maximize nutrients and minimize calories for healthy adults.
Examples of foods with a high NNR score include most fruits and vegetables. Some of the best are spinach, broccoli, tomato, Romaine lettuce, cantaloupe, mango, tangerines, strawberries, kiwi, grapefruit, blueberries and avocados.
Whole fruits like grapes ranked higher than juices such as grape juice, because grapes provide more nutrients for fewer calories. Likewise, a sweet potato would earn a high NNR score, despite the moderate calories, because it is one of the richest natural sources of carotenoids. Those are antioxidants that appear to protect the heart and eyes.
Although they are high in calories, nuts earned high scores because they are good sources of heart-healthy fat and minerals. Likewise, peas, beans and lentils ranked high.
Lean cuts of beef, skim and low-fat milk, plain yogurt, clams and oysters also had high scores, while fried chicken and ice cream had lower scores because they have more calories. In the bread and cereal category, oatmeal had one of the higher scores.
Numbering nutrientsThe NNR score looks at 16 nutrients: protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-12, folate, vitamin D, vitamin E, monounsaturated fat, potassium, zinc, fiber and pantothenic acid.
To calculate the score, Drewnowski figures out how much of a food you'd have to eat to provide 2,000 calories, then averages the percent daily value for the above nutrients.
Soda, for example, scores poorly because you can get 2,000 calories with zero nutrients.
I think the scoring system is a great concept, one that could continue to evolve. I would love to see it grow to include magnesium, which many Americans are deficient in, as well as omega-3 fats, probiotics (friendly, immune-stimulating bacteria) and antioxidants. Also, it might be interesting to subtract points from high-sodium foods.
In the meantime, the NNR score is not for everyone. Some people need extra calories, particularly people who are losing weight unintentionally due to medical problems such as cancer, kidney failure and other problems. In these cases, adding sugars and fats is OK, because the risks of starvation are worse than the risks of fat and sugar.
Athletes and children also need lots of calories and can get away with a little extra fat and sugar, but it's still important for them to get enough nutrients, too.
Using something like the NNR score allows people to choose nutrient-dense foods first, and truly save dessert for later in the day.
The NNR idea has created some strange bedfellows. Last year, two universities joined with two professional groups and a dozen food trade producers to promote the idea. The University of Washington, Rutgers University and the American Society for Clinical Nutrition hosted a symposium in association with two groups affiliated with the American Dietetic Association. Trade groups supporting the effort included the Florida Department of Citrus, the Wheat Foods Council, the U.S. Potato Board, the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and the Wild Blueberry Association of North America.
You don't often see the beef people and the blueberry people working side by side. Their support shows how much sense the scoring system makes to so many people.
It's nice to find a concept that encourages people to choose fresh and delicious foods, rather than just to avoid foods.
JENNIFER MOTL, a registered dietitian, welcomes reader questions via her Web site, brighteating.com, or mailed to Nutrition, The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401.