Most nutrition advice stops one level too early. “Eat healthy” tells you little about choosing salmon over chicken, or lentils over rice.

I wanted a more useful question:

When several reasonable foods are available, which should I choose more often?

This system uses two layers: NOVA to describe food processing, and a 0–100 score to compare nutritional strengths. The first is a filter, not a verdict.

Start with NOVA

Group	What it means	Examples
NOVA 1	Unprocessed or minimally processed foods	Fruit, vegetables, eggs, fish, meat, beans, oats, plain yogurt
NOVA 2	Ingredients extracted from foods or nature and mainly used for cooking	Olive oil, butter, salt, sugar, vinegar
NOVA 3	Simple processed foods made mostly from NOVA 1 and NOVA 2 ingredients	Cheese, canned beans, canned fish, simple bread
NOVA 4	Industrial formulations made from refined ingredients, isolates and additives	Soda, candy, chips, packaged desserts, many snack foods

NOVA describes processing, not nutritional quality. Olive oil, yogurt and canned fish show why “processed” alone tells you too little.

Build around minimally processed foods. Use culinary ingredients to cook them. Judge processed products by what they contain.

Healthy compared with what?

Compare foods that fill the same role: fish with chicken, lentils with rice, olive oil with butter. The hierarchy matters more than a point or two.

These are working rankings, not validated outputs of the current formula. Existing scores are retained; ranges reflect earlier estimates, and a dash means unscored. NOVA 3 values are editorial estimates.

Protein

Score	Food	Rationale
90	Sardines	Eaten whole, so the soft bones add calcium to an already strong profile of EPA/DHA, vitamin D, B12 and selenium. Tinned versions carry meaningful sodium.
86	Salmon	EPA/DHA plus vitamin D, B12 and selenium — the combination that separates oily fish from lean protein. Farmed and wild differ in fat profile, not in kind.
86	Mackerel	Among the densest sources of EPA/DHA. Larger king mackerel is a mercury exception; Atlantic and Spanish are not.
86	Herring	Oily-fish nutrition at low cost. Usually sold smoked or pickled, which adds salt.
81	Oysters	Exceptional zinc, B12 and copper. Raw consumption carries a genuine infection risk.
81	Mussels	Iron, B12 and selenium with low mercury and a low price.
81	Clams	Very high B12 and iron for the calories.
81	Shrimp	Lean, high in selenium and B12, but thinner on omega-3s than the fish above.
76	Eggs	Complete protein with choline, B12 and vitamin A concentrated in the yolk. Dietary cholesterol matters less than long assumed.
70	Chicken	High-quality protein, niacin, B6 and selenium — but little beyond that, which is what puts it below oily fish.
70	Turkey	Effectively interchangeable with chicken; slightly more zinc in the dark meat.
69	Lean beef	Heme iron and zinc absorb well. Saturated fat rises quickly in fattier cuts, and processed forms score far lower.
69	Lean pork	Notably high in thiamine, with iron and zinc. Same fat caveat as beef.

Carbohydrates

Score	Food	Rationale
82–85	Lentils	Carbohydrate that also delivers protein, fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium and iron — the widest return of anything in this category.
80	Sweet potatoes	Carbohydrate plus potassium, fiber and a large carotenoid load.
78	Potatoes	More potassium than most foods here, with vitamin C and fiber in the skin. Preparation does most of the damage.
72	Oats	Beta-glucan fiber, manganese and magnesium. Instant varieties are usually sweetened.
72	Quinoa	Unusually complete amino acid profile for a seed, with magnesium and iron.
67	Barley, farro and bulgur	Intact whole grains: fiber, magnesium and B vitamins retained because the kernel is not milled.
66	Brown rice	Retains bran fiber and magnesium. Accumulates more arsenic than most grains.
56	White rice	Mostly starch once the bran and germ are milled off. Fast to cook, easy to digest, nutritionally thin.
55–56	Refined pasta	Same story as white rice, though the dense structure slows digestion somewhat.

Vegetables

Score	Food	Rationale
86–88	Watercress	Extraordinary vitamin K, A and C density for almost no calories.
86–88	Kale	Vitamin K, C, carotenoids and reasonably available calcium.
86–88	Collard greens	Similar to kale with more calcium and folate.
86–88	Spinach	Dense in folate, vitamin K and magnesium, but its oxalate largely blocks its own calcium.
81–86	Bok choy	Cruciferous and low-oxalate, so its calcium is among the better absorbed from a plant.
81–86	Broccoli	Vitamin C, K, folate and sulforaphane. Prolonged boiling removes much of it.
81–86	Brussels sprouts	Vitamin C and K with more fiber than most cruciferous vegetables.
81–86	Cauliflower	Vitamin C and folate, lower in carotenoids than the green cruciferous vegetables.
81–86	Cabbage	The cheapest way into this tier; strong vitamin C and K.
—	Carrots, peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic	Common vegetables not yet run through the model. Listed so the table is not read as an exhaustive set.

