{"id":2951,"date":"2026-06-29T16:35:49","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:35:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drsoniafawad.com\/?p=2951"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:35:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:35:49","slug":"the-nova-classification-a-pathway-to-select-nutrients-over-calories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drsoniafawad.com\/?p=2951","title":{"rendered":"The NOVA classification: A pathway to select nutrients over calories"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"ArticleContent\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/columns\/lewiss-on-lifestyle-medicine\" class=\"column-collection-label\" data-module-track-action=\"Navigates to collection from header_Click_Columns - Articles &amp; Collections Columns Article Page\" data-module-track-label=\"Navigates to collection from header_Columns - Articles &amp; Collections Columns Article Page\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"column-collection-label__flag\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m4.healio.com\/~\/media\/images\/columns\/columns-icon.svg\" alt=\"Column label\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/> Column<\/div>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"column-collection-label__title\">Lewiss on Lifestyle Medicine<\/h3>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"article__below-title\" data-module-track-category=\"Columns - Articles &amp; Collections\">\n<div class=\"mobile-trust-box\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-6 offset-md-1 offset-xl-0 col-xl-12\">\n<div class=\"email-alert-button-wrapper d-none\" data-component=\"EmailTopicAlert\" data-module=\"Subspecialty Email Topic Alerts Top\" data-manage-email-link=\"\/footer\/account-information\/my-account\/email-subscriptions-and-alerts#emailAlerts\">\n  <hidden data-setting-item=\"d265901d-6d37-49c7-a8f6-c7bf19a02509\"\/><br \/>\n  <hidden data-crm-source=\"Subspecialty Topic Alert\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"email-alert-button d-none\" data-topic-button=\"not-subscribed\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n      <span data-module-track-action=\"Email Alerts TOP_Click_Healio News Article\" data-module-track-label=\"Email Alerts TOP_Healio News Article\">&#13;<br \/>\n        <i class=\"fas fa-plus-circle\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n        Add topic to email alerts&#13;<br \/>\n      <\/span>&#13;\n    <\/p>\n<div class=\"email-alert-inner collapse u2eba6a2d22ba483581a68d12a6383e37\">\n<div class=\"email-alert-dialogue\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n          Receive an email when new articles are posted on <span data-content=\"topic-title\"\/>&#13;\n        <\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none\" data-sign-up-type=\"unknown\">\n          Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on <span data-content=\"topic-title\"\/>.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <button type=\"button\" class=\"btn btn-primary\" data-loading-text=\"Loading &lt;i class=\" fa=\"\" fa-spinner=\"\" fa-spin=\"\">&#8220;&#13;<br \/>\n              data-action=&#8221;subscribe&#8221;&gt;&#13;<br \/>\n        Subscribe&#13;<br \/>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-none\" data-topic-modal=\"failed\">    <strong>We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/20260629\/mailto:customerservice@slackinc.com\">customerservice@slackinc.com<\/a>.<\/strong>  <\/p>\n<p><button data-dismiss=\"modal\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg btn-block\">Back to Healio<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/columns\/lewiss-on-lifestyle-medicine\" class=\"card more-from-column-card d-lg-none\" data-module-track-category=\"Columns - Articles &amp; Collections\" data-module-track-action=\"Navigates to collection from top collection component_Click_Columns - Articles &amp; Collections Columns Article Page\" data-module-track-label=\"Navigates to collection from top collection component_Columns - Articles &amp; Collections Columns Article Page (All devices) \">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"card-body\">\n<div class=\"column-collection-label__flag\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m4.healio.com\/~\/media\/images\/columns\/columns-icon.svg\" alt=\"Column label\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/> More from Column\n    <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"column-title\">Lewiss on Lifestyle Medicine<\/h3>\n<p>    <button class=\"btn btn-link\">View all <i class=\"fal fa-angle-right\"\/><\/button>\n  <\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways:<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The NOVA classification system categorizes foods based on the nature, extent and purpose of industrial processing.<\/li>\n<li>NOVA provides a pathway to select nutrient-rich over calorie-rich food and drink.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A pillar of lifestyle medicine is \u201cfood as medicine.\u201d This is a health-focused behavioral approach encouraging patients to follow a whole food, minimally processed and predominantly plant-based pattern.