The Healthy Eating Index is a formula to measure a diet's adherence to federal dietary guidelines. The index measures 10 areas of nutrition and is scored on a 100-point scale. A score above 80 indicates a good diet while scores between 51 and 80 are considered fair. Any score of 50 or below indicates a poor diet.
Instructions
1. Fruit and fruit juice are important elements of a healthy diet.
Calculate the amount of fruit, including 100-percent fruit juice, in your daily diet. You receive five points for making eight-tenths of a cup of fruit part of every 1,000 total calories you consume. This figure includes fruit juices. For whole fruit excluding juices, you get five points if you take in four-tenths of a cup per 1,000 calories.
2. Dark green and orange vegetables are key elements in a healthy diet.
Calculate your score for total vegetables by awarding yourself five points if you took in 1.1 cups or more of vegetables per 1,000 calories. Tally five points for fourth-tenths of a cup of dark green or orange vegetables and legumes per 1,000 calories. The amount of total vegetables includes the amount of dark green and orange vegetables.
3. Whole grains are especially important on the Healthy Eating Index.
Figure out your intake of grains for the day and give yourself a score of five if you had 3 ounces or more per 1,000 calories. For whole grains award yourself five points for 1.5 ounces per 1000 calories.
4. Milk and dairy products are part of a balanced diet.
Measure your dairy intake by counting 10 points for milk, yogurt, cheese or soy products of 1.3 cups or more per 1000 calories.
5. Calculate your dietary intake of meat and beans by counting 10 points for 2.5 ounces or more per 1,000 calories.
6. Calculate in your daily diet. Award 10 points if you took in less than 12 grams of fat per 1,000 calories.
7. Calculate your saturated fats by giving yourself 10 points for making them less than 7 percent of your daily caloric intake. Calculate your sodium by awarding yourself a maximum of 10 points for taking in less than seventh-tenths of a gram per 1,000 calories. The last category of solid fats, alcoholic drinks, and added sugars is calculated by giving a score of 20 if they constitute less than 20 percent of your daily calories.
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