How We Turn a Nutrition Label into a Simple, Honest Score

At Vegan Curator, our plant-based food-rating system breaks down nutrition and ingredients to deliver a science-backed, easy-to-understand score. It helps you see what’s in your food—and how it fits into a balanced diet.

Each product receives a score from –5 to +5, placing it into one of five tiers—from 🟢 Staple to 🔴 Treat—so you can quickly understand how often it fits into a healthy plant-based routine, no nutrition degree required.

The score reflects key nutritional principles: it rewards fiber, protein, and essential micronutrients; penalizes excessive saturated fat, sodium, added sugars, and processed sweeteners; and favors minimally processed foods made from transparent, recognizable ingredients. Using % Daily Values keeps scoring consistent across serving sizes and product categories.

Beyond nutrients, the system also evaluates ingredient quality and degree of processing through a structured set of ingredient checks, ensuring foods maintain integrity from source to shelf.

How the Score Works

1. Subtract for Nutrients to Limit

Certain nutrients—like saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars—can contribute to chronic health issues when overconsumed. Products are penalized when these nutrients appear in excess.

Saturated Fat: Points deducted above 10% DV; a small bonus applies when saturated fat is ≤⅓ of total fat.
Trans Fat: Any amount triggers a deduction.
Sodium: Deductions begin above 10% DV; a bonus may apply when potassium meets or exceeds sodium.
Added Sugars: Even small amounts reduce the score, with sharper penalties above 10% DV.
Sugar Alcohols: Count as minor deductions.

2. Add for Nutrients to Encourage

We reward foods that meaningfully support digestion, energy, and satiety.

Dietary Fiber: Points awarded for ≥10% DV or a fiber-to-carb ratio of at least 1g per 10g carbs.
Protein: Points added when protein reaches ≥10% DV per serving.
Micronutrients: Only the highest %DV among listed vitamins or minerals is credited.

3. Reward for Minimal Processing

Ingredient quality matters. We favor foods that are minimally refined, transparently labeled, and free from unnecessary additives.

Products with short lists of recognizable, whole-food ingredients are rewarded. Longer lists can still earn credit when most components are whole or lightly processed. Highly processed items—especially those containing artificial or flagged additives—receive penalties.

Each product is screened using three checks:

Smart Ingredient Counting

Multiple forms of the same whole food count as one (e.g., “whole oats,” “rolled oats,” “steel-cut oats” → count 1).

The following groups also each count as one ingredient total:

All plain grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables
All plain herbs and spices
All vegetable oils
All plant-protein isolates or concentrates

This prevents penalizing products that use whole foods or similar functional ingredients in multiple forms.

Blacklist Scan

Foods containing industrial emulsifiers, hydrogenated fats, artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives, or other disallowed additives are flagged.

A few exceptions apply:
Mild gums such as guar, locust-bean, or agar are allowed when they appear after the first three ingredients in plant-based products; lecithin is permitted only when used traditionally in chocolate or cocoa-based items; and plant-protein isolates or concentrates are acceptable as long as they do not appear among the first three ingredients.

First-Three Ingredient Test

Whole foods are single, recognizable foods—such as whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, or vegetables—that contain no added sugar, sweeteners, fats, oils, salt, flavors, or processing aids, and therefore automatically pass the first-three-ingredient requirements.
Minimally processed foods must list at least one whole, recognizable food in the top three and must not place sugar or sweeteners above 4 g per serving, salt that pushes sodium above 10% DV, high-saturated-fat oils (coconut, palm, butter, margarine), or plant-protein isolates/concentrates in the top three.
Moderately processed foods must include at least one whole, recognizable food in the top three; they may contain small amounts of sugar (<10% DV), salt (sodium <10% DV), and added fats or plant-protein isolates in the top three, provided neither appears as the first ingredient and a whole food comes before them.

This test identifies foods that hold their integrity from source to shelf while also supporting better nutrient density.

4. Total and Translate

Once points are tallied, each product receives a score and tier:

🟢 Daily Staple (+2.0 to +5.0, must be minimally processed)
Wholesome and nutrient-dense—ideal for everyday eating.
🟡 Weekly Option (+0.5, +1.0, +1.5, or any score ≥ +2.0 if not minimally processed)
Beneficial and easy to include regularly.
🟠 Monthly Option (–1.0, –0.5, or 0)
Not essential—best in moderation, a few times per month.
🟤 Occasional Food (–2.5, –2.0, or –1.5)
Lower nutritional value—consume sparingly.
🔴 Rare Treat (–5.0 to –3.0)
Indulgent or nostalgic—reserved for special occasions.

Using the Rating in Real Life

All the foods we rate are processed to some degree; what matters is how they’re processed and what nutrients they provide. When your diet is rooted in whole foods, these products can still support—and sometimes even enhance—overall dietary quality. A strong plant-based diet begins with whole foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Once that base is in place, processed plant-based products can be layered on for flavor, convenience, familiar textures, and added nutrients.

The tier system is simply a guide for how often these layered items fit best—not a set of rigid rules. Portion size, context, and combinations matter too. Lower-scoring foods can still play a role when used sparingly or paired with nutrient-dense staples.

These recommendations are meant to inform your choices, not restrict your life. For example, a typical plant-based coffee creamer may fall into the “Monthly Option” category because of its added sugars, saturated fats, or processing level. But many people rely on daily coffee. Rather than eliminating creamer, simply use less—or choose a lighter option. The goal is progress, not perfection.

Think of the tiers as a compass: they help you orient your habits toward healthier patterns over time. Convenience foods aren't meant to replace whole foods; they exist to support your transition away from animal-based products (many of which contain nutrients best limited) and to offer comfort, familiarity, and practicality within a modern plant-forward lifestyle.

Use these guidelines as a gentle daily reminder—not a strict script—as you build an approach to eating that is both sustainable and enjoyable.

Built for Plant-Based Foods

This model was developed specifically for vegan food products. Unlike general scoring systems, it accounts for the unique nutritional profile and ethical considerations of plant-based foods.

We chose not to adopt Nutri-Score because it evaluates foods per 100g rather than per serving and relies on animal-centric benchmarks—for instance, using protein as a proxy for calcium. These assumptions can misrepresent plant-based products while giving dairy items an unfair advantage. For more detail, see our article: “Nutri-Score: Helpful Shortcut or Missed Opportunity?”

Final Thoughts

This score is more than a number—it’s a tool for making smarter, more intentional choices in a landscape filled with marketing noise. By emphasizing nutrients, degree of processing, and ingredient integrity, the system helps you build a balanced plant-based diet one product at a time.

Curious about how your favorite product scores? Just ask—we’re happy to rate it.

Your Next Step to Balanced Eating

This system helps you assess individual foods — but how they fit into your overall diet matters just as much.

Learn more in The Food Group Playbook: Eat with Purpose — https://vegancurator.com/nutrition/food-groups
And explore how to build well-rounded meals in our companion guide,The Anatomy of a Balanced Meal — https://vegancurator.com/nutrition/balanced-meal-anatomy