<\/p>\n<p>This supports the concept of food serving as a means of preventing, treating and reversing noncommunicable diseases.<\/p>\n<p>A minimally processed diet tends to have higher nutrient content and lower calorie content. In contrast, a diet comprised of mostly industrially processed or ultraprocessed foods tends to have a higher calorie content and lower nutrient content due to emulsifiers, artificial colors, flavorings and other sugar and salt equivalents.<\/p>\n<p>The four-category NOVA classification system is a recognized taxonomy for the extent to which food is industrially processed. First described in 2010 with an update published in 2018, the classification system was developed to categorize foods based on the nature, extent and purpose of their industrial processing, rather than just nutrient content. NOVA is not an acronym. The name is derived from the original Portuguese paper titled <i>\u201c<\/i><i>Uma nova <\/i><i>classifica\u00e7\u00e3o<\/i><i> de <\/i><i>alimentos<\/i><i>.<\/i><i>\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p>\u201cNova\u201d in Portuguese means \u201cnew.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although more research is needed before incorporating the classification system into <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/20220609\/the-debate-over-ultraprocessed-foods-should-they-be-incorporated-in-dietary-guidelines\" id=\"rId9\" target=\"_blank\">evidence-based dietary guidelines<\/a>, this grouping system truly supports a way to think about selecting food and drink that is more natural in form.<\/p>\n<p>If you are not sure if a food or beverage is ultraprocessed, ask yourself, \u201cDo I have the ingredients and cooking tools in my home kitchen to make this?\u201d If you do not, then it\u2019s probably ultraprocessed.<\/p>\n<p>Lifestyle medicine physicians, public health professionals, epidemiologists and nutritionists use the NOVA classification to help think about nutrient-rich over calorie-rich food and drink. We care about ultraprocessed foods because of the science associating them with higher rates of noncommunicable disease such as diabetes, obesity, CVD and depression. The categories of NOVA move chronologically from more whole food and minimally processed to less whole food and more ultraprocessed:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Group 1 food and drink include unprocessed or minimally processed foods. No other food substances are added. Certain processing and basic techniques such as freezing, boiling or grinding occur. The items retain their natural structure. Examples are fruits, vegetables and milled grains.<\/li>\n<li>Group 2 consists of ingredients derived from Group 1 foods. They are used to cook or season meals. Examples are oils and spices.<\/li>\n<li>Group 3 includes processed foods that are made by combining Group 1 and 2 items. They typically contain a few added ingredients; examples include canned vegetables with salt, cheese and natural peanut butter.<\/li>\n<li>Group 4 consists of ultraprocessed foods \u2014 industrial formulations made with little or no whole food. They are generally characterized by convenience, long shelf-life, affordability and hyperpalatability. Examples include soda, packaged cakes and cookies, and margarine.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This chart illustrates examples of food with increasing levels of processing and the associated NOVA category.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image-enlarge\">    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/20260629\/javascript:;\" class=\"enlarge-link\" data-fancybox-trigger=\"image1\" data-notrack=\"1\" data-fancybox-index=\"0\">        Enlarge\u00a0<em class=\"far fa-expand-arrows\"\/>    <\/a>            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/~\/media\/slack-news\/fm_im\/misc\/infographics\/2026\/06_june\/pc0626lewiss_graphic_01_web.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"PC0626Lewiss_Graphic_01_WEB\" style=\" height:1200px; width:1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/~\/media\/slack-news\/fm_im\/misc\/infographics\/2026\/06_june\/pc0626lewiss_graphic_01_web.jpg?h=1200&amp;w=1200\"\/><\/a>        <\/figure>\n<p>Adopt a mindset where you think intentionally about what you consume. The more you do this, the easier it is to <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/20251126\/3-winter-holiday-food-and-beverage-swaps-that-keep-the-focus-on-metabolic-health\" id=\"rId10\" target=\"_blank\">identify opportunities to make swaps<\/a> for less processed versions.<\/p>\n<p>Think about one swap you can make today to move to the more nutrient-rich end of the food you eat and drink you drink.<\/p>\n<h2>For more information:<\/h2>\n<p>      <b>Resa E. Lewiss, MD<\/b><b>,<\/b><b> <\/b><b>DipABLM<\/b><b>,<\/b> is a lifestyle medicine and emergency medicine physician. She is an adjunct professor of emergency medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She produces and hosts <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thevisiblevoicespodcast.com\/\" id=\"rId11\" target=\"_blank\">The Visible Voices Podcast<\/a> and is the co-author of the leadership book <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resalewiss.com\/microskills-the-book\" id=\"rId12\" target=\"_blank\"><i>MicroSkills<\/i><i>: Small Actions, Big Impact<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i> She can be reached via her website <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.resalewiss.com\/\" id=\"rId13\" target=\"_blank\">resaelewissmd.