Guiding Stars is a unique program created by a panel of leading scientists that makes it easy to find nutritious foods throughout our supermarkets.
Our exclusive, scientific formula evaluates a food based on its nutritional content. Foods are given points for the presence of vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and whole grains, and lose points for the presence of trans fats, saturated fats, cholesterol, added sugars, and added sodium. Once a food’s points are added up, its score results in a Guiding Star rating of zero (does not meet the nutritional criteria to receive a Guiding Star), one star (good nutritional value), two stars (better nutritional value), or three stars (best nutritional value).
Ratings are based on a food’s nutrient density, which is defined as nutrition per 100 calories. This standard allows for consistent measurement, regardless of package and serving sizes.
Only nutrient information included on the food label and regulated by the FDA and/or the USDA is considered.
Packaged foods: information on the nutrition facts label and the ingredients list on food packaging.
Non-packaged foods without labels, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood: the USDA’s nutrient database.
It is important that all information collected for analysis be available to consumers. We collect all product data for Guiding Stars from the following sources:
1. For food items that fall under the FDA/FSIS regulations, nutrient information is obtained from the Nutrition Facts label and ingredients list.
2. Data for food items that are not required to carry nutrition information fact labels (i.e., fresh produce, meat, seafood, etc.) is obtained from the USDA National Nutrient Database.
Guiding Stars Simplifies Comparisons
100 calories* of each product is analyzed to evaluate its nutritional makeup. This approach makes it easy to compare like items with different serving sizes.
*A 100 calorie unit is used as a reference for consistent measurement and is not necessarily the recommended serving size.