Fruit

Score	Food	Rationale
79	Avocado	Monounsaturated fat, fiber, potassium and folate — closer to a fat than a fruit in how it behaves.
77	Blueberries	Anthocyanins and vitamin K with unusually little sugar for a fruit.
77	Strawberries	More vitamin C than an orange, gram for gram.
77	Raspberries	The highest fiber of the common berries.
77	Blackberries	Vitamin C, K and manganese, with fiber comparable to raspberries.
70	Apples and pears	Fiber and polyphenols concentrated in the skin; modest micronutrients otherwise.
70	Oranges and citrus	Vitamin C, folate and potassium.
70	Bananas	Potassium, B6 and resistant starch when less ripe. More sugar than the berries.
70	Grapes	Polyphenols, but the highest sugar and lowest fiber of the whole fruits here.
58	Dried fruit	The original micronutrients survive; water does not, so sugar concentrates and satiety drops.
53	100% fruit juice	Keeps vitamin C and some polyphenols, loses the fiber and structure that made the fruit filling.

Cooking fats

Olive oil is a culinary ingredient, not a nutritional foundation. Compare it with butter, not broccoli.

Score	Food	Rationale
60	Extra-virgin olive oil	Monounsaturated fat, vitamin E and polyphenols that refined oils lose. The strongest default cooking fat.
57	Extra-virgin avocado oil	Similar fat profile to olive oil with a higher smoke point and fewer polyphenols.
52	Canola oil	Useful alpha-linolenic acid and low saturated fat, but refining strips most of the minor compounds.
30–34	Butter	Small amounts of vitamin A and K2. Predominantly saturated fat, which is what the score reflects.
30–33	Coconut oil	Almost entirely saturated fat, with none of the micronutrition of the oils above.
27–28	Tallow	Stable for high heat; nutritionally close to empty beyond its fat.
27–28	Lard	Slightly more monounsaturated fat than tallow, otherwise the same.

Other staples

Score	Food	Rationale
82	Plain Greek yogurt and kefir	Protein, calcium and B12; live cultures. Flavoured versions belong in NOVA 4.
81	Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas	Fiber, folate, protein and potassium; nonheme iron absorbs less readily.
78–82	Pumpkin seeds, chia, flax, sunflower seeds	Magnesium, zinc and ALA. Calorie-dense for the volume eaten.
76–79	Plain milk	Calcium, B12, iodine and protein in an absorbable form.
75–78	Almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts	Vitamin E, magnesium and monounsaturated fat; walnuts add ALA.
69	Mushrooms	B vitamins, selenium and vitamin D when UV-exposed. Low in most other nutrients.
60–72	Seaweed	Iodine, and a range that reflects it: kelp and kombu can exceed the upper limit in a single serving.
61	Whole-grain flours	The bran survives milling, the structure does not, so it digests faster than the intact grain.
54–55	Refined flours	The most processed NOVA 1 entry — starch with most micronutrients milled out.
50–54	Herbs and spices	Dense per gram, but eaten in quantities too small to contribute much.
44–53	Coffee and tea	Polyphenols and negligible calories; contributes little essential nutrition.
—	Water	Not scored. Essential, but outside a framework built on nutrient density.

Other culinary ingredients

Small quantities and culinary purpose matter here. A low score is not an instruction to eliminate an ingredient.

Score	Food	Rationale
23–26	Vinegar	Negligible nutrition; used in amounts too small to matter either way.
19–22	Extracted starches	Pure carbohydrate, separated from everything that surrounded it.
9–11	Honey	Trace polyphenols do not offset what is otherwise sugar.
5	Iodized salt	Scores above plain salt only because the added iodine is genuinely useful.
5	Maple syrup	Small amounts of manganese and zinc; sugar by any other measure.
0	Sugar	Energy with no accompanying nutrition.
0	Non-iodized salt	Sodium without the one addition that would earn it a point.

Simple processed foods (NOVA 3)

Canned fish and jam share a processing category, not a nutritional profile. Classification also depends on the product's ingredients and preparation.

