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MDS Help : Dashboard & Mediterranean Diet Score

1. Mediterranean Diet Score The main feature of your Dashboard is the Mediterranean Diet Score.  Our goal is to help you improve your Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) Score by consuming: • more vegetables, • more legumes, • more fruits and nuts, • more whole grains, • better quality oils and fats, • less land animal protein, including meats and dairy, • more seafood, • less dairy and more reduced-fat and fermented dairy, and • alcohol…

MDS Help : Ultraprocessed Score

What Does the Ultraprocessed Score Mean? Your ultraprocessed score is based on research by Dr. Carlos Monteiro and colleagues that separates ingredients and food products into one of 4 categories. This is known as the Nova classification and the most ultraprocessed foods are considered Nova Class 4. Currently the application reports the percentage of Nova Class 4 versus Nova Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 taken as a group. This is to help…

MDS Help : My Recipe Box

There are two sections to the My Recipes page: My Recipes & Saved MDS Recipes. The My Recipes selection will show recipes you have created using the “Add Recipe or Menu Item” feature from this page. The Saved MDS Recipes shows recipes that you have saved from the website. This allows you to save existing recipes from the Web site and use them for your MDS Menus or Custom Menus. My Recipes Clicking Add…

MDS Help : Using the Food Diary

If you are using a menu created by MDS, or perhaps a Custom Menu, your food diary will automatically add the meals on your menu to your daily food diary. This makes it easy to track what you are eating if you are strictly following your plan. That said, sometimes life gets in the way. Here’s how to adjust your food diary to reflect your actual day. Deleting Items Added from Your Menus Perhaps…

MDS Help : Using the Exercise Diary

To add an exercise to your Exercise Diary, select the Exercise Diary link at the top of the page. Your exercise diary will reflect any exercises you have already added, including any you may have imported from your connected fitness devices, such as the Apple Watch or a Fitbit. The two boxes at the top – Steps and Burned Calories – show your totals for that week (note that the image does not show…

MDS Help : Creating MDS Menus

To create your first Med Diet Score menu, begin by selecting Menu from the top navigation. Hover over the Create Menu button in the top right of the page and select “MDS Menu.” You will be prompted to 1. Name your menu, 2. Choose a day to begin your menu (it does NOT need to start on a weekend day!), and 3. How many consecutive days you would like to include in your menu…

MDS Help : Creating Custom Menus

To create a fully-custom menu, first select Menu from the top navigation. Under the “Create Menu” dialogue box at the top right of the page, select “Custom Menu.” Name your menu in the “Menu Name” box and choose a start date sometime in the future. Note that you will not be able to choose a date for which you have already created a menu. Like the MedDietScore menu, you may create a menu for…

MDS Help : Creating Event Menus

Event Menus are intended to help you create a menu and shopping list for a one-time event that may include large numbers of people, such as a lunch at a conference, or a wedding dinner. 1.  To begin creating your Custom Menu, choose Menu from the top navigation. Then from the “Create Menu” dropdown on the right of the page, choose “Event Menu:”   2.  Give your event a name by typing a name…

MDS Help : Premium Features

Unlock these features with a Premium subscription: 1. More than 3 menus at a time 2. More than 20 custom recipes at a time 3. Family menus 4. Interface with wearable devices 5. No ads 1. More than 3 active menus at a time With the free plan you can have 1 active meal plan/menu (“active” meaning it is covering the current date) and 2 saved meal plans/menus OR 3 saved meal plans/menus. With…

MDS Help : Using My Account

Once you have registered and logged in, you can manage your account from the Settings link in the dropdown at the upper right of your screen. From this Account Settings page you can update your personal information: 1. First name 2. Last name 3. Email address (can not be changed) 4. Phone number (NOT required) – be sure to select your country from the dropdown box. 5. Gender 6. Age in years 7. Desired number…

