Beyond the Kibble Ditching Processed Foods in Favor of Nutrient Dense Organic Options
Nutrient Density Explained: What It Is & How To Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods
The term nutrient density has gained quite a bit of popularity recently, so in this post I want to explain to you what it means, how you can apply it to your diet and which foods are most nutrient dense.
Lets start with the formal definition. Nutrient density identifies the proportion of nutrients in foods usually when measured against calories. So in this context, nutrient density means how much of a certain nutrient you get in relation to how many calories the food has. Of course, the more nutrients you get for fewer calories the better.
Lets look at a quick example:
Maybe you need to increase your vitamin E intake. Now you want to evaluate different foods from your diet in regards to vitamin E density.
You see that a slice of white bread will give you about 100 micrograms of vitamin E, which is very little, while still adding 80 calories to your calorie balance.
A slice of whole wheat bread, on the other hand, will give you between 250 and 500 micrograms of vitamin E for roughly the same calories. So obviously, you would choose the whole wheat bread.
You can look at it this way:
By consuming mostly nutrient-dense foods you get lots of nutrients while spending less in terms of calories.
On average, whole unprocessed foods tend to be most nutrient dense, while highly processed foods loaded with sugar tend to be least nutrient dense.
Thats because most food processing strips away fiber while adding sugar and unhealthy fats, which reduces the volume of the food and increases calories while adding little to no nutrients.
Interestingly, the least nutritious food would be alcohol, which is high in calories at 7 calories per gram but has no important nutrients whatsoever.
So the concept does help when you want to set up a healthy diet. Choosing nutrient-dense foods will make your diet healthier and more balanced.
But you have to keep one thing in mind!
The term nutrient dense is meant to be relative and not absolute, so it has to be measured against a specific nutrient.
Simply saying a food is nutrient dense does not mean its always a good addition to your diet, because the term does not say anything about what nutrient the food is dense in.
One example would be fruits, which are packed with vitamins, and fairly low in calories for their size, so they can be regarded as vitamin dense. But fruits have practically no protein, so if your goal is a high protein diet, they will not help, at least not as primary protein sources.
What this means is that even if you understand the term nutrient density, you also need to know what your body actually needs and which nutrients you might be deficient in.
I often see lists of the most nutrient-dense foods posted on the internet. Usually, they contain a lot of vegetables or leafy greens, which of course are extremely healthy, but it might make people believe that you have to consume them to get all your nutrients.
Thats false, of course. There are countless foods you can use to fulfill your nutrient requirements and what food is healthy for you might be totally different from someone else.
Maybe you are a long-term vegan with early signs of a calcium deficiency. In that case, a glass of milk would be a lot healthier for you than for someone who regularly consumes dairy. Because health is such an individual subject, Im not a big fan of these lists that make absolute claims.
So to wrap up this post, nutrient density is generally a helpful concept and will show you which foods provide the most nutrients for the least calories. Be sure you know how to use it though and make sure to not fall for fad diets or oversimplified food lists.
Related
12 Of The Most Nutrient-Dense Foods You Can Eat
Knowing which foods are nutrient-dense can help with meal planning and nutrition strategies. However, its essential to remember that no single food provides all the nutrients you need, and the healthiest choice is a varied diet.
If youre managing your weight, it makes sense to spend your calorie budget wisely by choosing the foods with the highest amount and greatest variety of nutrients.
To start with, youll need to avoid highly processed foods that provide a lot of calories but little nutritional value. Then start thinking about adding some of the following.
Oily fish, such as salmon, is high in omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential nutrients, which means you can only get them from foods. Every cell in your body needs omega-3 fatty acids. They
A 100-gram serving of wild Atlantic salmon contains about
Salmon tastes good and is fairly simple to prepare. It also tends to make you feel full with relatively few calories.
When buying fish, always check it comes from a sustainable source.
summaryFatty fish like salmon provides beneficial fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Sardines are small, oily fish that you can eat whole. They
Like other fatty fish, theyre also high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
summarySmall, oily fish like sardines are usually eaten whole, so you consume the organs, bones, and other nutritious parts. They contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need.
Kale is a green, leafy vegetable thats rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and various bioactive compounds.
It provides vitamins C, A, K, and B6, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and manganese. A one-cup serving has only
summaryKale is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can eat, containing large amounts of vitamins, minerals, and potentially cancer-fighting compounds.
There are many types of seaweed and ways to use it in food. Nori, for instance, is used to wrap sushi.
Seaweed
It is also high in iodine, a mineral your body uses to make thyroid hormones.
