How Consumers Define Nutritious

Product manufacturers frequently use “nutritious” as a word used to promote their products as healthier options, but its usage remains unregulated in most countries, and very little information on its usage among consumers exists.

Picking foods high in nutrients is vital to good health and can help you reach a healthier weight. Nutrit-rich foods contain less sugar, sodium and saturated fats while offering essential vitamins and minerals essential for keeping the body running at peak performance. Nutritious eating may even reduce risk factors associated with chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Eat foods high in essential nutrients, like fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish, whole grains, nuts and seeds to give yourself energy while building up your immune system. Eating these types of food will keep your energy up while strengthening its defenses against illness.

Snacks are an easily integrated part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation and choosing appropriate portions and following a balanced meal plan. While snacks may contain lots of extra calories, they’re also packed with fibre, protein, and other important vitamins that could have positive health benefits.

Carrots, apples, natural and flavoured yoghurts and toast are among the most nutritious snacks, boasting higher nutrient profile scores than discretionary treats like lollies and carrot cake.

Expert (N = 206) and lay participants (N = 269) provided definitions of nutrition through an open-ended question in a survey, then evaluated 20 snacks in two portion sizes on a scale ranging from 0 (not nutritious) to 100 (very nutritious). Their evaluations were highly correlated between groups as well as with UK Ofcom NP scores and Australian Health Star Ratings ratings.

Expert Definitions of Nutritionalitat

Expert definitions of “nutritious” differed significantly from lay participants, with experts using terms like nutrient density, macro and micronutrients, Calories/Kilojoules intake and vitamins/minerals for definition purposes. Lay participants provided more holistic and descriptive terms like fuel, fresh, natural food or body needs/function.

Nutritional Evaluation by Experts and Lay Participants

Mean perceptions between experts and lay participants were significantly different for 18 out of 20 snack foods studied, with yoghurt and toast having the largest disparity between their ratings by experts and lay participants; experts typically considered smaller portions more nutritious than larger ones.

Expert and lay definitions differed significantly when it came to snack foods with higher nutrient profile scores than lower ones, most noticeably for yoghurts which were perceived by experts and laypeople as being more nutritious than expected from their scores and “lollies”, which were perceived as being less so.

Studies revealed a nonlinear relationship between “nutritious” and portion size; with the greatest discrepancies seen for yoghurts and toast, among discretionary snack foods. When assessing “nutritiousness”, or whether something is nutrient dense, it is essential to factor in calories, sugars, fats, fibre and salt contents of any given food when making this determination. When selecting healthy snack options with high levels of dietary fibre and protein such as nuts seeds legumes it can also be advantageous.