What is MyNetDiary’s Food Grade, and how can it help you most?
- 5 Minute Read
The Food Grade is a handy MyNetDiary tool that helps you compare healthiness among similar foods using simple letter grades–from A to D. Instead of pouring over Nutrition Facts panels of multiple products, you can use Food Grade to spot the best choices for healthy eating at a glance!
Here’s what you need to know about how Food Grade works and certain limitations of this nifty scoring system.
Key Takeaways
- MyNetDiary assigns foods a letter grade from A through D, making it easier for you to compare similar food products quickly without getting lost in multiple Nutrition Facts panels.
- Food Grade is based on 12 nutrients: fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron boost the scores, while total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, and sugar drag it down. This helps you spot healthier choices much faster!
- Food Grade works best when choosing between similar foods, like different types of cheese or pasta, rather than judging a food’s overall worth in your diet or healthy-eating pattern.
- Food Grade has some limitations to keep in mind. For example, it doesn't consider calories, or healthy fats like omega-3s, potassium, or vitamin D, so nutritious foods like olive oil can come up low.
What is the Food Grade, and how is it calculated?
Food Grade is just what it sounds like. It is a letter grade (A, B, C, or D) that MyNetDiary uses to rank the healthiness of a food product based on a "food score" derived from a math formula.
These food scores will vary from -5 (less healthy) to +5 (more healthy) for serving sizes shown on the Nutrition Facts panel of a food product. For more detailed information about the food score and how it's calculated, see the appendix at the end.
Our Food Grade is calculated using these 12 nutrients, most of which appear on the Nutrition Facts panel:
- Total fat
- Saturated fat
- Cholesterol
- Sodium
- Total carbohydrate
- Fiber
- Sugar
- Protein
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Calcium
- Iron
How can I see Food Grade?
Find Food Grade in the upper right-hand corner of the Food Label panel in your MyNetDiary app.
This feature automatically turns on when you start using the app. You can hide it from view in “App Settings" if you like.
Some nutrients have a bigger impact on Food Grade than others
Positive contributors
Negative contributors *
*Foods with a higher amount of these nutrients will hurt the food score. For instance:
| Item | Serving Size | Food Score |
|---|---|---|
| SpaghettiOs spaghetti in tomato and cheese sauce | 1 cup | -1 |
| Spaghetti cooked, enriched, without salt | 1 cup | 2 |
| Spaghetti, whole wheat, cooked | 1 cup | 4 |
Some folks are numbers people, and others prefer grades. MyNetDiary developed a simple conversion between the food score and the food grade.
Higher positive scores mean healthier options, so they get a higher grade. The negative scores means foods are less healthy, so they get a lower grade.
| Food Grade | Food Score |
|---|---|
| A | ≥ 1.5 |
| A- | 1 |
| B+ | 0.5 |
| B | 0 |
| B- | -0.5 |
| C+ | -1 |
| C | -1.5 |
| C- | -2 |
| D+ | -2.5 |
| D | ≤ -3 |
Serving size matters
If you log a larger or smaller serving size, your score will inherently shift the food's score, depending on the nutrient content.
How should I use Food Grade?
Use Food Grade to compare similar foods, not to judge a food’s value.
To reach these healthy dietary goals, choose foods and drinks with higher food grades.
When you stick to that, you'll likely choose more foods that are:
- Lower in saturated fat, total fat, total carbs, sugar, cholesterol, and sodium
- Higher in fiber, protein, calcium, and vitamins A and C.
Following a low-carb or keto diet?
If you follow a low-carb or keto diet, MyNetDiary's got you covered! The Food Grade system for these diets uses a separate scoring system to help you refine your choices and find healthier foods that fit these diet plans.
Once you select Keto or Low-Carb Premium diets, the respective Food Grade system will automatically be enabled.
What are the limitations of Food Grade?
- The food scoring system has been around since 2009, based on metrics published in a professional journal (see Appendix). It hasn't been updated to reflect some new recommendations–like the fact there's no longer a cholesterol cap in The Dietary Guidelines for Americans. But, cholesterol content still takes a hit in this scoring system.
- Healthy fats and oils (like olive oil, a great fit for healthy eating) tend to have low food grades due to the nature of these foods (nearly all fat).
- Food Grade does not apply to foods from restaurants or foods packaged in other countries because nutrition data for all 12 nutrients is not included.
- The Nutrition Facts Label was updated in 2020; as a result, vitamin A and vitamin C no longer appear on the label but are still applied in Food Grade.
- The new Nutrition Facts Label lists foods' vitamin D and potassium content; however, this is not factored into the Food Grade equation.
- Foods containing other essential nutrients (e.g., omega-3 fats, zinc, polyphenols, etc.) may or may not have a high food grade. Use your best judgment if you believe that a wholesome food should be included in your diet even though its food grade isn't as high as a food you think is less nutritious.
- Food Grade does not include calories. Yet, many MyNetDiary users are working on losing weight. If weight loss is your main goal, pay attention to calories and use Food Grade to help you pick healthier, nutritious choices among like items.
Healthy eating is nuanced, and a healthy diet is about more than the Food Grade system. Listen to your body, and team up with your medical provider and dietitian to craft an eating plan that fits your unique health goals and eating preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MyNetDiary Food Grade?
Food Grade is a tool that gives a letter grade from A to D for each food product in MyNetDiary's database, ranking how healthy a food product is. It converts a numerical food score (usually between -5 to +5) into an easy-to-read grade. The higher the grade, the healthier choice!
How is the Food Grade calculated?
Food Grade is calculated from 12 nutrients using a food scoring method published in 2009 in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Nutrients like fiber, protein, and calcium boost the score, while saturated fat, sodium, and sugar drag it down. The serving size also affects the food grade.
Does Food Grade include calories?
No. Food Grade doesn't account for calories. If weight loss is your goal, track your calories separately, and use Food Grade to find the more nutritious option when comparing similar foods.
Does Food Grade work for keto or low-carb diets?
Yes! MyNetDiary has specific keto and low-carb Food Grades, each with its own scoring system. When you select Keto or Low-Carb Premium diets, the matching Food Grade system turns on automatically to help you find healthier foods that fit your eating plan.
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Nutrients->Other Vitamins & Minerals Tracking & MyNetDiary->Tracking Tips
Oct 23, 2026
