CHICAGO — A comprehensive new analysis from FoodHealth Co. and NielsenIQ (NIQ) reveals that the average American grocery cart scores well below the threshold linked with long-term health, providing one of the clearest insights yet into how shopping habits influence national wellness.
Based on over 200 billion grocery purchases from 70,000 U.S. households, the first Health of America’s Grocery Carts report gives the typical household basket a FoodHealth Score of 48.94 out of 100. The index, created by FoodHealth Co., shows that 88 is the level linked to positive long-term health outcomes, placing the average cart 55% below the ideal benchmark.
The FoodHealth Score assesses purchases based on nutrient density and ingredient quality, acting much like a “credit score for health,” said Sam Citro Alexander, FoodHealth Co.’s founder and CEO. “Our mission is to make the health of our food choices measurable, transparent, and easy to improve.”
The findings were developed using the same scoring engine now offered as a commercial product on the NIQ platform. By combining NIQ’s detailed purchase data with FoodHealth Co.’s nutrition index, the companies aim to provide retailers, manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers with a clearer understanding of how everyday food choices affect long-term outcomes.
“This collaboration brings the power of our data to one of the most important questions of our time: what are we really eating?” said Beth Morris, vice president of product insights at NielsenIQ. “By pairing NielsenIQ’s unparalleled view of consumer purchases with FoodHealth Co.’s scoring system, we can finally quantify how everyday choices add up—and help the industry move toward a healthier food ecosystem.”
Key Findings
- The average U.S. shopping cart scores 55% below the level tied to long-term positive health outcomes.
- A 10-point rise in a household’s FoodHealth Score correlates with measurable improvements in key health biomarkers.
- Spending more on groceries doesn’t lead to healthier purchases, and there’s no correlation between cost and nutrition.
- SNAP and non-SNAP households shop at similar healthfulness levels, challenging assumptions about food-access patterns.
- Household food health declines once children reach school age, signaling shifting consumption patterns linked to family needs.
The report also covers state-level comparisons, demographic insights, category-specific nutrient-density analysis, and an investigation of the connections between chronic disease rates and regional grocery basket health.
Turning Insight Into Action
Alongside the report, FoodHealth Co. will release a free Chrome extension that lets consumers see the FoodHealth Score of their online grocery carts in real time — a tool designed to make nutrition transparency as easy as checking a credit score.
“Everyone deserves transparency when it comes to what’s in their food,” Alexander said. “Food is the most powerful daily health decision we make.”
NIQ’s Morris echoed that message, noting that the new transparency can help both consumers and retailers better understand the health implications of everyday purchases.
For more information, visit foodhealth.co.