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/columns\/lewiss-on-lifestyle-medicine\" class=\"card more-from-column-card\" data-module-track-category=\"Columns - Articles &amp; Collections\" data-module-track-action=\"Views collection from bottom collection component_Click_Columns - Articles &amp; Collections Columns Article Page\" data-module-track-label=\"Views collection from bottom collection component_Columns - Articles &amp; Collections Columns Article Page\">&#13;<\/p>\n<div class=\"card-body\">\n<div class=\"column-collection-label__flag\">\n      <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m4.healio.com\/~\/media\/images\/columns\/columns-icon.svg\" alt=\"Columns icon\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/> More from Column\n    <\/div>\n<h3 class=\"column-title\">Lewiss on Lifestyle Medicine<\/h3>\n<p>    <button class=\"btn btn-link\">View all <i class=\"fal fa-angle-right\"\/><\/button>\n  <\/div>\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n<\/a>&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"article__content--footer\">\n<div class=\"sources-references-disclosures\">\n<h3>Sources\/Disclosures<\/h3>\n<h2> Source: <\/h2>\n<p class=\"citation\">Expert Submission<\/p>\n<h2>References:<\/h2>\n<div class=\"disclosures\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n        <strong> Disclosures: <\/strong>&#13;<br \/>\n        Lewiss reports no relevant financial disclosures.&#13;\n      <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Healio AI Widget --><\/p>\n<div class=\"healio-ai-component-inline\" data-no-ads=\"true\" data-module-track-category=\"Healio AI\" data-module-track-action=\"Click\" data-module-track-label=\"Access Healio Ai from component - News_AI Component - In-Content (all devices)\">\n<div class=\"healio-ai-content\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/m3.healio.com\/~\/media\/images\/healio-ai\/healio-ai_logo.svg\" alt=\"Healio AI\" class=\"healio-ai-logo\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Ask a clinical question<\/strong> and tap into <strong>Healio AI&#8217;s knowledge<\/strong> base.<\/p>\n<ul>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>PubMed, enrolling\/recruiting trials, guidelines<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news<\/li>\n<p>&#13;<\/p>\n<li>Healio&#8217;s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data<\/li>\n<p>&#13;\n    <\/ul>\n<p>    <button class=\"healio-ai-button\" onclick=\"window.location.href=\" https:=\"\">Learn more<\/button>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"email-alert-button-wrapper d-none\" data-component=\"EmailTopicAlert\" data-module=\"Subspecialty Email Topic Alerts Top\" data-manage-email-link=\"\/footer\/account-information\/my-account\/email-subscriptions-and-alerts#emailAlerts\">\n  <hidden data-setting-item=\"d265901d-6d37-49c7-a8f6-c7bf19a02509\"\/><br \/>\n  <hidden data-crm-source=\"Subspecialty Topic Alert\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"email-alert-button d-none\" data-topic-button=\"not-subscribed\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n      <span data-module-track-action=\"Email Alerts TOP_Click_Healio News Article\" data-module-track-label=\"Email Alerts TOP_Healio News Article\">&#13;<br \/>\n        <i class=\"fas fa-plus-circle\"\/>&#13;<br \/>\n        Add topic to email alerts&#13;<br \/>\n      <\/span>&#13;\n    <\/p>\n<div class=\"email-alert-inner collapse u2eba6a2d22ba483581a68d12a6383e37\">\n<div class=\"email-alert-dialogue\">\n<p>&#13;<br \/>\n          Receive an email when new articles are posted on <span data-content=\"topic-title\"\/>&#13;\n        <\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none\" data-sign-up-type=\"unknown\">\n          Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on <span data-content=\"topic-title\"\/>.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <button type=\"button\" class=\"btn btn-primary\" data-loading-text=\"Loading &lt;i class=\" fa=\"\" fa-spinner=\"\" fa-spin=\"\">&#8220;&#13;<br \/>\n              data-action=&#8221;subscribe&#8221;&gt;&#13;<br \/>\n        Subscribe&#13;<br \/>\n      <\/button>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"d-none\" data-topic-modal=\"failed\">    <strong>We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/20260629\/mailto:customerservice@slackinc.com\">customerservice@slackinc.com<\/a>.<\/strong>  <\/p>\n<p><button data-dismiss=\"modal\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-lg btn-block\">Back to Healio<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healio.com\/news\/primary-care\/20260629\/the-nova-classification-a-pathway-to-select-nutrients-over-calories\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#13; Column &#13; Lewiss on Lifestyle Medicine &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; Add topic to email alerts&#13; &#13; &#13; Receive an email when new articles are posted on &#13; Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . &#8220;&#13; data-action=&#8221;subscribe&#8221;&gt;&#13; Subscribe&#13; We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. Back to Healio &#13; More from Column Lewiss on Lifestyle Medicine View all &#13; Key takeaways: The NOVA classification system categorizes foods based on the nature, extent and purpose of industrial processing. NOVA provides a pathway to select nutrient-rich over calorie-rich food and drink. A pillar of lifestyle medicine is \u201cfood as medicine.