Wednesday, May 19, 2010

ANDI Scores

Dr. Joel Fuhrman's ANDI list is becoming well-known, ANDI standing for "Aggregate Nutrient Density Index"—a way of measuring the nutrients-per-calorie of foods. Wholefoods Markets are publishing the ANDI list throughout their stores in an attempt to help shoppers become "Nutritarians" (Dr. Fuhrman's term)—people who choose and eat foods with the highest nutrient density possible. Of course, plants dominate the ANDI scores, resulting in a nutritarian diet being a plant-based diet. The opposite ends of the scale are bracketed by kale and collards at 1000 and cola at 1.

You can read more about the ANDI scores at Dr. Fuhrman's web site here, about Wholefoods' use of the ANDI scores in their stores here (scroll down for an additional link), and view the basic ANDI chart below:

ANDI sample scores

6 comments:

  1. Wow, what an interesting list. It's weird seeing foods (nuts, fruits, grains) with such low numbers. We are used to thinking of them as "good". But a man can't live on greens alone, or can he? I'm happy to see kale, collards, and bok choy high on the list. These foods grow well in our gardens even here in the getting-deep South! In fact, I'd say bok choy, after one season, has become one of my favorite garden plants. It is vigorous and easy to produce.
    Thanks for posting,
    Daniel

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  2. It helps to remember that the ANDI scores are based on "nutrients per calorie" -- which will automatically put greens at the top (low caloric count) and nuts and seeds (VERY high caloric count) much further down the list. So, that makes the ANDI scores list a good guide for restricting calories while elevating nutrients -- even while other lower score foods are still excellent nutritionally but add more calories. Even fruit, with its high sugar content, scores lower due to higher calories.

    Thanks for raising this question -- I should have emphasized the above in the original post.

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  3. Hello All.

    ANDI Scores were actually created by a company called Eat Right America, of which Dr, Fuhrman is an employee. The complete database of ANDI Scores as well as an application that will enable each of you to incorporate the ANDI system into your life is available at www.eatrightamerica.com

    Kevin L.
    CEO

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  4. Your last name is really remarkable: Kruidenier means "owner of a grocery store" or "retail merchant" translated from Dutch to English. Your forefathers are probably from the Netherlands?
    I am Dutch and live in the Caribbean.

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  5. Where can we buy a poster of this chart? I would love to put it up in my own home and give it as gifts to friends and family (and some school principals.) This is a great way to teach children how to choose foods wisely!

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    Replies
    1. Contact Customer Service at Eat Right America, the folks who developed the chart: CS@eatrightamerica.com

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