NutriScore - Your Nutritional Quality Index

Overview

NutriScore is NutriScan's proprietary nutritional rating system that provides an at-a-glance assessment of your meal's overall nutritional quality. Using a dual letter grade (A-E) and color-coded scale with detailed breakdown, NutriScore helps you make more informed dietary choices without needing to understand complex nutritional data.

INSTANT INSIGHT

NutriScore appears on every meal scan, giving you immediate feedback on the nutritional value of what you're eating with both a letter grade and color!

Understanding Your NutriScore

Letter and Color Scale

NutriScore uses a comprehensive grading system with both letters (A through E) and colors to help you quickly assess the nutritional quality of your meals:

A

Dark Green

Excellent nutritional quality with optimal balance of nutrients

B

Light Green

Very good nutritional profile with good balance

C

Yellow

Moderate nutritional value with some room for improvement

D

Orange

Below optimal nutrition with significant imbalances

E

Red

Poor nutritional value that should be consumed sparingly

Viewing Your NutriScore

NutriScore is prominently displayed in several places throughout the app:

1. Meal Details Screen: After scanning a meal, the NutriScore appears at the top of the nutritional breakdown, showing both letter grade (A-E) and color
2. Calendar View: In the Insights section, each day shows the color of your overall daily NutriScore
3. Meal Timeline: Each meal entry includes its NutriScore color and letter grade indicator

How NutriScore Is Calculated

NutriScore evaluates multiple factors to determine the overall quality of your meal and assign the appropriate letter grade and color:

Factor	What's Evaluated	Impact on Score
Macronutrient Balance	Ratio of proteins, carbs, and fats	Higher with balanced proportions
Caloric Density	Calories relative to nutritional value	Higher with nutrient-dense, lower-calorie foods
Micronutrient Content	Presence of vitamins, minerals, and fiber	Higher with diverse micronutrients
Processed Components	Level of processing and additives	Lower with highly processed ingredients
Nutritional Alignment	Match with your specific health goals (weight loss, muscle gain, diabetes management, etc.)	Higher when aligned with your stated health objectives

PERSONALIZED SCORING

After completing the Food Preference Form, NutriScore calculations are specifically tailored to your health goals (weight loss, muscle gain, diabetes management, pregnancy, PCOS) and dietary preferences. A meal perfect for someone building muscle may score differently for someone managing diabetes!

Goal-Based Customization

NutriScore adapts its evaluation criteria based on your specific health objectives:

Health Goal	How NutriScore Adapts	Key Nutritional Focus
Weight Loss	Emphasizes nutrient density with lower calories	Protein-rich, fiber-rich, lower-calorie options
Muscle Gain	Prioritizes protein content and nutrient timing	Higher protein, complex carbs, recovery nutrients
Diabetes Management	Focuses on glycemic impact and carb quality	Low glycemic index foods, fiber, healthy fats
Pregnancy Support	Highlights critical prenatal nutrients	Folate, iron, calcium, omega-3, appropriate calories
PCOS Management	Evaluates impact on insulin sensitivity	Anti-inflammatory foods, low GI carbs, healthy fats

The algorithm intelligently adjusts what constitutes an "ideal" nutritional profile based on your specific needs, ensuring recommendations are truly personalized to your health journey.

Nutritional Breakdown

Every NutriScore is accompanied by a detailed nutritional breakdown to help you understand the rating:

Macronutrient Analysis

Your meal's macronutrients are displayed with both absolute values and percentage of recommended daily intake:

• Calories: Total energy content
• Protein: Building blocks for muscle and tissue
• Carbohydrates: Primary energy source
• Fat: Essential for hormone production and nutrient absorption

If carbohydrates or fats exceed your daily target, they will be highlighted in red in the Premium Plan to alert you.

Micronutrient Highlights

The system identifies the top 4 micronutrients in your meal, ordered from highest to lowest concentration:

• Fiber: Digestive health and satiety
• Potassium: Muscle and heart function
• Calcium: Bone and dental health
• Omega-3: Brain health and inflammation reduction
• And many others

Using NutriScore to Improve Your Diet

NutriScore is designed not just to inform but to help you take action:

Learning More

For every meal scan, you can:

1. Click the arrow next to your NutriScore to access the detailed "Learn NutriScore" page
2. View specific recommendations for improving the nutritional profile of similar meals
3. See how small changes to ingredients or portions can improve your score

Tracking Progress

Premium and Track plan users can:

• View their NutriScore trends over time in the Insights section
• See how dietary changes impact their scores
• Identify patterns in their highest and lowest scoring meals

Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding NutriScore

How accurate is the NutriScore system?

NutriScore uses advanced nutritional science and AI to provide a reliable assessment of meal quality. The system:

• Evaluates over 30 different nutritional factors
• Compares against established dietary guidelines
• Considers your personal dietary goals (if specified)
• Updates continuously with the latest nutritional research

While no scoring system is perfect, NutriScore provides a scientifically-based assessment that aligns with mainstream nutritional recommendations. The score is most accurate when all ingredients in your meal are clearly visible in the photo.

Why did my seemingly healthy meal get a lower score than expected?

Several factors might contribute to a lower-than-expected score:

1. Hidden ingredients: Some ingredients may contain hidden sugars, sodium, or unhealthy fats
2. Portion size: Even healthy foods can reduce in score when portions are excessive
3. Nutritional balance: A meal might be low in calories but also low in essential nutrients
4. Processing level: Some seemingly healthy foods may be highly processed
5. Individual needs: If you've specified dietary goals, the score reflects alignment with those goals

You can always tap to learn more about your specific score and get recommendations for improvements.

