Table 1 Food groupings used in the dietary pattern analyses

Vegetables

Cauliflower, lettuce, cucumber, onion, green bean, mushroom, pepper, garlic, turnip, eggplant, others

Fresh fruits

Melon, watermelon, honeydew melon, plums, prunes, apples, cherries, sour cherries, peaches, nectarine, pear, fig, date, grapes, kiwi, pomegranate, strawberry, banana, persimmon, berry, pineapple, oranges, others

Dried fruits

Dried apricots, Dried berries, raisins, and other type dried fruits

Dairy

Milk, yogurt, yogurt drink (doogh), cheese, chocolate milk, crud (Kashk), pizza cheese

Tomato

Tomato

Carotene-rich vegetables

Yellow squash, carrot

Condiments

Condiments

Pickles

Pickles

Legumes

All type beans, peas, lentils, mung bean, soy

Whole grain

Dark bread (Iranian), wheat, barley

Starchy vegetables

Corn, green peas, green squash

Vegetable oil

Vegetable oil

Natural juices

All fruit juices

Butter

Butter, margarine, mayonnaise

Olive

Olive and olive oil

Organ meat

Heart, kidney, liver, tongue, brain, offal

Red meat

Beef, lamb, minced meat

Fish

All fish types

Processed meat

Hamburger, sausage, delicatessen meat, meat pizza

Soft drink

Soft drink, Sugar sweetened beverage

Nuts

Almond, peanut, walnut, pistachio, hazelnut, seeds

Egg

Egg

Poultry

Chicken

Snack

Corn puffs, potato chips, French fries

Sweets and desserts

Cookies, cakes, biscuit, muffins, pies, chocolates, ice- cream, honey, jam, sugar cubes, sugar, candies, others

Tea and coffee

Tea and coffee

Hydrogenated fat

Hydrogenated fats, animal fats

Salt

Salt

Potato

Potato

Refined grain

White breads (lavash, baguettes), noodles, pasta, rice