The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a scoring system developed by the USDA and the National Cancer Institute to measure how well a set of foods conforms to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Scores range from 0 to 100, with a higher score indicating a diet that is more consistent with federal recommendations. A score of 100 represents a perfect alignment with the guidelines, though this is rare in practice. Public health officials and researchers use the HEI to track population-wide diet trends and evaluate nutrition programs.
Understanding HEI Scoring: Adequacy and Moderation
An HEI score is calculated based on 13 components, which are divided into two categories: adequacy and moderation. Each component is scored on a scale from 0 to 10, contributing to the total possible score of 100. The adequacy components are those for which a higher intake is encouraged, meaning a higher score on these components is better. The moderation components are those for which a lower intake is recommended, so a higher score is given for consuming less.
Adequacy Components
- Total Fruits: Based on the total amount of fruit, including 100% fruit juice.
- Whole Fruits: Focuses specifically on whole, fresh, frozen, or canned fruits, excluding juices.
- Total Vegetables: Measured by the total amount of vegetables consumed.
- Greens and Beans: Encourages dark green vegetables and legumes (beans, peas) for their high nutrient density.
- Total Protein Foods: Includes meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products.
- Whole Grains: Scored based on the proportion of total grains that are whole grains.
- Dairy: Includes milk, yogurt, cheese, and fortified soy milk.
- Fatty Acids: The ratio of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids.
Moderation Components
- Refined Grains: A higher score is given for a lower intake of refined grains.
- Sodium: Lower intake of sodium leads to a higher score.
- Saturated Fats: Measures intake as a percentage of total energy.
- Added Sugars: A higher score is awarded for a lower consumption of added sugars.
Comparing Average HEI Scores
While a perfect score of 100 is the ideal, it's important to put scores into context by comparing them to population averages. The average American diet typically scores in the mid-50s to low-60s. A score above this average indicates a better-than-average diet quality, but there is still room for improvement. For example, some federal food programs have been assessed with scores in the 80s, demonstrating that significantly higher scores are attainable with a focused effort toward healthy eating.
| Score Range | Diet Quality Interpretation | Example Context |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent/Ideal | Aligned perfectly with dietary guidelines. |
| 80–89 | Very Good | A highly commendable score, significantly above average. |
| 70–79 | Good | A solid score showing better-than-average diet quality. |
| 50–69 | Average | The typical range for the U.S. population, shows room for improvement. |
| 0–49 | Poor | Indicates a diet with significant deviations from guidelines. |
Practical Steps to Improve Your Score
Improving your HEI score is not about a single food choice but about overall dietary patterns. It involves making conscious decisions across multiple food groups. Below are actionable steps to increase your score.
- Prioritize whole foods. Increase your intake of whole fruits, dark green vegetables, and legumes. Aim for a variety of colors in your vegetables to ensure you get a wide range of nutrients.
- Choose whole grains. Replace refined grains like white bread and pasta with whole-grain versions, such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.
- Moderate intake of negative components. Actively reduce your consumption of foods high in added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium. This includes cutting back on sugary drinks, processed snacks, and fast food.
- Boost healthy fats. Incorporate sources of healthy, unsaturated fats into your diet, like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil, while reducing intake of saturated fats from animal products and tropical oils.
- Increase dairy consumption. Ensure you are getting enough dairy, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, or fortified alternatives like soy milk, to meet recommended levels.
Conclusion
While a perfect Healthy Eating Index score of 100 is the ultimate goal, any score in the 80s or 90s is considered very good and reflects a diet that closely follows federal guidelines for promoting health and reducing chronic disease risk. Understanding the components that make up the HEI allows for targeted improvements in diet quality, focusing on increasing adequacy components like whole grains and vegetables while moderating intake of items like refined grains and added sugars. By focusing on overall dietary patterns rather than individual nutrients, individuals can move toward a higher, healthier score. For more in-depth information, you can read the report from the USDA on HEI scores.
How to Calculate Your Own HEI Score
Calculating an individual HEI score accurately often requires detailed dietary assessment tools and is typically performed by researchers or nutrition professionals. However, by tracking your intake of the 13 components over a period, you can get a good estimate. Pay attention to your consumption levels of adequacy components—do you eat enough fruits, vegetables, and whole grains?—and moderation components—are you consuming too much sodium, saturated fat, or added sugar? The better you align your intake with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the higher your score will be.
The Importance of the HEI Beyond Individual Scores
Beyond individual assessment, the HEI is a crucial public health tool. It helps monitor the healthfulness of the American diet over time and informs the development of federal nutrition programs, like the National School Lunch Program. A consistent increase in average population scores could indicate a positive shift in public health, while stagnation or decline would signal the need for further intervention. The HEI helps us evaluate if we are on the right track towards promoting better eating habits nationwide.
Note: The HEI is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and may not be universally applicable in all cultural contexts.
