The best (and worst) things you can eat, ranked by scientists

Words: Peta Bee Producer: Bianca Farmakis

Beyond the obvious — more vegetables, less meat and alcohol — what should we eat to stay healthy? A team of researchers from Tufts University in Boston have created Food Compass , a comprehensive system of ranking foods to date, to answer this.

The team has tested and profiled 8,032 food and drinks in the past three years, and used an algorithm of 54 different attributes to give each item a score from 1 to 100. 100 - 70: consume regularly 69 - 31: consume moderately 30 - 0: consume infrequently

Here, they reveal the foods we should consume frequently, moderately and occasionally for our health.

Key findings

Almost all green veggies scored a total 100, as did tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower Seafood ranked an average of 67 Starchy vegetables scored just 43 Poultry was in the mid-40s rank and red meat fell in the 20s

Cardiologist and medicine professor Dariush Mozaffarian, who spearheaded the study, said the next stage was to extend the database to up to 80,000 foods and examine the impact of the scoring system against the health outcomes of participants.

Food Pyramid Breakdown

Worst | Energy drinks like Monster scored a mere one, thanks to what is essentially a cocktail of sugars, water and caffeine. Moderate | Coconut water, a 'wellness favourite', only scored 44 due to its low concentrations of vital nutrients, like calcium. Best | Celery juice ranked the highest with a perfect 100 score, and a skim milk cappuccino heralded at 73. Drinks Drinks

Food Pyramid Breakdown

Best | Quinoa came in at 73, with a high protein content and sufficient amounts of all nine amino acids, fibre and vitamins. Moderate | Packet wholegrain rice with oil added was the superior of the pre-made rices, ranking at 63. Low | White pasta hit a low point, ranking in at nine, due to its association with high blood sugar and insulin resistance, and the added risk of type 2 diabetes. Grains | Pasta Grains | Pasta

Food Pyramid Breakdown

Best | An entire grocery list of fruits and vegetables scored a rating of 100. Winners include: berries, citrus fruits, stone fruits, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, kale, tomatoes, leeks, peppers, radishes, cucumber, fennel and celery. Low | Maraschino cherries received a rank of 26 due to their syrupy nature. Fruit | Vegetables Fruit | Vegetables

Food Pyramid Breakdown

Best | Plain Greek yoghurt was awarded 95, as a strong source of calcium, iodine, vitamins D, B2 and B12, and zinc. It also has beneficial bacteria for gut health and contains more protein than regular yoghurt. Moderate | Eggs, milk and cheese ranked from 62-66 as they're nutrient-rich. Low | Chocolate milk is recommended for athletes using it as recovery fuel. The dairy delight ranks low at 23 due to high sugar content. Dairy Dairy

Food Pyramid Breakdown

Best | Dark chocolate gets even better nutrition wise when its coating almonds. Ranked at 78, the treat is brimming with vital vitamins, linked to heart and brain health. Moderate | Sweet potato chips, given a 69, are full of iron, vitamin C and magnesium. Low | The list for sweet lovers was endless. Key low-scorers, who earned a rank of one, included croissants and marshmallows. Sweets Sweets