RANT: ANDI Scores

I generally think surveys and scoring systems are for people with a penchant for mathematics and the mundane . . .

and for those who need to ‘get out’ more.

But Whole Foods and health foodies alike are using the ANDI score,  a numerical value which represents how nutrient rich a food is per calorie.  This “Aggregate Nutritient Density Index” was developed by Dr Furhman*, who may or may not need to ‘get out’ more, and can be explored further here.

Put simply, greens, like kale and collard greens, have the highest score (1000) and soft drinks have the lowest score (0).  Greens pack the most nutrition in per calorie than any other food—-so EAT THEM! OFTEN!

Now that’s NOT to say, if all you ate were greens, that you’d be nutritionally balanced, even though you’d have a high ANDI score (hence the problem with scoring systems).

You’ll need to eat a balanced diet of all kinds of veggies, predominantly greens, to maximize your nutrition and health.  (For you knuckle heads out there: you can’t  just add a leaf of kale to your bacon cheese burger and think you’re beating the system. Your body knows what you’re doing.)

So, again, if you eat a variety of foods (eggs, nuts, seeds and beans have relatively lower ANDI scores, but you need them for protein and healthy fats) including numerous vegetables of differing colors, AND LOTS OF GREENS, you’ll maximize your health, reduce aging, arthritis, and prevent diseases like diabetes and cancer.

* I’ve never met Dr Fuhrman, I’m sure he ‘gets out’ plenty—that comment was based on a photo from the header on his website and it was “judgy” of me—I am grateful he cares about our nation’s health, as I do.

** For the record, since writing this blog, I have now listened to one of Dr Fuhrman’s lectures and he seems like a pretty cool, very smart guy.