\u201d This is a health-focused behavioral approach encouraging patients to follow a whole food, minimally processed and predominantly plant-based pattern. This supports the concept of food serving as a means of preventing, treating and reversing noncommunicable diseases. A minimally processed diet tends to have higher nutrient content and lower calorie content. In contrast, a diet comprised of mostly industrially processed or ultraprocessed foods tends to have a higher calorie content and lower nutrient content due to emulsifiers, artificial colors, flavorings and other sugar and salt equivalents. The four-category NOVA classification system is a recognized taxonomy for the extent to which food is industrially processed. First described in 2010 with an update published in 2018, the classification system was developed to categorize foods based on the nature, extent and purpose of their industrial processing, rather than just nutrient content. NOVA is not an acronym. The name is derived from the original Portuguese paper titled \u201cUma nova classifica\u00e7\u00e3o de alimentos.\u201d \u201cNova\u201d in Portuguese means \u201cnew.\u201d Although more research is needed before incorporating the classification system into evidence-based dietary guidelines, this grouping system truly supports a way to think about selecting food and drink that is more natural in form. If you are not sure if a food or beverage is ultraprocessed, ask yourself, \u201cDo I have the ingredients and cooking tools in my home kitchen to make this?\u201d If you do not, then it\u2019s probably ultraprocessed. Lifestyle medicine physicians, public health professionals, epidemiologists and nutritionists use the NOVA classification to help think about nutrient-rich over calorie-rich food and drink. We care about ultraprocessed foods because of the science associating them with higher rates of noncommunicable disease such as diabetes, obesity, CVD and depression. The categories of NOVA move chronologically from more whole food and minimally processed to less whole food and more ultraprocessed: Group 1 food and drink include unprocessed or minimally processed foods. No other food substances are added. Certain processing and basic techniques such as freezing, boiling or grinding occur. The items retain their natural structure. Examples are fruits, vegetables and milled grains. Group 2 consists of ingredients derived from Group 1 foods. They are used to cook or season meals. Examples are oils and spices. Group 3 includes processed foods that are made by combining Group 1 and 2 items. They typically contain a few added ingredients; examples include canned vegetables with salt, cheese and natural peanut butter. Group 4 consists of ultraprocessed foods \u2014 industrial formulations made with little or no whole food. They are generally characterized by convenience, long shelf-life, affordability and hyperpalatability. Examples include soda, packaged cakes and cookies, and margarine. This chart illustrates examples of food with increasing levels of processing and the associated NOVA category. Enlarge\u00a0 Adopt a mindset where you think intentionally about what you consume. The more you do this, the easier it is to identify opportunities to make swaps for less processed versions. Think about one swap you can make today to move to the more nutrient-rich end of the food you eat and drink you drink. For more information: Resa E. Lewiss, MD, DipABLM, is a lifestyle medicine and emergency medicine physician. She is an adjunct professor of emergency medicine at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. She produces and hosts The Visible Voices Podcast and is the co-author of the leadership book MicroSkills: Small Actions, Big Impact. She can be reached via her website resaelewissmd.com. &#13; More from Column Lewiss on Lifestyle Medicine View all &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; &#13; Sources\/Disclosures Source: Expert Submission References: &#13; Disclosures: &#13; Lewiss reports no relevant financial disclosures.&#13; Ask a clinical question and tap into Healio AI&#8217;s knowledge base. &#13; PubMed, enrolling\/recruiting trials, guidelines &#13; Clinical Guidance, Healio CME, FDA news &#13; Healio&#8217;s exclusive daily news coverage of clinical data &#13; Learn more &#13; &#13; &#13; Add topic to email alerts&#13; &#13; &#13; Receive an email when new articles are posted on &#13; Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . &#8220;&#13; data-action=&#8221;subscribe&#8221;&gt;&#13; Subscribe&#13; We were unable to process your request. Please try again later. If you continue to have this issue please contact customerservice@slackinc.com. 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