The ANDI Score

Have you guys heard of this yet? It’s starting to become more widely used so I thought I should write about it.

ANDI stands for “Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.” Nutrient density refers to the amount of nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals) in a food related to the amount of energy (calories) in the food. However, the ANDI score focuses mainly on micronutrients, which are the vitamins and minerals. As you can probably guess, things like fruits and vegetables are very nutrient-dense foods, whereas things like gummy bears and Oreo cookies are not.

The ANDI score is based on a scale of 1 to 1000, with 1000 being the highest nutrient density possible. Whole Foods is the first grocery store to begin to label certain foods with their specific ANDI score, in an effort to help shoppers make smart, nutritious decisions.

However, there is one point I want to make about these scores: certain foods that are high in fat, complex carbohydrates or proteins are rated lower on the ANDI scale, such as olive oil, eggs or brown rice. Olive oil has a score of 9, eggs a score of 27, and brown rice a score of 41 If a shopper focuses only on foods higher on the scale, such as kale at 1000 or lentils at 104, they may not obtain the proper amount of macronutrients (fats, carbs, proteins) in their diet. This can interfere with metabolism, weight loss efforts, energy levels, and overall health. So while I do think the ANDI score system can be helpful, it is still important to be educated on what it means to have a well-balanced diet. The key, as usual, is to stay away from those processed foods! And while Whole Foods has many fresh conventionally and organically grown produce, it has plenty of processed foods in those center isles, too. Just because it comes from Whole Foods doesn’t mean it’s going to have a high ANDI score!

Here are some sample scores so you can get an idea of which foods are rated higher and lower on the scale:

• Mustard/Turnip/Collard Greens: 1000

• Kale: 1000 (This is why I talk so much about kale – it’s a perfect food!!)

• Watercress: 1000

• Bok Choy: 824

• Spinach: 739

• Strawberries: 212

• Blackberries: 178

• Apple: 72

• Black Beans: 83

• Edamame: 58

• Sunflower Seeds: 78

• Almonds: 38

• Walnuts: 34

• Bison: 39

• Chicken Breast: 27

• Salmon: 39

• Trout: 36

• Oats: 53

• Quinoa: 21

• Plain Nonfat Yogurt: 30

• Mozzarella (Part Skim): 16

Do any of these surprise you? Some of them definitely surprised me. If we only ate those foods scored in the 900-1000 range, we’d be eating only vegetables. I think the system can be helpful when people think of portion sizes. As a general rule, we should eat more generous portions of foods with high ANDI scores, and smaller portions of foods with lower scores. But the important thing is not to completely cut out foods with low scores, because our bodies need the essential fatty acids, complex carbs and proteins.

If you are a Whole Foods shopper, look for the ANDI score signs and start to become aware of nutrient-dense foods you are buying. Hopefully other grocery stores will begin to use this information as well, because I think it can be helpful when used correctly.