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Short answer
The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) is a scoring metric for overall diet quality that measures how closely a set of foods aligns with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. NCI and USDA list HEI-2020 as the current version: 13 components, 100 points, scored per 1,000 kcal for most components so that it reflects quality independent of quantity.
Definition and scope
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) describes the HEI as a measure of diet quality, independent of quantity, and of alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) describes it as a measure of conformance to federal dietary guidance that can be applied to any defined set of foods, such as dietary intake data, a menu or a market basket. NCI and USDA CNPP have updated the index together since 2005. The DGA are issued jointly by USDA and HHS every five years; the 2025-2030 edition is the tenth.
USDA uses the HEI mainly to monitor the diet quality of the US population, and also to study diet-health outcomes, diet cost and quality, and the effectiveness of nutrition programs. Because it scores a defined set of foods rather than a person’s health, it is a research and surveillance measure, not individual medical advice.
Current versions listed by NCI are HEI-2020 (ages 2 and older) and HEI-Toddlers-2020 (12 through 23 months). HEI-2020 uses the same components and scoring standards as HEI-2015, so scores from the two versions are built on the same 13 components.
The 13 components and standards (HEI-2020)
HEI-2020 has 9 adequacy components (60 points; higher intake scores higher) and 4 moderation components (40 points; lower intake scores higher). Intakes between the minimum and maximum standards are scored proportionately. The table reproduces the standards published by NCI.
| Component | Type | Max points | Maximum-score standard | Zero-score standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Fruits | Adequacy | 5 | ≥ 0.8 cup eq. per 1,000 kcal | No intake |
| Whole Fruits | Adequacy | 5 | ≥ 0.4 cup eq. per 1,000 kcal | No intake |
| Total Vegetables | Adequacy | 5 | ≥ 1.1 cup eq. per 1,000 kcal | No intake |
| Greens and Beans | Adequacy | 5 | ≥ 0.2 cup eq. per 1,000 kcal | No intake |
| Whole Grains | Adequacy | 10 | ≥ 1.5 oz eq. per 1,000 kcal | No intake |
| Dairy | Adequacy | 10 | ≥ 1.3 cup eq. per 1,000 kcal | No intake |
| Total Protein Foods | Adequacy | 5 | ≥ 2.5 oz eq. per 1,000 kcal | No intake |
| Seafood and Plant Proteins | Adequacy | 5 | ≥ 0.8 oz eq. per 1,000 kcal | No intake |
| Fatty Acids | Adequacy | 10 | (PUFA + MUFA) / SFA ratio ≥ 2.5 | Ratio ≤ 1.2 |
| Refined Grains | Moderation | 10 | ≤ 1.8 oz eq. per 1,000 kcal | ≥ 4.3 oz eq. per 1,000 kcal |
| Sodium | Moderation | 10 | ≤ 1.1 g per 1,000 kcal | ≥ 2.0 g per 1,000 kcal |
| Added Sugars | Moderation | 10 | ≤ 6.5% of energy | ≥ 26% of energy |
| Saturated Fats | Moderation | 10 | ≤ 8% of energy | ≥ 16% of energy |
The “per 1,000 kcal” density approach is why the index is described as independent of quantity: a person eating little and a person eating a lot can earn the same score if the composition of what they eat is the same.
Worked arithmetic from the published standards
The following is arithmetic on the published standards, not a person’s data. Sodium is a moderation component worth 10 points, with a maximum-score standard of 1.1 g per 1,000 kcal and a zero-score standard of 2.0 g per 1,000 kcal. A hypothetical density of 1.55 g per 1,000 kcal sits exactly halfway between the two standards, so proportional scoring gives 5 of 10 points. The same logic applies to Added Sugars: a hypothetical 16.25% of energy is halfway between 6.5% and 26%, which also gives 5 of 10 points.
How scores are calculated
NCI documents four scoring methods: Mean Ratio, Population Ratio, Bivariate and Multivariate MCMC. The Population Ratio Method has four steps:
- Sum the constituent foods or nutrients for each component (for example, Greens and Beans is dark green vegetables plus legumes).
- Compute the mean across individuals, using all available 24-hour recalls.
- Construct the ratios: per 1,000 kcal for the food components; (MUFA + PUFA) / SFA for fatty acids; for saturated fat, grams × 9 converted to kilocalories and divided by total energy; for added sugars, teaspoons × 16 converted to kilocalories and divided by total energy.
- Score each ratio against the standards above and sum the component scores.
Choosing a scoring method
NCI’s “Choosing a Method” guidance groups the four methods by research goal: describing dietary intake, examining the association between diet and another variable, and evaluating the effect of an intervention. Name the method you used in your methods section, since the choice is part of how a score is defined.
Where it matters for research
For dietary-assessment and nutritional-epidemiology work, the HEI gives a single, DGA-anchored outcome or exposure variable with defined component standards. That makes it a measurement choice as much as a nutrition one: the scoring standards, version and method determine what a score can validly be compared with. See our guides on nutrition science, nutritional analysis laboratories, floor and ceiling effects (relevant to bounded 0 to 100 scores) and public health, or browse the research methods hub.
Common misunderstandings
- It measures quality, not quantity. Most components are expressed per 1,000 kcal, so total intake does not drive the score.
- HEI-2020 is not a different component set from HEI-2015. NCI states it uses the same components and standards.
- A score is not individual medical advice. It is a metric of conformance to federal dietary guidance for a defined set of foods.
- A higher score is not a clinical diagnosis. Interpretation depends on the population, the dietary data and the scoring method.
FAQ
How do I calculate the Healthy Eating Index?
Convert intake to the 13 components, express them as densities or ratios, score each against the standards in the table, and sum to a 100-point total. NCI publishes the Population Ratio steps above and three other methods.
What is a Healthy Eating Index chart or scoring table?
The component table above is the HEI-2020 scoring chart: maximum points and the maximum-score and zero-score standards for each component, as published by NCI.
Is there a Healthy Eating Index 2025?
NCI lists HEI-2020 as the current version for ages 2 and older, with HEI-Toddlers-2020 for 12 through 23 months. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are the tenth edition.
What is the difference between HEI-2015 and HEI-2020?
HEI-2020 uses the same components and standards as HEI-2015 according to NCI, and adds a separate toddler version.
Sources
- National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. Healthy Eating Index overview, checked 2026-11-07.
- NCI. HEI-2020 components and standards, checked 2026-11-07.
- NCI. Population Ratio Method, checked 2026-11-07.
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. The Healthy Eating Index, checked 2026-11-07.
