Nutritious foods contain essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, and vitamin D to support good health. Include these in your diet for maximum benefits!
Some of these foods also contain nutrients to limit, including SFAs, added sugars and sodium (Na). For instance, low-fat chocolate milk and non-fat fruit yoghurt with added sugar do not have a high nutrient density score.
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and nutrients essential to overall health, including dietary fibre, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, iron, folate and folacin. Furthermore, vegetables contain phytochemicals with anti-inflammatory, immune enhancing and neuroprotective properties.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) defines nutrient-dense foods as those which provide vitamins, minerals, and other substances essential to good health with few calories or added sugars; however, an accurate and meaningful definition of “nutrient density” must also be developed and applied consistently across an entire diet.
Foods marketed as nutrient-dense but lacking an energy content label may mislead consumers into eating more and increasing their total energy intake. This is particularly likely when such foods contain shortfall nutrients such as dietary fibre, sodium and SFAs which should be limited or avoided altogether.
Lean Meats and Poultry
Protein-rich foods like lean meats, poultry, beans and fish are highly nutrituous. Many also boast lower saturated fat content while providing important elements like iron and zinc for improved heart health. By choosing lower-fat options when possible, individuals can help their saturated fat consumption stay within recommended guidelines, thus decreasing their risk for heart disease.
In 2005 and 2010 respectively, the Dietary Guidelines Agency granted nutrient density status to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat and non-fat dairy products, meat without skin prepared without adding fats or sugars, nuts & seeds prepared without fats & sugars and legumes; although their respective nutrient profiles vary considerably.
As physiological differences exist between plant and animal sources in regards to absorption of nutrients, including bioavailability is difficult to account for in any nutrient density algorithm and this may reduce its effectiveness when it comes to promoting nutrient-dense foods.
Whole Grains
Whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and oatmeal provide health-promoting fiber, iron, B vitamins and phytochemicals. Furthermore, these foods help maintain an even blood sugar level and decrease heart disease risk by slowing starch breakdown into sugars – all factors essential to good cardiovascular health.
Two meta-analyses found dietary whole grain consumption to be associated with decreased risks of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. While statistically significant heterogeneity was detected across both meta-analyses (and publication bias was identified in one), these results support the concept that whole foods provide benefits greater than their individual components.
When shopping, focus on purchasing foods labeled as whole grains first on the ingredient list (see Food Group Gallery). Many fortified with folic acid also qualify as whole grains.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds offer abundant amounts of nutritious unsaturated fats, protein and fiber for good health. In addition to this they also contain essential minerals, vitamins, carotenoids and phytochemicals which promote wellbeing. Walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds are particularly rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids while sunflower seeds, peanuts and sesame seeds offer vitamin E, magnesium and calcium for overall wellbeing.
Nuts and seeds have been linked with lower risks of cardiovascular disease, cancers, and respiratory diseases. But be mindful when eating nuts and seeds as they contain many calories; raw, unsalted varieties should be preferred over any flavored or coated varieties that might contain allergens that might linger beneath their surfaces. Read labels before purchasing products containing nuts or seeds!
Seafood/Fish
Seafood is an excellent source of protein, calcium and iron as well as various other essential vitamins and nutrients such as Vitamin D & B2, Iodine, Potassium Magnesium Zinc. However, consumption should be done in moderation with sustainable methods used when fishing or farming it being paramount.
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans define vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products, lean meats and poultry eggs beans peas (legumes) nuts and seeds as foods with high nutrient density – yet the definition does not take energy content into account.
Consumers may become confused as they try to understand if poultry skin counts as a nutrient-dense food due to its relatively high levels of MUFAs and PUFAs or by its low caloric density; either approach may prove fruitful.
