| Description |
The Mediterranean diet pattern has been shown to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. However, it can be difficult to assess or achieve dietary adherence due to a lack of consistent recommendations regarding food quantities and food groups in the pattern. The purpose of this study was to develop a novel objective scoring system to classify Mediterranean diet recipes based on quantities of ingredients. An evaluation of this scoring system was conducted by comparing median nutrient content among recipes (n=300) ranked differently, using the Kruskal-Wallis Test and post-hoc Dunn’s Test. Recipes ranked highest rank (Green-light; 67th â€" 100th percentile) had the most desirable nutrient profile (highest amount of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), monounsaturated and saturated fatty acid ratio (MUFA:SFA ratio), and potassium), as compared to the medium rank (Yellow-light; 34th â€" 66th percentile) and the lowest rank (Red-light; 1st â€" 33rd percentile). The Red-light recipes had the least favorable nutrient profile (highest amount of saturated fat, and lowest amount of dietary fiber, MUFA, PUFA, MUFA: SFA ratio, iron, and potassium) of the three ranks, with regards to the Mediterranean diet recommendation. The scoring system may be further developed as an online consumer application for Mediterranean diet food choices. Moreover, clinical studies are needed to provide an evidence for the efficacy of the system among patient populations. |
