Nutrition score explained: not just calories

The calorie problem

Calories measure energy. That's it. They tell you how much fuel you consumed, but nothing about the quality of that fuel.

Consider two days of eating, both totaling 1,800 calories:

Same calories. Completely different nutrition. A calorie counter treats these two days identically. haul doesn't. Curious how other apps handle this? See our comparison of calorie tracking apps.

What is a nutrition score?

Your haul nutrition score is a single number from 0 to 100 that reflects the overall quality of your diet. It's calculated from five categories, each contributing to the final score.

1. Produce (weight: high)

How many servings of fruits and vegetables you're consuming, and how varied they are. Eating spinach every day is good. Eating spinach, broccoli, carrots, berries, and bell peppers is better.

This category rewards both volume and variety. A produce score of 90+ means you're getting a wide range of plant-based nutrients.

2. Protein (weight: high)

Are you getting enough protein, and from how many different sources? Chicken every day hits your protein macro, but you're missing the unique nutritional profiles of fish, eggs, legumes, and dairy. Read our protein tracking guide for more on how much you really need.

haul rewards protein diversity — not just protein quantity.

3. Micronutrient coverage (weight: high)

This is where haul differs most from traditional trackers. haul monitors 14 essential micronutrients:

Most people hit 8-10 of these on a good day. Common gaps include Vitamin D, Iron, Potassium, and Magnesium. Your micronutrient score reflects how many of these you're consistently covering.

4. Variety (weight: medium)

How many different foods are you eating in a given week? Research consistently links dietary variety to better health outcomes. If you eat the same 5 foods every day, your variety score will be low — even if those 5 foods are all healthy.

5. Processing level (weight: medium)

The ratio of whole foods to processed foods in your diet. Whole foods — fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains — score higher than ultra-processed alternatives. Learn more about NOVA food classification and what it means for your health.

This isn't about demonizing processed food. It's about giving you visibility into the balance.

How the score is calculated

Each of the five categories produces a sub-score from 0 to 100. These are combined using a weighted average:

• Produce, Protein, and Micronutrients are weighted heavily
• Variety and Processing level are weighted moderately

The final score reflects the overall picture. You don't need to score 100 in every category — a balanced 80 across the board is better than a 100 in protein and a 30 in produce.

What the numbers mean

Why a score works

A single number cuts through complexity. You don't need to understand the relationship between Vitamin K and calcium absorption, or why Omega-3s matter for inflammation. You just need to know: "Is my diet good?"

The score gives you that answer immediately. And when you want to dig deeper, the category breakdown and micronutrient detail are always there.

More importantly, the score creates a feedback loop. Buy groceries, scan the receipt, see your score. Over time, you naturally start making better choices — not because you're following a diet plan, but because you have visibility into what you're actually eating.

Getting started

Your first score might be lower than you expect. That's normal — and it's the point. The score isn't a judgment. It's a starting point.

Scan your next grocery receipt and see where you stand. Then watch the number change as you make small adjustments to what you buy.