Scoring system makes choosing healthy groceries easy

A new scoring system developed by nutritionists is taking the guessing game out of picking healthy food at the grocery store.

The NuVal score can be seen next to an item's price tag in blue lettering. The score ranges between 1-100, 1 being the least healthy and 100 being the most healthy.

"NuVal is a way to make it really easy for the consumer without having to pick up the product to tell how healthy or unhealthy it really is," said nutritionist Lauren Ott.

For instance, a package of raisins has a high NuVal value of 88, compared to Craisins that have a low NuVal score of just 4.

"The second ingredient in these Craisins is sugar," said Ott. "When you look at these raisins they have one ingredient, raisins."

Since honey is pure sugar, it gets a NuVal score of just 1. Campbell's cream of mushroom soup is also on the lower end at 31. Plain Greek yogurt scores high with 94.

The scores were calculated by a panel of nutritionists and medical experts who took into account unhealthy fats, sodium, sugar, calories and carbohydrates.

Researchers said shoppers who only have to look at one number in nutritional value were more likely to make healthier choices even if they had to pay a little bit more.

If you don't see the NuVal score where you shop, download the NuVal app to scan foods yourself.