Shifa Score — Food Quality Calculator
Enter any food and portion size to get its Shifa Score — a single number for food quality. Lower is healthier.
Quick Answer
The Shifa Score = (Calories × Glycemic Index) ÷ (Protein × Fiber). Lower is healthier. Excellent is below 300 (e.g. lentil soup ~172). Avoid is above 5,000 (e.g. jalebi >10,000).
What Is the Shifa Score?
The Shifa Score is a food quality index that distils four key nutritional variables into a single number. The formula is: Score = (Calories × Glycemic Index) ÷ (Protein × Fiber). Lower is healthier.
The numerator captures what you want to minimise — calorie density and blood sugar impact. The denominator captures what you want to maximise — protein and fibre content. The formula automatically rewards foods that are filling, nutritious, and gentle on blood sugar, and penalises foods that are calorie-dense and nutritionally empty.
Understanding the Score Tiers
- Excellent (≤300): Nutrient-dense whole foods — lentil soup (~172), hummus (~177), edamame (~171), broccoli, chicken breast
- Good (301–800): Solid everyday choices — most vegetables, lean proteins, high-fibre grains
- Moderate (801–2,000): Brown rice (~1,800), upma (~1,700) — fine as part of a varied diet
- Poor (2,001–5,000): High-GI, low fibre, calorie-dense foods
- Avoid (>5,000): Jalebi (>10,000), honeycomb (~39,680), pure sugar products
How to Use the Shifa Score Practically
The most useful application is comparison within a food category — white rice vs brown rice, regular bread vs high-fibre bread, cornflakes vs oats. Within a category, the formula reveals which choice delivers more nutritional value per calorie. Use the Full Meal tab to score your entire plate — a moderate-scoring rice dish combined with high-protein lentils and vegetables can produce an excellent aggregate score.
Important Limitation
The Shifa Score does not capture micronutrients, antioxidants, or anti-inflammatory compounds. Use it as one tool among several for assessing food quality, not as the sole arbiter of what to eat.