NuVal is Here! And, Another RD Rant....

Before I start today's post, I want to make yet another correction to one of my previous posts. The granola I posted a couple days ago (view it here), should have said:


I made some more last night and realized I miscalculated before, and I really apologize. Either way, I suggest making this. It's a healthy addiction!

Have you heard of the NuVal scoring system? If you have not seen it in your stores, you will hopefully be seeing it soon. Basically, it's a program that will make reading labels a thing of the past! I'm sorry, but labels are just too confusing, even for RDs. However, labels will still play an important role, especially in terms of the ingredient list.


What is the NuVal scoring system? This is straight from their website:

NuVal Scores summarize comprehensive nutritional information in one simple number between 1 and 100. Each NuVal Score takes into account more than just the nutrition fact panel. It considers 30-plus nutrients and nutrition factors ? the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and the not-so-good (sugar, sodium, cholesterol). The system also incorporates measures for the quality of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as calories and omega-3 fats. And then it boils it down into a simple, easy-to-use number; a number you can trust to make better decisions about nutrition in just a few seconds.

To read more about the science behind the ratings, click here. Out of all the nutrition rating systems, this is by far my favorite. They don't just look at a few nutrients and slap on a score, they have combined years of science and research to put together an innovative scoring system that considers both the nutrients you want to maximize and the nutrients you want to minimize! This is unlike many rating systems, which only look at a handful of nutrients, and don't weigh the benefits of the good and bad. They basically look at the overall nutrient density, which is the amount of nutrients, per calorie. The website is also very interactive. Want to find a high scoring cold cereal, bread, frozen meal? The website allows you to do just that!


It took me a second to realize why the food below was rated 35 and the one above was rated 62. I thought they were the same thing, but in reality the food below was a "tuna kit" with mayo and crackers! The one above was just the plain tuna. So now people know that adding mayo and white crackers to the tuna causes a decrease in the overall nutritional value. What a fantastic message!



My only complaint was that the signs were tiny and hard to notice because the color and writing blended right in with the price tag (they should be a different color than black). The only reason I noticed the NuVal signs was because someone told me they were at this store. The only help for consumers was in the form of the paper below:



The paper explains that some of the products are now rated on a scale of 1 to 100. They have provided an example of Meijer Sweet Peas, which scores a 96 out of 100. This was helpful, and they were posted all around the store, but I think they looked more like a coupon than a key to the system.

I've talked about it before, but now that the NuVal system is in place, I am MORE angry about this issue. As people walk through the store and start noticing the NuVal signs, they may start to get confused when they see the signs (pictured below) that are above the organic and gluten free sections:


I'm sorry, I must have learned the completely WRONG definition of "healthy" during my 6 years of college and graduate education. These items are healthy? Let's take a closer look:


And in another "Healthy Living" section, I found this (below). That's a NuVal score of 5! Isn't this out of 100? I'm confused. Shouldn't we be looking for the HIGHER numbers? Is this healthy, or is it not? The product was Annie's White Cheddar Mac & Cheese. While this may be "healthier" because it's "all natural" and doesn't have any artificial colors or flavorings, I would NOT call this a healthy food.


What are people supposed to think here? The sign says "healthy living", yet the products aren't all rated high, so what exactly makes this section "healthy"? I called the Meijer corporate office and complained. They said they would look into the problem. If I go back again and see those signs, I might have to do some screaming and yelling. It's a serious issue.

Question: Have you seen the NuVal system at any of your local grocery stores? What do you think?

Question: Am I just a crazy RD, or do you agree that the sign for "healthy living" is way out of place?! I know I asked this before, but now that you see pictures, and proof that these items are really not healthy, I am curious to hear your reactions.