MDS Help for Mobile Users : Dashboard & Mediterranean Diet Score

1. Mediterranean Diet Score The main feature of your Dashboard is the Mediterranean Diet Score. Our goal is to help you improve your Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) Score by consuming: • more vegetables, • more legumes, • more fruits and nuts, • more whole grains, • better quality oils and fats, • less land animal protein, including meats and dairy, • more seafood, • and alcohol in moderation. Find out more about the Mediterranean Diet…

MDS Help for Mobile Users: Ultraprocessed Score

What Does the Ultraprocessed Score Mean? Your ultraprocessed score is based on research by Dr. Carlos Monteiro and colleagues that separates ingredients and food products into one of 4 categories. This is known as the Nova classification and the most ultraprocessed foods are considered Nova Class 4. Currently the application reports the percentage of Nova Class 4 versus Nova Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 taken as a group. This is to help…

MDS Help for Mobile Users : My Recipe Box

There are two sections to the My Recipes page: My Recipes & Saved MDS Recipes. The My Recipes selection will show recipes you have created using the “Add Recipe or Menu Item” feature from this page. The Saved MDS Recipes shows recipes that you have saved from the website. This allows you to save existing recipes from the Web site and use them for your MDS Menus or Custom Menus. My Recipes Clicking Add…

MDS Help for Mobile Users: Creating MDS Menus

To create your first Med Diet Score menu, begin by selecting Menu from the top navigation. Hover over the Create Menu button in the top right of the page and select “MDS Menu.” You will be prompted to 1. Name your menu, 2. Choose a day to begin your menu (it does NOT need to start on a weekend day!), and 3. How many consecutive days you would like to include in your menu…

MDS Help for Mobile Users : Creating Custom Menus

To create a fully-custom menu, first select Menu from the top navigation. Under the “Create Menu” dialogue box at the top right of the page, select “Custom Menu.” Name your menu in the “Menu Name” box and choose a start date sometime in the future. Note that you will not be able to choose a date for which you have already created a menu. Like the MedDietScore menu, you may create a menu for…

MDS Help for Mobile Users : Creating Group Menus

Creating Group Menus The main feature of your Dashboard is the Mediterranean Diet Score. Our goal is to help you improve your Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) Score by consuming: • more vegetables, • more legumes, • more fruits and nuts, • more whole grains, • better quality oils and fats, • less land animal protein, including meats and dairy, • more seafood, • and alcohol in moderation. Find out more about the Mediterranean Diet Score…

MDS Help for Mobile Users: Using the Food Diary

If you are using a menu created by MDS, or perhaps a Custom Menu, your food diary will automatically add the meals on your menu to your daily food diary. This makes it easy to track what you are eating if you are strictly following your plan. That said, sometimes life gets in the way. Here’s how to adjust your food diary to reflect your actual day. Deleting Items Added from Your Menus Perhaps…

MDS Help for Mobile Users: Using the Exercise Diary

To add an exercise to your Exercise Diary, select the Exercise Diary link at the top of the page. Your exercise diary will reflect any exercises you have already added, including any you may have imported from your connected fitness devices, such as the Apple Watch or a Fitbit. The two boxes at the top – Steps and Burned Calories – show your totals for that week (note that the image does not show…

MDS Help for Mobile Users: Creating Event Menus

Event Menus are intended to help you create a menu and shopping list for a one-time event that may include large numbers of people, such as a lunch at a conference, or a wedding dinner. To begin creating your Custom Menu, choose Menu from the top navigation. Then from the “Create Menu” dropdown on the right of the page, choose “Event Menu:” Give your event a name by typing a name in the “Menu…

MDS Help for Mobile Users: Premium Features

Unlock these features with a Premium subscription: 1. More than 3 menus at a time 2. More than 20 custom recipes at a time 3. Family menus 4. Interface with wearable devices 5. No ads More than 3 active menus at a time With the free plan you can have 1 active meal plan/menu (“active” meaning it is covering the current date) and 2 saved meal plans/menus OR 3 saved meal plans/menus. With the…

MDS Help for Mobile Users: Using My Account

Once you have registered and logged in, you can manage your account from the Settings link in the dropdown at the upper right of your screen. From this Account Settings page you can update your personal information: 1. First name 2. Last name 3. Email address (can not be changed) 4. Phone number (NOT required) – be sure to select your country from the dropdown box. 5. Gender 6. Age in years 7. Desired number…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Vegetables

