Surprising results of study ranking healthiness of 8000 foods

A new “comprehensive nutrient profiling system” has assessed 8000 common food items – and made some very surprising revelations.

It may be time to ditch your morning granola as a new study suggests the supposedly “healthy” item isn’t as good for us as we think.

A new study from Tufts University in Boston has created the Food Compass, a “nutrient profiling system” that ranks how healthy foods are by giving options a scaled score.

The system is turning some preconceived notions of health on their head, the NY Postreported.

Researchers spent three years investigating more than 8000 different types of food and drink, examining 54 different attributes and using “cutting edge science” to rank them – giving them a score between zero and 100, with 100 being the most healthy.

Unsurprisingly, whole foods like fruits and vegetables ranked highly on the list – with spinach scoring a perfect 100 – whereas processed and fast-foods are lower, such as a Macca’s cheeseburger with all the condiments, which earned a meagre eight.

A new ‘nutrient-profiling system’ has been created, ranking how healthy foods are by giving options a scaled score. Picture: Supplied

While the scoring is a straightforward system, the surprises came when comparing foods thought to be “healthy” with those often deemed “unhealthy”.

Fans of sweet treats will be thrilled to learn that chocolate ice cream with nuts scored 35 points while a coconut and chocolate granola bar received just 15 points.

In Australia, granola is most commonly sold in loose form as cereal, with Coles, Woolworths and Aldi all offering multiple varieties.

One of the study’s co-authors Professor Dariush Mozaffarian said the reason granola ranks lower than ice cream is that it’s made of “mostly refined starch and sugar” while its dairy competitor contains protein and nutrients.

Interestingly, frozen yoghurt, a treat touted as the healthy alternative to ice cream, only scored 23.

The data revealed some surprising ‘healthy’ items aren’t as good for us as we may think. Picture:

When choosing breakfast, something involving eggs seems like a solid choice, but according to the Food Compass an egg omelette ranked only 51, while breakfast cereal Cheerios scored a 95.

The study identified that eggs are high in protein and contain several micronutrients, but found most previous studies have shown them to be generally neutral for risk of major diseases.

Eggs are still a healthier breakfast choice than ultra-processed cereals like Cornflakes, which scored a 16, but not as good as plain instant porridge oats, ranked at 75, with whole grains and fibre proven to boost heart health.

A study has shown that granola, most commonly sold in loose form as cereal in Australia, could be less healthy than ice cream.

If you are determined to shake up your morning routine, the findings also suggest dropping your morning espresso, a 55, for a skimmed milk cappuccino, which is in turn a 73.

As for how to use the Food Compass in everyday life, study authors encouraged more regular consumption of food and drinks scoring over 70, while foods in the 31 to 69 range are recommended to be consumed in moderation only.

Options under 30 should be minimised, they said.

The team said it’s the “most comprehensive and science-based to date” and hopes to “clear up confusion to benefit consumers (and) policymakers”.

Factors considered in the study included nutritional attributes linked to major chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems and cancer.

The risk of malnutrition, especially for mothers, young children and the elderly, was also considered.

This article originally appeared on the NY Post and was reproduced with permission