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| Component | Dietary Constituents | Maximum points | Standard for maximum score | Standard for minimum score of zero | Standard for maximum score | Standard for minimum score of zero |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HEI-2020 For 2 Years and Older |
HEI-Toddlers-2020 For 12 through 23 months |
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| From FPED (or other food-based database) | ||||||
| Total Fruits | Total Fruits | 5 | ≥0.8 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Fruits | ≥0.7 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Fruits |
| Whole Fruits | Citrus, Melons, Berries + Other Intact Fruits | 5 | ≥0.4 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Whole Fruits | ≥0.3 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Whole Fruits |
| Total Vegetables | Total Vegetables + Legumes (Beans and Peas) in cup equivalents | 5 | ≥1.1 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Vegetables | ≥0.9 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Vegetables |
| Greens and Beans | Dark Green Vegetables + Legumes (Beans and Peas) in cup equivalents | 5 | ≥0.2 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Dark Green Vegetables or Legumes | ≥0.1 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Dark Green Vegetables or Legumes |
| Whole Grains | Whole Grains | 10 | ≥1.5 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Whole Grains | ≥1.5 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Whole Grains |
| Dairy | Total Dairy | 10 | ≥1.3 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Dairy | ≥2.0 cup equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Dairy |
| Total Protein Foods | Total Meat, Poultry, and Seafood (including organ meats and cured meats) + Eggs + Nuts and Seeds + Soy + Legumes (Beans and Peas) in oz equivalents | 5 | ≥2.5 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Protein Foods | ≥2 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Protein Foods |
| Seafood and Plant Proteins | Seafood (high in omega-3) + Seafood (low in omega-3) + Soy + Nuts and Seeds + Legumes (Beans and Peas) in oz equivalents | 5 | ≥0.8 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Seafood or Plant Proteins | ≥0.5 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | No Seafood or Plant Proteins |
| Refined Grains | Refined Grains | 10 | ≤1.8 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | ≥4.3 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | ≤1.5 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal | ≥3.4 oz equiv. per 1,000 kcal |
| Added Sugars1 | Added Sugars | 10 | ≤6.5% of energy | ≥26% of energy | 0% of energy | ≥13.8% of energy |
| From FNDDS (or other nutrient database) | ||||||
| Sodium2 | Sodium | 10 | ≤1.1 gram per 1,000 kcal | ≥2.0 grams per 1,000 kcal | ≤1.1 gram per 1,000 kcal | ≥1.7 grams per 1,000 kcal |
| Saturated Fats | Total Saturated Fatty Acids | 10 | ≤8% of energy | ≥16% of energy | ≤12.2% of energy | ≥18.2% of energy |
| Fatty Acids3 | (Total Monounsaturated Fatty Acids + Total Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids)/Total Saturated Fatty Acids | 10 | (PUFAs + MUFAs)/SFAs ≥2.5 | (PUFAs + MUFAs)/SFAs ≤1.2 | (PUFAs + MUFAs)/SFAs ≥1.5 | (PUFAs + MUFAs)/SFAs ≤0.9 |
cup eq.=cup equivalents; oz. eq.=ounce equivalents; g=grams; mg=milligrams
1 * = teaspoon equivalents are converted to kcal in the scoring process.
2 ** = sodium is converted from mg to g in scoring process.
3 *** = fatty acids are calculated in grams but converted to energy in the scoring process.