Can I see a breakdown of what factors affected my NutriScore?

Yes! When viewing your meal details:

1. Tap the arrow next to your NutriScore
2. This opens the "Learn NutriScore" page
3. Scroll down to see a detailed breakdown of positive and negative factors
4. Review specific recommendations for improving your score

This detailed view helps you understand exactly why your meal received its particular score and how to make improvements.

What's the difference between the letter grade and color coding?

The letter grade (A through E) and color coding work together to provide the same information in two complementary formats:

• Letter grades provide a familiar academic-style rating that's quick to understand
• Color coding offers visual cues that are instantly recognizable even at a glance

Both systems convey the same nutritional assessment:

• A/Dark Green: Excellent nutritional quality
• B/Light Green: Very good nutritional profile
• C/Yellow: Moderate nutritional value
• D/Orange: Below optimal nutrition
• E/Red: Poor nutritional value

This dual system ensures the information is accessible and immediately understandable for all users regardless of preference.

Using NutriScore

How can I use NutriScore to improve my diet?

NutriScore is designed as a practical tool for dietary improvement:

1. Track trends: Notice which meals consistently score higher or lower
2. Identify patterns: Look for common ingredients in your lower-scoring meals
3. Make incremental changes: Use the recommendations to make small improvements
4. Learn by comparing: Compare similar meals with different scores to understand what makes the difference
5. Set goals: Try to increase the frequency of A/B (green) scored meals over time

Remember that perfect scores for every meal aren't necessary—aim for improvement rather than perfection.

Does NutriScore consider my specific dietary needs?

Yes! After completing the Food Preference Form (prompted after 2 meal scans), NutriScore adjusts to your specific profile:

• Dietary preference: Vegetarian, vegan, non-vegetarian, or mixed
• Health goals: Weight loss, muscle gain, diabetes management, pregnancy, PCOS
• Food restrictions: Allergies or foods you avoid

For example:

• If your goal is weight loss, meals with better protein-to-calorie ratios may score higher
• If your goal is muscle gain, higher protein meals with quality carbs may be favored
• If you're managing diabetes, the system places greater emphasis on glycemic impact
• If you're pregnant, meals rich in folate, iron, and other prenatal nutrients receive higher scores
• If you're managing PCOS, meals that support hormone balance and insulin sensitivity are prioritized

This personalization means your scores reflect not just general nutritional quality but alignment with your specific health journey. Two users might receive different scores for the same meal based on their individual profiles and goals.

How does NutriScore appear in the calendar view?

In the Insights section's calendar view:

• Each day is color-coded with your overall NutriScore for that day
• The color represents the average nutritional quality of all meals logged that day
• Tapping on a specific day shows the breakdown of individual meals
• This view helps you identify patterns in your nutritional intake over time

This feature is particularly useful for tracking how your diet quality fluctuates throughout the week or month.

Technical Questions

What happens if I edit my meal after seeing the NutriScore?

When you make edits to your meal:

1. Adding or removing items will trigger a recalculation of your NutriScore
2. Adjusting portion sizes will update the score proportionally
3. Your new score will be displayed immediately after the changes are saved

This allows you to see in real-time how different modifications affect the nutritional quality of your meal.

Can I see NutriScores for my historical meals before I had the app?

NutriScore is only available for meals that have been scanned and logged in the NutriScan app. Historical meals that were consumed before using the app cannot be retroactively scored.

However, if you have photos of past meals, you can scan them to get NutriScores and add them to your timeline.

Are NutriScores comparable across different types of meals?

Yes, NutriScores are designed to provide a standardized assessment across different meal types. However, it's important to understand that:

• The score evaluates nutritional quality, not appropriateness for a specific mealtime
• A high-scoring snack and high-scoring dinner may have different nutritional profiles but similar overall quality relative to their category
• The system accounts for the typical role of different meal types in overall nutrition

This standardization helps you make informed choices regardless of meal type.

Common Score Scenarios

Understanding how different meals typically score can help you interpret your own results:

Example Meal	Typical Score	Reasoning
Vegetable salad with lean protein	A (Dark Green)	High micronutrient content, good macronutrient balance
Grilled fish with whole grains	B (Light Green)	Good protein source, healthy fats, complex carbs
Turkey sandwich on whole grain	C (Yellow)	Balanced but may lack diverse micronutrients
Cheese pizza	D (Orange)	Higher in refined carbs and saturated fat, limited micronutrients
Fast food burger and fries	E (Red)	High in saturated fat, sodium, and calories with few micronutrients

INDIVIDUAL VARIATIONS

These examples are generalizations. Your specific meal compositions, portion sizes, and personal dietary goals will affect the actual scores you receive. The same meal might score differently for someone focused on weight loss versus someone managing diabetes.

NutriScore in Your Diet Plan

For Premium Plan subscribers with a Diet Plan:

• Your NutriScore helps evaluate how well you're following your plan
• The scores contribute to your overall progress measurement
• High scores (A and B) typically indicate alignment with your diet plan's recommendations
• Low scores (D and E) may trigger suggestions for alternatives that better fit your plan

Need More Help?

If you have questions about your NutriScore or how to improve your nutritional intake:

1. Tap the "Full Nutritions & Ask More" button on your meal details page
2. Speak with Monika, our AI nutritionist (Track and Premium plans)
3. Review the detailed nutrition breakdown for specific recommendations
4. Contact our support team through Home > Profile tab > Contact Us