Vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals are all examples of nutrients that your body needs. It's important to know that not all foods are created equal and some foods are more nutrient-rich than others. A nutrient-rich diet comprises foods that contain a significant nutritional value for the amount of food eaten. A nutrient-rich diet may promote health and reduce risk for chronic diseases.
Nutrient Density
Nutrient-density is a term that describes that amount of nutrients contained in a food compared to the amount of calories in the food. If a food provides a large amount of nutrients and a relatively small amount of calories, then the food has a high nutrient-density. On the other hand, if a food is high in calories but provides little nutritional value, the nutrient-density is very low.
Nutrient Dense Foods
Examples of foods that are nutrient-dense are fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, seafood, lean meat and poultry, beans and peas, eggs, nuts and seeds. Fruits and vegetables are at the top of the list because they have the largest ratio between nutritional value and calorie content. The foods on this list give you more nutritional "bang for your buck;" for the same amount of calories, your body gets more nutrition than from less nutrient-dense foods.
Nutrient Poor Foods
Foods that are nutrient poor contain a small amount of nutrients compared to the amount of calories in the food. Examples are sugar-sweetened beverages, high-fat dairy products, high-fat meats, refined grains, and fried foods. Consuming large amounts of these foods make it difficult to meet all of your recommended nutrient intakes within the recommended amount of daily calories.
Choices
To eat a more nutrient-rich diet, choose foods with a high nutrient density over those that are nutrient-poor within a food group. Instead of french fries, choose a baked potato. Instead of canned fruit in heavy syrup, choose fresh fruit. Instead of white bread or pasta, choose whole grain. Instead of whole milk, choose 1 percent or skim milk. Instead of fried vegetables, choose freshly steamed or roasted vegetables. Instead of boiling fruits and vegetables, steam, stir-fry, or roast them to preserve the nutrient content. These simple substitutions increase the ratio of nutrients to calories in your diet and will make your diet nutrient-rich.
Member Comments