Food Category

Scores

Beans

1 serving (½ cup) of beans or lentils

7 points

Soy

1 cup of soymilk or ½ cup of tofu

1 point

Vegetables

1 serving (1 cup) of vegetables

4 points (lettuce = 2 points)

Fruits

1 medium sized fruit (e.g. apple, banana), or 1 cup of banana smoothie

3 points (1 cup of juice with pulp = 1 point)

Grains

Whole grains score higher than processed grains in general (per 1 piece of bread or 1 cup of grains serving)

Bran (the outer layer of grains)

8 points

Oatmeal

4 points

Whole grains
(wholegrain cereal, brown rice)

3 points

Whole‐wheat processed grains
(wholegrain bread, wholegrain pasta)

2 points

Processed grains
(white bread, white rice, processed cereal)

1 point

Meat, Poultry and Fish

0 point

Eggs and Dairy

0 point

Soda

0 point

< 20 points

20 – 39 points

≥ 40 points

Dietary fiber intake should be increased to help control appetite and reduce the risk of health problems.

Further increasing dietary fiber intake can help improve eating satisfaction and reduce calorie intake.

Dietary fiber intake is adequate, helping to control appetite and stay healthy.

Children

Women

Elderly

van Gijssel et al. showed a higher dietary fiber intake in children at 1 year of age was associated with a lower cardiometabolic risk factor score at age 6 years, including lower triglycerides and higher high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol³.

Romieu et al. showed women with higher (> 24.2 g/day) intake of dietary fiber have lower risks of breast cancer per 10 g/day of alcohol intake than those with lower (< 18.5 g/day) dietary fiber intake (hazard ratio 1.02 vs. 1.06), with a stronger modulating effect for dietary fiber from vegetables⁴.

Buil‐Cosiales et al. showed elderly with a higher total intake (≥ 9 servings/day or ≥ 720 g/day) of fruits and vegetables had a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease (hazard ratio 0.60) than those with a lower (< 5 servings/day or < 400 g/day) intake of fruits and vegetables⁵.