Best foods for weight loss or gain?

Q. I have been a big fan of ND.com for a long time.   I am wondering, however, why some foods that are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol are marked as only a couple of stars for weight loss, but several stars for weight gain.  For example, take pancakes: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c21Ja.html. They have only 84 calories per 4" diameter pancake, which really isn't so bad.  If you could help me understand this, I would appreciate it. 

A. I'll try to help!  As part of every food and recipe analysis Nutrition Data awards 0 to 5 stars in each of three categories, based on their nutrient density (ND Rating) and their satiating effect (Fullness Factor).

Weight loss: Foods that are both nutritious and filling are considered better choices for weight loss because they keep you feeling satisfied with fewer calories.

Optimum Health: Foods that have more essential nutrients per calorie are considered better choices for optimum health because they maximize your nutrient intake.

Weight Gain: Foods that are nutritious without being overly filling are considered better choices for healthy weight gain because you can eat more high-quality calories without feeling too full.

The star ratings are a sort of short-hand for the information found Nutrition Data's Nutritional Target Map.  Foods that fall in the upper right hand corner of the map get more stars for weight loss. Foods that fall in the lower right hand corner of the map get more stars for weight gain.

A couple of things to keep in mind about the star ratings

First of all, the ratings are completey independent of serving size. They indicate how that food compares to other foods based on a standardized 200-calorie serving.   Also, lower ratings do not necessarily mean that the food should be avoided but that it might be best consumed in moderation. Likewise, high ratings do not guarantee a perfect food but indicate a food that is more likely to be a positive addition to your diet.

So, in the example you've asked about:  Two stars for weight loss simply indicates that there are lots of foods that will be more nutritious and/or more filling for the same number of calories as pancakes.  Three stars for weight gain suggests that compared with equally nutrious foods, pancakes do a relatively good job of providing calories. Two and a half stars for optimum health suggests that pancakes are middle of the pack for nutrition: there are foods that provide more nutrition per calories but about an equal number of foods that have less nutrition per calorie.

Does that make more sense?