Do you consume more than 3.5 servings per day if you are male or 3.65 servings per day if you are female? A serving is… Yellow squash or zucchini 1 cup sliced Broccoli 1 cup chopped or florets Cauliflower 1 cup chopped or florets Green or wax beans 1 cup cooked Spinach 1 cup cooked Carrots 2 medium or 1 cup baby carrots Sweet potato 1 large baked (2 1⁄4” or more diameter) Score:…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Legumes

Do you consume more than 1/5 servings per day if you are male or 1/6 servings per day if you are female? A serving is… Dry beans and peas 1 cup whole cooked Peanut Butter 1 Tablespoon Tofu 2 ounces Peanuts 1/4 cup Hummus 2 Tablespoons Refried Beans 1/4 cup Score: Give yourself 1 point if you eat more than the recommended servings of legumes (on average) per day. Give yourself 0 points for…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Fruit or Nuts

Do you consume more than 3.5 servings per day if you are male or 3.6 servings per day if you are female? A serving is… • An orange or apple the size of a baseball • Seven 2 1/2 inch strawberries • 1 cup of dried fruit • 12 grapes • 24 almonds • 15 pecan halves • 14 walnut halves • 18 cashews Score: Give yourself 1 point if you eat more than…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Cereals or Grains

Do you consume more than 3.5 servings per day if you are male or 3.7 servings per day if you are female? A serving is… Oatmeal 1/2 cup cooked Popcorn 3 cups popped Brown Rice 1.2 cup cooked Cornbread 2 1/2 inch square piece Whole Wheat Pasta 2 ounces Whole Wheat Bread 1 slice Score: Give yourself 1 point if you eat more than the recommended servings of whole grains (on average) per day.…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Seafood

Do you consume more than 0.6 servings per day if you are male or 0.7 servings per day if you are female? A serving is… about the size of a deck of cards. Score: Give yourself 1 point if you eat more than the recommended servings of seafood (on average) per day. Give yourself 0 points for less than the recommended servings of seafood (on average) per day. Why is this important? Question 7:…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Oils & Fats

Most people think of olive oil when they think of the Mediterranean diet, but it is the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fats that is most important. In most studies the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fat is higher. A ratio of 1.6 to 1, with consumption of higher levels of unsaturated fats, adds a point to the score. The Mediterranean Diet is especially high in monounsaturated fat. Healthy fats include… Olive oil Canola…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Dairy

Do you consume more than 1.4 servings per day if you are male or 1.3 servings per day if you are female? A serving is… Milk 1 cup Yogurt 6 ounces Cottage Cheese 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese 1/2 ounce Kefir 6 ounces Swiss Cheese 1/2 ounce Score: Give yourself 1 point if you eat less than the recommended servings of dairy (on average) per day. Give yourself 0 points for more than the recommended…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Meat

Do you consume more than 4 ounces per day if you are male or 2.8  ounces per day if you are female? A serving is… Most people think that a serving of meat is much larger than it should be. Four ounces of beef, chicken, pork or lamb is about the size of a deck of cards. Take time to look at the package or, better yet, ask the butcher to cut your choices…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Alcohol

Do you drink between 5 and 25 grams of alcohol per day (10 and 50 grams for men)? 25 grams is the equivalent of about one drink: One twelve ounce beer One 5 ounce glass of wine One 1 ounce shot of spirits Score: Give yourself 1 point for between 5 & 25 grams per day (between 10 & 50 grams per day for men). Give yourself 0 points for less than between 5…

Mediterranean Diet Score: Conclusion

Conclusion and Your Score There is no passing or failing grade for this test. The higher your score, the better. A “perfect” Mediterranean style diet would be a score of 9, and if you’re living on snack food and soda, it’s likely your score will be closer to zero. Improving your score can have a dramatic impact on your health. One of the largest Mediterranean diet studies showed that a two point increase in…