Nutrition and Cost Index Created

Nutrition expert Adam Drewnowski, a professor at the University of Washington, unveiled at the American Dietetic Association’s Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo the Affordable Nutrition Index (ANI). According to the article by Reuters, the “new food rating system . . . analyzes both nutrition and cost value of food . . . to create a nutrition-value-per-dollar score.”

U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans leads, or “guid[es]” the ANI, which “calculates a food score based on nine essential nutrients to encourage (protein, fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins A, C and E) and three nutrients to limit: saturated fat, added sugars and sodium.”

The study assessed roughly three hundred foods, from the fresh to the processed. “[R]esults showed that dark colored vegetables, certain fruits and vegetable soups were among the most affordable, nutritious foods.”

‘"In today`s economy, more people are making food choices based solely on cost,
so it`s important to guide them on ways to get nutritious options without hurting their wallets,’ said Drewnowski. ‘It is important to identify a wide range of affordable, nutritious choices that can help people build a balanced diet that fits their lifestyle and budget."’

The motivation behind the creation of the ANI is simple, American consumers make food purchasing decisions based on both nutrition and cost, so it makes sense to let consumers know which foods provide the most nutritional value for the actual dollar value. Drewnowski believes that this more all-inclusive method of calculating “nutrition-per-dollar” needs to be used in government policies as it is more indicative of food purchasing decisions actually made, and can better guide consumers towards more efficient (in terms of nutritional value for dollar value) food purchases.

The ANI is the first tool that evaluates both nutrition and affordability.

To read the Reuters article, or to learn about the Index, click here.

Posted: 10/19/09