Development of a diet quality score and adherence to the Swiss dietary recommendations for vegans

Table 1 The diet aspects and food groups that make up the DQS-V scoring system, labelled as a whole number (11 food groups) with the sub-groups identified with a letter (i.e. a. Green leafy vegetables)

Diet aspects	Food Group	Recommendations	Service size (g)	Scoring Criteria	Scoring
Adequacy and quality	1. Vegetables	3 servings	100–150	< 1 serving 1- < 3 servings ≥ 3 servings	0 2.5 5
	a. Green leafy vegetables	1 serving	100–150	< 1 serving ≥ 1 serving	0 2.5
	b. Vitamin C-rich vegetablesª	1 serving	100–150	< 1 serving ≥ 1 serving	0 2.5
	2. Fruits	2 servings	120	< 1 serving 1- < 2 servings 2 servings	0 2.5 5
	c. Vitamin C-rich fruits	1 serving	120	< 1 serving ≥ 1 serving	0 5
	3. Starchy foods	3 servings	60/100/125/240^b	< 1 serving 1- < 3 servings ≥ 3 servings	0 2.5 5
	d. Wholegrains	1.5 servings	60/100/125/240^b	< 50% ≥ 50%	0 5
	4. Legumes	3 servings	65/160^b	< 1 serving 1- < 3 servings ≥ 3 servings	0 5 10
	5. Nuts & seeds	2 servings	22.5	< 1 serving 1- < 2 servings ≥ 2 servings	0 2.5 5
	e. Selenium-rich nuts	1 serving	22.5	< 1 serving ≥ 1 serving	0 5
	6. Fats & oils	2 servings	10/50^b	< 1 serving 1- < 2 servings ≥ 2 servings	0 2.5 5
	f. Omega-3-rich nuts, seeds & oils	1 serving	22.5/10/50^b	< 1 serving ≥ 1 serving	0 5
	7. Zero caloric drinks	6–8 servings	250	< 2 servings 2- < 6 servings ≥ 6 servings	0 5 10
	8. Calcium-fortified foods	1 serving	200/500^b	< 1 serving ≥ 1 serving	0 5
	9. Iodized salt	> 0 serving	1	0 serving > 0 serving ^c	0 5
Moderation	10. Sweet-, salty-, fried foods & alcohol	Max. 1 serving	50/150/200^b	≤ 1 serving > 1, < 2.5 servings ≥ 2.5 servings	10 5 0
Overall balance	11. Protein ratio (g/kg BW)	≥ 1 g/kg KG^d	–	< 0.8 0.8–1 ≥ 1	0 5 10
	Total Score				100

BW Body Weight
^aNot listed in the recommendation; however, they also contribute to a better non-hem iron absorption like the recommended vitamin C-rich fruits [35]
^bOne serving of a food item was defined in terms of specific portion size, according to the Swiss dietary recommendations [36]
^cIodized salt has most likely been underreported. Therefore, the scoring was adjusted to a maximum score of 5 if they consumed any iodized salt (instead of the recommended 5 servings)
^dReassessment of protein requirement in adult men suggested 0.93 and 1.2 g/kg/day and therefore a higher intake than the current Swiss protein intake recommendation of 0.8 g/kg/day [37]

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