What is Tufts' Food Compass? Study claims ice cream is better than multigrain bread

A common notion amongst every weight watcher is that multigrain bread is better than ice cream. However, a new study from Tufts University has created a “Food Compass” that ranks food items based on a score.

The study has revealed that an ice cream cone with nuts and chocolates is healthier than a multigrain bread with raisins. and gave the sweet treat a score of 37, with the multigrain bread lagging behind with a score of 19.

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Tufts’ Food Compass: Exploring how it rated ice cream to be a healthier option

The recent study from Tufts University in Massachusetts suggesting that ice cream is a healthier choice than multigrain bread has shocked the world. While many often do not consume ice cream as the sweet treat is often full of fat and cholesterol, at the same time, multigrain bread as part of breakfast or as a snack is a common option for many. The study was published on Tufts Now.

The Tufts’ food compass is basically a profiling system developed by the researchers at Tufts University. This compass evaluates foods across 9 domains and uses a unique algorithm to determine a score between 1 and 100, out of which 100 is the most healthy.

To create this compass, researchers spent more than 3 years investigating over 8,000 different types of food and drinks where they examined 54 different attributes. While fruits and vegetables ranked above 85 on the compass, spinach was one item that scored a perfect 100 on the compass.

Food items such as legumes, nuts and seeds received an average score 78.6.

According to the study, the healthiest meat is seafood, with an average score of 67, followed by poultry with 42.67 and beef, with 24.9.

Sugar-sweetened sodas received an average score of 27.6, while 100 percent fruit and vegetable drinks received 67.

Meanwhile, junk food like burgers and pizzas were way behind in scores as compared to these healthier options. But what shook the world was the revelation that a sweet treat like ice cream with chocolates and nuts scored 35 points, while even a granola bar, which is considered a healthy snack by many, scored 15.

At the same time, frozen yogurt, which is considered to be a healthier food also scored a 23. The main reason why ice cream scored a 35 is because it is made up of milk and nuts, which provides the body with protein and nutrients.

Professor Dariush Mozaffarian, the study's lead and corresponding author, and dean for policy of the Friedman School, said that granola bar ranks lower than ice cream is that it’s made of “mostly refined starch and sugar.”

Speaking of other food items, an egg omlet scored a 51, while the common breakfast cereal, Cheerios scored a whopping 95. Other breakfast items such as a skimmed milk cappuccino scored 73, while espresso scored 55.

The Tufts' food compass reveals that cheerios are healthier than eggs (Image via Tufts)

The study encourages more consumption of food and drinks which have scored over 70, while food options that range within the score band of 31 to 69 should be seriously avoided. The study calculated the health value of food items on various parameters, and while ice cream scored 35, way more than multigrain bread, it certainly doesn’t mean that ice cream can be consumed regularly.

Professor Mozaffarian said that people are often confused with healthy food choices.

"Once you get beyond 'eat your veggies, avoid soda,' the public is pretty confused about how to identify healthier choices in the grocery store, cafeteria, and restaurant."

This compass was mainly created for consumers, policy makers and the food industry so that consumers can choose healthier options, while the industry can make high-scoring food items that are good for the customers.