Food scores

The NOVA score

Name: Food Loops
Author: Food Loops

The four-level food processing classification, from unprocessed to ultra-processed.

NOVA classifies food by how much industrial processing it has been through, on a scale of 1 to 4. It's a widely used research classification, not a Food Loops invention.

Level	What it means
1 — Unprocessed	Whole foods, or foods altered only by removing inedible parts: fruit, vegetables, eggs, plain meat, milk
2 — Processed ingredients	Substances extracted from foods and used to cook with: oils, butter, sugar, salt
3 — Processed	Whole foods with group 2 ingredients added by recognizable cooking: bread, cheese, canned fish, salted nuts
4 — Ultra-processed	Industrial formulations built largely from refined substances and additives, with little intact whole food left

How to use it

NOVA is about processing, not nutrition, and the two don't always agree — a NOVA 4 protein shake can be a reasonable choice, and NOVA 2 butter is still butter. It's most useful as a pattern over weeks. If nearly everything you log is level 4, that's worth knowing regardless of whether the macros add up.

The Satiety Score

Weight tracking and the forecast

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Level

What it means

1 — Unprocessed

Whole foods, or foods altered only by removing inedible parts: fruit, vegetables, eggs, plain meat, milk

2 — Processed ingredients

Substances extracted from foods and used to cook with: oils, butter, sugar, salt

3 — Processed

Whole foods with group 2 ingredients added by recognizable cooking: bread, cheese, canned fish, salted nuts

4 — Ultra-processed

Industrial formulations built largely from refined substances and additives, with little intact whole food left

How to use it