How do you decide which foods you want to eat? Flavor? Texture? Convenience? Comfort? What about the nutritional value of the foods you eat?
Whenever you chose your foods, be sure to consider the nutrient density of the foods. Nutrient Density refers to the amount of nutrients for the given volume of food.
Nutrient density is defined as a ratio of nutrient content (in grams) to the total energy content (in kilocalories or joules). Nutrient-dense foods have a lot of nutrients, generally with fewer calories. One can compare the nutrient density using the amount of calories in the food.
Foods that are Nutrient Dense:
It has been accepted worldwide that brightly colored fruits and vegetables possess adequate amount of nutrients in them. Whole grain products, like most whole foods, are nutrient dense. Some other nutrient dense foods include dark green vegetables, low-fat meat, fish, and low-fat dairy and even fortified foods.
Why are Nutrient Dense Foods essential?
Eating nutrient dense food ensures getting all the nutrients one needs to be healthy. A nutrient dense food won’t leave you hungry thereby maintaining your weight easily. It gives you concentrated amount of valuable nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, essential fatty acids and phytonutrients, to name a few.
All about Nutrient Density
Popular Nutrition Resources
- Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating by Walter M.D. Willett
- Understanding Nutrition by Eleanor Noss Whitney and Sharon Rady Rolfes
- The New Optimum Nutrition Bible by Patrick Holford
- Nutrition For Dummies (Nutrition for Dummies) by Carol Ann Rinzler
- Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies by Frances Sizer and Ellie Whitney
- Staying Healthy With Nutrition, 21st Century Edition: The Complete Guide to Diet & Nutritional Medicine by Elson M. Haas and Buck Levin
- Nutrition: An Applied Approach, MyPyramid Edition (MyNutritionLab Series) by Janice Thompson and Melinda Manore
- American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide by Roberta Larson Duyff and ADA (American Dietetic Association)
- Contemporary Nutrition, Updated Sixth Edition by Gordon M. Wardlaw and Anne M Smith
- Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes by Monique Ryan