The SmartPoints formula
Calories and saturated fat push the score up; sugar pulls it down a little; protein does not appear at all. The result is rounded and floored at zero, so nothing scores negative. This is the current SmartPoints system, per serving.
What each input does
- Calories. The main driver — about 1 point per 25 calories before the other terms adjust it.
- Saturated fat. Adds points, roughly 1 per 20 g, so fatty foods score higher than their calories alone suggest.
- Sugar. Subtracts a small amount, about 1 point per 50 g, so it rarely offsets a genuinely sweet food.
- Protein. Ignored in the math, and many high-protein foods (eggs, chicken breast, plain yogurt) are zero-point anyway.
Worked examples
| Food (per serving) | Cal | Sat fat | Sugar | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greek yogurt, plain 100 g | 100 | 1 g | 0 g | 4 |
| Oatmeal, 50 g dry | 191 | 0 g | 1 g | 8 |
| Chocolate cookie, 50 g | 250 | 12 g | 25 g | 10 |
Many of these ingredients (plain yogurt, oats) sit on the current zero-point list, which overrides the formula and scores them 0. The list changes a few times a year, so check it before counting.
Common questions
What is the SmartPoints formula?
Points equal calories times 0.04, plus saturated fat in grams times 0.05, minus sugar in grams times 0.02. The result is rounded and can never go below zero. Protein does not raise the number.
Why does sugar lower the points on some foods?
It does not lower them, but sugar and saturated fat push the number in opposite directions in the formula. Sugar adds points while its subtraction term is small, so a sugary food still scores high overall. The design nudges you toward protein and away from sugar and saturated fat.
Is 1 point the same as a fixed number of calories?
No. One SmartPoint works out to roughly 25 to 50 calories depending on the fat and sugar in the food. Two foods with the same calories can score differently, which is the whole point of the system.