The nutrients of seaweed are also available in supplement form.
summarySea vegetables are highly nutritious. They are a good source of iodine, which is essential for optimal thyroid function.
Garlic
While more research is needed, there is
- lowering blood pressure
- reducing total and LDL (bad) cholesterol
- raising HDL (good) cholesterol
A high intake of vegetables from the garlic family has also been linked to a lower risk of gastrointestinal cancer.
summaryGarlic is both tasty and healthy. Its highly nutritious and contains bioactive compounds that have confirmed disease-fighting properties.
How to peel garlic
Clams, oysters, scallops, and mussels are types of shellfish that can be highly nutritious.
Clams are a
As with other fish, be sure to obtain shellfish that are sustainable and safe to eat, as some seafood can contain mercury and other toxins.
summaryShellfish are some of the most nutritious animals found in the sea. Theyre very high in important nutrients like vitamin B12 and zinc.
Potatoes are
A
Potatoes are a high-satiety food, which means they are satisfying and filling. Some
summaryPotatoes contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. They are filling and can provide large amounts of resistant starch.
One function of the liver is to store important nutrients for the rest of your body. As a food, this makes it highly nutritious.
A
- vitamin B12
- vitamin B5, vitamin B6, niacin, and folate
- vitamin B2
- vitamin A
- copper
- iron, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium
- high-quality animal protein
Eating liver once per week is a good way to ensure that you get optimal amounts of these vital nutrients.
summaryLiver is a highly nutritious organ meat containing large amounts of B vitamins as well as other healthy substances.
Many berries are an excellent source of antioxidants.
Blueberries, for instance, contain anthocyanins and other polyphenols. Some
The possible health effects of blueberries include:
improvements in thinking and moodenhancing endothelial function, essential for healthy blood flow, in females with low estrogen and high blood pressureinhibit the growth of cancer cells
However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.
summaryThe nutrients in blueberries may increase the levels of antioxidants in your blood and help protect your brain.
Eggs
Egg yolks contain vitamins, minerals, and various powerful nutrients, including choline. Theyre also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that can
They are also cheap, flavorful, and easy to prepare.
summaryWhole eggs are so nutritious that theyre sometimes called natures multivitamin. Most of the nutrients are in the yolk.
Momordica charantia, also known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, is a cucumber-shaped vegetable with antioxidant properties.
It is commonly grown across parts of Asia, South America, and Africa, and has long
Research suggests the nutrients it contains may:
help manage blood sugar levels in people with diabetes- protect the brain and improve memory in people with Alzheimers disease
have anti-cancer properties
One
- fiber
- calcium
- magnesium
- potassium
- B vitamins
- vitamins K, C, and A
Try it in the following recipes:
How can bitter melon benefit people with diabetes?
Cocoa powder
Some studies have suggested that eating dark chocolate with a
However, the amount of nutrients you can get from eating a reasonable amount of chocolate is unlikely to have significant health benefits.
The
summaryDark chocolate and cocoa are very high in minerals and antioxidants. Eating them regularly may provide various health benefits.
Which food is the most nutrient-dense?
No single food can provide all the nutrients you need, but potatoes are high in nutrients and relatively easy to produce in many places, making them the
Fried potatoes and potato chips, however,
What is the number 1 healthiest food in the world?
It is not possible to identify a single healthiest food, but the healthiest diet will be one that contains a variety of fresh, plant-based foods and provides a range of nutrients.
What are some of the most nutritious foods?
Some of the most nutritious foods you can eat are oily fish, eggs, avocados, potatoes, and green leafy vegetables.
However, no food provides all the nutrients we need, so its essential to have a varied diet that includes plenty of fresh ingredients and is as little processed as possible.
The more processed a food is, the more likely nutrients are to be destroyed or unwanted nutrients such as sugar to be added.
What is one food you can survive on?
It is unlikely a person could survive for long on a single food, but the choice would depend on many factors, such as where you lived, access to cooking facilities, water content (if you didnt have access to water), and the availability of the food.
Dates are high in antioxidants, minerals, and other nutrients. They provide energy and can help sustain life in harsh desert conditions. Some
People have also used potatoes as a survival food, but eating only potatoes would likely have a negative effect on your health.
Nutrient-dense foods are rich in nutrients relative to their calorie content. These include various healthy foods such as whole vegetables, fruits, cocoa, seafood, eggs, and liver.
Adding these foods to your diet can make it healthier.
Typically, however, the best diet will always be one that contains as wide a variety of fresh foods as you can obtain and afford, as no single food can provide all the nutrients your body needs.