Proposed Update to Our Nutrition Scoring System (Concise version for developer review) Our current scoring model has several major issues: • Undercounts vegetables (excludes greens powders, potatoes, peas, corn). • Over-penalizes red meat (immediate score drop). • Does not adjust to user goals or activity level. • Relies on daily scoring instead of weekly trends. • Uses punitive logic that discourages consistency. Below is the proposed replacement — simpler, more accurate, and more supportive for real human behavior. ⸻ Weekly-Based Scoring (Core Fix) Nutrition should be evaluated as patterns, not individual days. Final Weekly Score = 60% Quality Score + 40% Macro Alignment ⸻ Quality Score (A-AQS) Daily points averaged over the week. Positive Points • Vegetables: +1.5 • Greens powders: +1.5 • Dark leafy greens: +0.5 bonus • Fruit: +1 • Whole grains/complex carbs: +1 • Starchy veggies (potatoes, peas, corn): +1.5 • Lean protein/fish: +1.5 • Legumes: +1 • Healthy fats: +0.5 • “Small Wins” bonus: +1 for 3+ categories/day These solve our current undercounting issues. Negative Points (Adaptive) Red Meat (Weekly): 0–3 servings → 0 4–5 → −0.5 6+ → −1 Processed / High-Sugar Foods: Deficit: −1.5 Maintenance: −1 Surplus/Active: −0.5 Highly Active: subtract an additional 0.5 Sodium: Sedentary >2300mg: −1 Moderate >3000mg: −0.5 Highly active: no penalty This removes one-size-fits-all punishment. ⸻ Goal-Weighted Macros (GWMS) Users set Primary, Secondary, Tertiary priorities. Points: • Primary met: +3 • Secondary: +1.5 • Tertiary: +0.5 Activity-adjusted adherence windows: • Low: ±5% • Moderate: ±7% • High: ±10–12% ⸻ Tier System • Bronze: 4+ nutrient servings + partial macro alignment • Silver: 6+ servings + 2 macro goals • Gold: 8+ servings + all macro goals Focus is on progress, not perfection. ⸻ Developer Implementation (Simplified) Inputs: User goal, activity level, daily macro intake, macro targets, food categories, sodium, processed count, weekly red meat count. Daily A-AQS: sum(positive) − sum(adjusted negatives) Weekly Red Meat Penalty: apply once at week end. GWMS: Check goals → assign points based on priority + activity-adjusted windows. Weekly Score: weekly = (avg A-AQS × 0.6) + (avg GWMS × 0.4) Tier Assignment: Gold/Silver/Bronze based on unified thresholds. ⸻ User Messaging Tone (Short Version) Replace punitive language with supportive framing: • “Let’s look at your weekly trend” • “This choice still contributes to your goal” • “Training days may increase your needs” This prevents shame cycles and increases long-term adherence. ⸻ Summary This model fixes the flaws in the current scoring by: • Counting all legitimate nutrient sources • Removing harsh or arbitrary penalties • Adapting scoring to personal goals + activity level • Using weekly averages to support consistency • Providing clear logic for developers to implement It’s simple, accurate, sustainable, and aligned with the behavioral patterns nutritionists want to encourage.
