Nutrient Profiling of Matched Meals Differing by NOVA Categorization and Adherence to US Dietary Guidelines

Objectives: Apply a nutrient profiling system (Food Compass) to matched meals differing by food processing level (PL) and nutritional quality (NQ). Methods: Four test breakfasts were designed for randomized-order within-subjects studies that will assess appetitive and postprandial responses when the meals' PL (by NOVA) and NQ are varied. NQ was based on food groups in a healthy US-style dietary pattern as outlined in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. All meals were matched for energy, macronutrients, energy density and flavor profile. Meal 1 had low PL/high NQ, meal 2 had high PL/high NQ, meal 3 had high PL/low NQ. Foods included maple cinnamon oatmeal or cereal, milk or non-fat yogurt, toast with spreads, and orange juices that differed by PL and NQ. Meal 4 was a hyperpalatable control meal of convenience foods (cinnamon sugar donuts, toaster pastries, full-fat sweetened yogurt, orange flavored beverage) with similar flavor profiles. All food items were entered into the Food Compass system to determine their individual scores. Food Compass scores for items within each of the four meals were averaged. Results: Average Food Compass scores for meals 1, 2, 3, 4 were 47.1, 51.8, 40.3, 30.5. Meal 1 required 8 food items to prepare; their scores ranged from 5 & 9 (dairy butter, brown sugar) to 72 & 91 (fresh-squeezed orange juice, homemade strawberry compote). Food Compass scores in meal 2 (6 items) ranged from 20 & 34 (strawberry jam, butter-like spread) to 74 & 91 (skim milk, orange juice from frozen concentrate). Food Compass scores in meal 3 (6 items) ranged from 8 & 15 (white toast, strawberry spread) to 67 & 86 (cinnamon toast crunch cereal, nonfat vanilla yogurt). Food Compass scores in meal 4 (4 items) ranged from 4 & 19 (cinnamon sugar donuts, orange flavored drink) to 35 & 64 (strawberry toaster pastries, sweetened yogurt). Conclusions: A breakfast with high PL and high NQ (meal 2) had a higher Food Compass score than a matched breakfast with low PL and high NQ (meal 1). As expected, the two low NQ highly processed meals had lower Food Compass scores, with the control meal designed to be hyperpalatable (meal 4) scoring lowest. Scores for foods in all meals ranged widely. Processing level as categorized by NOVA does not necessarily align with nutrient profiling when adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is maintained.