ArticlePloS one2020
Development and validation of a meal quality index with applications to NHANES 2005-2014.
Article in PloS one, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Data-driven nutritional assessment of urban food landscapes: insights from Boston, London, and Dubai.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Development of a tool to assess the compliance of cafeteria menus with the Mediterranean Diet.BMC nutrition · 2024Article
- Breakfast energy intake and dietary quality and trajectories of cardiometabolic risk factors in older adults.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2024Observational
- Data-driven development and validation of a nutrient-based score to measure nutritional balance of meals in the Philippines.BMC nutrition · 2024Article
- Development and application of the Meal and Snack Assessment (MESA) quality scale for children and adolescents using item response theory.Nutrition journal · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The Meal Balance Index (MBI) assesses the nutritional quality and balance of meals. It is a score between 0 and 100 that takes into account both shortfall and excess nutrients, adjusted for the energy content of the meal. In the present study the score was applied to 147849 meals reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2005-2014 in order to evaluate its validity and compare against exemplary meals designed as part of 24h diets that meet US dietary guidelines. Meals from exemplary menu plans developed by nutrition experts scored on average 76±14 (mean ± standard deviation) whereas those of NHANES participants scored 45±14. Scores of breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, considered jointly as independent variables, were moderately but positively and significantly associated with the Healthy Eating Index (Pearson correlation 0.6). MBI scores were significantly associated with the density of positive micronutrients (e.g. Vit A, Vit C) and favorable food groups (e.g. fruits, whole grains) not directly included in the MBI algorithm. The MBI is a valid tool to assess the nutritional quality of meals reported in the US population and if applied to culinary recipe websites could potentially help users to understand which meals are nutritionally balanced. Choice of more balanced individual meals can guide healthier cooking and eating.
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