THE NUTRIENT RATING GUIDE
How the Diabetes-Friendly Rating Is Calculated
The Diabetes-Friendly Rating estimates how closely a recipe follows a low-fat, high-fiber, plant-based dietary pattern for type 2 diabetes management. Every recipe receives between one and five leaves.
The approach behind the rating
The framework is informed by the dietary principles presented by physician and researcher Neal D. Barnard, MD: emphasize vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains; keep added fats low; and minimize animal products and concentrated added sugars.
“A plant-based diet is a powerful tool for preventing, managing, and even reversing type 2 diabetes.”— Neal D. Barnard, MD, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
The book uses the word reversing. On The Nutrient, we use the more clinically precise term remission when discussing a sustained change in a person’s diabetes status. A recipe rating cannot determine remission.
The five-leaf calculation
Each recipe begins with five leaves. The ingredient list is checked automatically, then caps and deductions are applied.
| Ingredient pattern | Rating effect |
|---|---|
| Processed meat | Maximum 1 leaf |
| Other animal products | Maximum 2 leaves |
| Added oil or fried ingredients | Minus 1 leaf |
| Concentrated high-fat plant ingredients | Minus 1 leaf |
| Concentrated added sugar | Minus 1 leaf |
| Refined grains or starches | Minus 1 leaf |
| No recognized high-fiber whole plant food | Maximum 3 leaves |
What ingredients does it recognize?
Animal products
Beef, pork, poultry, lamb, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy milk, cheese, butter, cream, yogurt, whey and casein. Processed meats—including bacon, ham, sausage, prosciutto, salami, hot dogs, pepperoni and chorizo—receive the strictest cap.
Added fats and concentrated high-fat plant foods
Added oil, shortening and fried ingredients receive a deduction. Coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut oil, avocado, tahini, nut butters and several nuts and seeds also receive a deduction because this rating measures alignment with a specifically low-fat framework. This does not mean those foods are universally unhealthy.
Concentrated added sugars
White, brown, cane and coconut sugar; corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, agave, molasses and caramel.
Refined grains and starches
All-purpose flour, white flour, white rice, cornstarch, refined flour, instant rice, white bread and regular pasta.
Supportive whole plant foods
Beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, oats, barley, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat, whole grains, sweet potatoes, vegetables, leafy greens, fruits, berries, flax and chia.
How to read the leaves
- 5 leaves: Strong alignment—plant-based, low-fat, fiber-rich and without concentrated added sugar.
- 4 leaves: Strong plant-based foundation with one deduction.
- 3 leaves: Several supportive ingredients, but multiple deductions or limited whole-plant fiber.
- 2 leaves: Contains animal products or conflicts substantially with the framework.
- 1 leaf: Contains processed meat or multiple ingredients that conflict with the framework.
What the rating does not measure
The current rating evaluates ingredient patterns. It does not calculate personal glucose response, glycemic load, medication needs, kidney-disease restrictions, exact ingredient quantities or the effect of an individual serving.
Read Dr. Barnard’s program
Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes