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Dietary Guidelines Meet NOVA: Developing a Menu for A Healthy Dietary Pattern Using Ultra-Processed Foods
Julie M Hess1, Madeline E Comeau1, Shanon Casperson1
1US Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Services, Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota, United States.
The Journal of Nutrition
|June 25, 2023
Summary
Healthy diets can include ultra-processed foods (UPF) and still be nutritious. This study shows a 7-day menu with 91% UPF achieved a high diet quality score, meeting most nutrient needs.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Dietary Guidelines Research
Background:
- The 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) may consider ultra-processed foods (UPF) and their link to body composition.
- The NOVA system classifies foods, but its strict application could exclude nutrient-dense options from healthy diets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of creating a healthy dietary pattern menu aligned with the 2020 DGA.
- To determine if such a menu could derive at least 80% of its calories from UPF, as defined by the NOVA system.
Main Methods:
- Developed a list of commonly consumed UPF that fit 2020 DGA dietary patterns.
- Constructed a 7-day, 2000 kcal menu using these UPF.
- Assessed the menu's nutrient content and diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015).
Main Results:
- The created menu derived 91% of its calories from UPF (NOVA category 4).
- The menu achieved a high Healthy Eating Index-2015 score of 86/100.
- Adequate macro- and micronutrients were provided, with the exception of vitamin D, vitamin E, and choline. Sodium and whole grain intake were suboptimal.
Conclusions:
- Healthy dietary patterns can incorporate a high percentage of energy from UPF.
- Menus high in UPF can achieve good diet quality scores.
- Such diets can provide adequate nutrients, highlighting the complexity of dietary recommendations.
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