ANDI

Helping You Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods

ANDI Guide and Photo Credit: Compliments of Whole Foods Markets

It can be so confusing these days to make the right food choices!  If you want to be sure to get more nutritional bang for your buck, the ANDI rankings can help point you in the right direction.

ANDI stands for “Aggregate Nutrient Density Index,” a scoring system that rates foods on a scale from 1 to 1000 based on nutrient content. ANDI scores are calculated by evaluating an extensive range of micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities. ANDI was devised by Joel Fuhrman, M.D., author of the book Eat to Live.

This index does have some flaws. For example, blueberries have a relatively low ranking of 130, a fruit that you know to be packed with nutritional antioxidant power. You might conclude that these berries aren’t worth eating, which would be a big mistake. Also, olive oil, the healthiest fat, has a ranking of only 9. True, it is high in calories, but we all need good fat in our diets, and olive oil is one of the healthiest choice.

This nutrient density scoring is not the only factor that determines health benefits so if you only ate foods with a high nutrient density score, your diet would be too low in fat and not well-rounded enough.

GreenVegetables

 Leafy Green Vegetables  ANDI Score
1. Mustard/Turnip/Collard Greens 1000
2. Kale 1000
3. Swiss Chard 1000
4. Upland/Watercress 1000
5. Bok Choy/Baby Bok Choy 865
6. Chinese/Napa Cabbage 714
7. Spinach 707
8. Arugula 604
9. Lettuce, Green Leaf 585
10. Chicory 516

NonGreenVeggie

 Non Green Vegetable  ANDI Score
1. Radish 502
2. Turnip 473
3. Carrots 458
4. Acorn Squash 444
5. Broccoflower 444
6. Cabbage 434
7. Bell Pepper, Yellow or Orange 371
8. Kholrabi 352
9. Cauliflower 315
10. Rutabaga 296

Beans

 Beans  ANDI Score
1. Edamame 98
2. Pinto Beans 86
3. Tofu 82
4. Great Northern Beans 77
5. Adzuki Beans 74
6. Lentils 72
7. Lima Beans 69
8. Kidney Beans 64
9. Black Beans 61
10. Chickpeas (Garbanzos) 55

NutsSeeds

 Nuts & Seeds  ANDI Score
1. Flax Seeds 103
2. Sesame Seeds 74
3. Sunflower Seeds 64
4. Peanuts 59
5. Chia Seeds 46
6. Pumpkin Seeds 39
7. Pistachios 37
8. Chestnuts 34
9. Hazelnuts 34
10. Pecans 33

Fruit

 Fruit  ANDI Score
1. Cranberries, Fresh 207
2. Strawberries 182
3. Blackberries 171
4. Raspberries 133
5. Blueberries 132
6. Guava 125
7. Grapefruit 125
8. Grapes 119
9. Pomegranate 119
10. Cantalope 118
11. Plum 106
12. Orange 98
13. Tangerine 86
14. Apricots, Fresh 75
15. Watermelon 71

Herbs

 Herbs  ANDI Score
1. Basil 518
2. Cilantro 481
3. Spearmint 457
4. Tarragon 426
5. Oregano 426
6. Thyme 422
7. Parsley 381
8. Dill 326
9. Chives 319
10. Peppermint 293
11. Bay Leaves 271
12. Rosemary 84
13. Lemongrass 55

 

 

 

 

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