Understanding Health Scores and Dietary Guidance
Learn what the Health Score means for each food you log in Nutrify, how it is calculated, and how to use it to make better food choices.
This article explains Nutrify's Health Score feature, what it measures, and how you can use it to make more informed food choices.
What Is the Health Score?
Every food you log in Nutrify receives a Health Score, a simple rating that reflects the overall nutritional quality of that food. The score gives you a quick, at-a-glance sense of how nutritious something is.
The Health Score is displayed as a number and color indicator on each food entry in your log.
How Is It Calculated?
The Health Score evaluates several nutritional factors:
Positive factors (increase the score):
- High protein content relative to calories
- Presence of fiber
- Vitamins and minerals
- Whole, minimally processed ingredients
Negative factors (decrease the score):
- High added sugar
- High saturated fat
- Excessive sodium
- Heavily processed ingredients
- Very high calorie density with low nutritional value
The AI weighs these factors together to produce a single score that represents the food's nutritional quality.
What the Scores Mean
- High scores (green) - Nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains, fruits
- Medium scores (yellow) - Moderately nutritious foods, may be calorie-dense but still provide good nutrients
- Low scores (red) - Foods that are high in calories, sugar, or processed ingredients with limited nutritional benefit
How to Use Health Scores
Health Scores are a guide, not a rule. Here are some practical ways to use them:
Quick Daily Check
Glance at the colors of your logged foods throughout the day. If everything is red, you might want to add a nutritious option for your next meal. A mix of green and yellow with occasional red is a healthy, realistic pattern.
Compare Similar Options
When choosing between two similar foods, check which has the higher Health Score:
- Grilled chicken vs. fried chicken
- Brown rice vs. white rice
- Fresh fruit vs. fruit juice
Track Trends Over Time
Your average Health Score over a week or month is more meaningful than any single food's score. Nobody eats perfectly every meal, and that is fine.
What Health Scores Are NOT
It is important to understand the limits:
- Not a diet prescription - A low Health Score does not mean a food is "bad" or that you should never eat it
- Not a calorie count - Some nutritious foods are high in calories (avocado, nuts) and some low-nutrition foods are low in calories (diet soda)
- Not personalized to allergies - The score does not account for individual food allergies or intolerances
- Not medical advice - Always follow guidance from your doctor or registered dietitian for specific health conditions
Tip: A food with a low Health Score can still fit into a healthy diet. Balance is what matters. Enjoying a slice of cake at a birthday party is perfectly fine when most of your meals are nutritious.
Dietary Guidance Tags
In addition to the Health Score, Nutrify may show dietary guidance tags on certain foods:
- High Protein - Good for muscle building and satiety
- High Fiber - Supports digestion and fullness
- High Sugar - Contains significant added sugars
- High Sodium - Contains more sodium than recommended per serving
These tags give you specific, actionable information beyond the overall score.
Common Questions
Why does a healthy food have a low score?
This can happen if the AI misidentified the food or estimated the wrong portion. Try editing the entry with the correct food name or portion size.
Can I turn off Health Scores?
Health Scores are displayed by default as part of each food entry. If you prefer not to focus on them, they are small enough to ignore while still tracking your calories and macros.
Do Health Scores affect my calorie goal?
No. Health Scores are purely informational. They do not change your calorie budget or macro targets.
Need More Help?
If you have a question not covered here, the fastest way to reach us is directly inside the Nutrify app:
- Open Nutrify
- Go to Settings
- Tap Help & Feedback
- Tap Report a Bug or Request a Feature
Our team reads every message. You can also email us at support@nutrifytracker.com.
Screenshots for this article are coming soon. In the meantime, follow the steps above to navigate the app.
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