Score	Food	Rationale
84	Canned sardines, mackerel and salmon	Keeps the omega-3s, vitamin D and bone calcium of the fresh fish; the tin adds sodium.
80	Tempeh	Fermented whole soybeans: protein, fiber and manganese, more digestible than the bean.
77	Canned tuna	Lean protein and selenium, but far less omega-3 than oily fish, and more mercury.
75	Canned beans and lentils	Nutritionally close to home-cooked; draining and rinsing removes much of the added salt.
74	Tofu	Protein and calcium when set with calcium salts; loses the fiber of the whole bean.
72	Canned tomatoes and simple tomato sauce	Cooking raises lycopene availability. Check for added sugar and salt.
72	Salted nuts	The nut's nutrition survives intact; only the sodium separates this from NOVA 1.
71	Cottage cheese	High protein and calcium at low fat, with meaningful sodium.
70	Hummus	Chickpeas and olive oil together — fiber, protein and monounsaturated fat.
66	Sauerkraut, kimchi and other fermented vegetables	Live cultures and vitamin K; salt is intrinsic to the method.
64	Traditional cheese	Concentrated calcium, protein and B12 against concentrated saturated fat and sodium.
64	Simple whole-grain bread	Retains bran fiber and B vitamins; sodium is unavoidable in bread.
60	Simple sourdough or white bread	Fermentation aids mineral availability, but the flour is refined.
60	Plain popcorn	A genuine whole grain with useful fiber, provided nothing is added to it.
60	Olives	Monounsaturated fat and polyphenols, delivered in brine.
56	Fruit canned in juice	Vitamin C degrades in processing; syrup-packed versions score lower still.
50	Dark chocolate	Flavanols, magnesium and iron, packaged with sugar and saturated fat.
45	Jerky and cured ham	Protein and iron, with high sodium and nitrates from curing.
36	Bacon	Cured, salted and mostly fat; the protein does not carry it.
20	Jam and preserves	Sugar with a small amount of fruit, and little of the original fiber.
15	Wine, beer and cider	Trace polyphenols in wine do not offset the alcohol penalty.

Build meals, not a collection of high scores

The ranking is a decision aid, not a menu. Choose stronger options more often, then combine foods that do different jobs.

Salmon provides protein and omega-3s; lentils and greens bring fiber and complementary micronutrients. Their value together is not the average of their scores.

Optimize the meal, not one ingredient.

How the model works

A single number deserves skepticism. The proposed framework makes its rules explicit; it does not measure every aspect of health.

Score_f=\operatorname{clip}_{[0,100]}\left[N_f+A_f-D_f\right]

Useful nutrition (N_f), plus a food-integrity adjustment (A_f), minus downside burden (D_f), bounded from 0 to 100.

Realistic quantities

Evaluate the smaller of 100 calories' worth and a practical reference amount:

Q_f=\min\left(\frac{10,000}{k_f},PRA_f\right)

Here k_f is calories per 100 g; PRA_f and Q_f are in grams. The practical amount limits implausible portions; it is not a serving recommendation.

Nutritional breadth

The core covers 26 dimensions: protein, fiber; linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids; vitamins A, C, D, E, K, B1, B2, niacin equivalents, B5, B6, folate, B12 and choline; calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and zinc.

Each nutrient is normalized against 5% of its adult daily reference target, with nutrient-specific bioavailability adjustments:

E_{fi}=\frac{B_{fi}N_{fi}(Q_f)}{0.05T_i},\qquad u_{fi}=\frac{E_{fi}}{1+E_{fi}}

N_{fi}(Q_f) is the nutrient amount, T_i its daily target and B_{fi} its bioavailability adjustment. There is no blanket plant-versus-animal multiplier.

The diminishing-return curve rewards useful amounts of many nutrients over a megadose of one. Their contributions are averaged:

N_f=100\frac{\sum_i w_i u_{fi}}{\sum_i w_i},\qquad w_i=1

Calories, total carbohydrate and total fat earn no positive credit by themselves.

Food form and drawbacks

Food integrity adjusts the score by +3 for intact foods, +1 for simple processed whole foods, 0 for neutral culinary processing, −2 for refined foods and −5 for highly formulated products, falling to −8 for extreme formulations. NOVA informs this adjustment; it does not dictate the score.

Graduated deductions allow up to 8 points for added sugar, 4 each for sodium and saturated fat, and 2 each for trans fat and alcohol, assessed in the same evaluation quantity.

A further excess penalty applies only where an established upper intake limit is relevant to the nutrient form: for example, preformed vitamin A in liver or selenium in Brazil nuts. The proposed bands are zero below 50% of that limit, up to 2 at 50–100%, up to 4 at 100–200% and up to 8 above 200%. Total downside burden is capped at 20.

Confidence is separate

C_f=\frac{m_f}{26}

m_f counts dimensions with usable data. Coverage of 90% or more is standard, 75–89% provisional and below 75% unranked. Missing data are not zero nutrition.

The current framework still needs fixed reference amounts, nutrient targets, bioavailability factors and penalty thresholds before the rankings can be reproduced consistently.

What this cannot tell you

The score does not model individual medical needs, allergies, pregnancy, energy requirements or clinical outcomes. Nor does it settle taste, cost, convenience or sustainability.

Use it to compare ingredients—not to prescribe a diet. The useful question remains:

Healthy compared with what?