Nutritious foods provide our bodies with more of the necessary components for optimal functioning – vitamins and minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and healthy fats – while offering few empty calories from solid fats, added sugars or sodium.
Try to incorporate more nutrient-rich foods into your daily diet, such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, low-fat and non-fat dairy, as well as oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Fruits
Fruits provide essential nutrition, such as potassium, vitamin C and folate. Whole fruits offer maximum benefit; however fruit juices or frozen fruits can also provide nutritional goodness.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 define nutrient-dense foods as being those rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk products, seafood, lean meats, eggs, beans and nuts (excluding seeds ) prepared without added solid fats, added sugars or sodium (4).
Vegetables
Vegetables are filling and often low-cal foods that offer vitamins, minerals and even antioxidants for increased energy and overall wellness.
Vegetables are an essential source of potassium, folate and vitamins A and C – try including them regularly in your diet!
Beans
Beans are an excellent source of both protein and fiber. Additionally, their disease-fighting phytochemicals may provide protection from various conditions. Unfortunately, however, the presence of lectins and phytates may inhibit your body from absorbing vital minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus and zinc.
Beans provide vitamin C and seven of the eight B vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid biotin and pyridoxine). Furthermore, beans contain high amounts of potassium while providing beneficial gut-friendly oligosaccharides that aid digestion.
Nuts
Nuts provide high-quality vegetarian protein, heart-healthy unsaturated fats and other vital nutrients such as vitamin E, dietary fiber, phytosterols and phenolic compounds – all essential elements for cardiovascular health [1,2]. Epidemiological and intervention studies link nuts consumption with lower risks of coronary heart disease [1-3].
Nuts contain substantial amounts of folate, an essential B vitamin needed to detoxify homocysteine, an amino acid with atherothrombotic properties.[24]
Seeds
Chia seeds, hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals like fiber, protein, healthy fats and vitamins and minerals – plus plant compounds called lignans which have been linked with decreased risks of heart disease, cancer and menopause symptoms.
Seeds provide a rich source of protein, an essential building block in muscle development and maintenance as well as aiding nutrient absorption and improving immunity function.
Meat
Animal meat provides not only protein, but also many other essential nutrients like phosphorus, zinc, iron, B6 and B12 vitamins as well as the form of iron that your body most easily uses – heme iron.
Bring nutrients-rich foods into every meal by creating nutritious smoothies using fruit and nonfat milk or spreading whole grain bagels with low-fat cream cheese. Incorporating fermented food such as sauerkraut or kimchi into your diet for even greater nutritional support.
Fish
Fish is an excellent source of vitamin B12, protein and healthy fats without adding too many extra calories to our diets. Furthermore, DHA and EPA can also be found within fish oil supplements.
The DGA identified food groups that contain high concentrations of essential public health nutrients (calcium, potassium, iron and sodium). This chart provides nutritional data for 3-ounce cooked portions of popular raw seafood products.
Eggs
Once shunned for their cholesterol content, eggs have made a dramatic turnaround and become an indispensable food. Not only are they rich in energy and micronutrients; but eggs also provide powerful eye health protection due to lutein and zeaxanthin antioxidants found within them – helping guard against age related eye health problems related to ageing.
Studies conducted through observation have linked higher egg consumption with reduced risks of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; however, more randomized controlled trials must be completed to confirm these associations.
Milk
Milk and dairy play an essential part in many healthy diets, providing carbohydrates for energy before and after physical activity, along with essential protein, electrolytes, and calcium to support muscle recovery and rehydration.
Choose nutrient-rich foods over those rich in empty calories like cookies, candies and salty snacks. Aim to consume an array of fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts as these are rich sources of vitamins and minerals.
Yogurt
Yogurt (known in Canada as yogourt) is packed with proteins, calcium, vitamins and probiotics – as well as being fortified with vitamin D to support bone health and immunity.
Nutrient-dense foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, lean proteins and healthy fats to support good health and boost energy levels. Nutrit-dense food also tends to be lower in calories than “empty-calorie” items like potato chips!
