Eating nutrient dense foods gives your body a healthy dose of nutrition without a corresponding overdose of calories. Every food group includes a number of healthy, nutrient dense choices and while you can plan meals by selecting these foods from a list, manual calculations provide a way for you to determine how nutritionally dense foods are in relation to your requirements. Nutrition labels on product packaging and/or daily recommended allowance tables are necessary before you can perform these calculations.
Calorie Ratio Calculation
Step 1
Locate calories per serving on the package nutrition label.
Step 2
Select a nutrient -- protein, carbohydrate or fat -- from the package label.
Step 3
Convert grams to calories if you select protein or carbohydrates, as nutrition labels do not give you the calorie count. Multiply each gram of carbohydrates and protein by 4 calories to calculate total calories.
Step 4
Divide nutrient calories by total calories and then multiply the result by 100. For example, assume total calories per serving equal 250. If the food contains 5 g of protein -- or 20 calories -- the calculation is 20 divided by 250 multiplied by 100. This food has a protein density of 8 percent.
Index Calculation
Step 1
Select a nutrient -- protein, carbohydrate or fat -- from the package label.
Step 2
Divide the percentage of the nutrient by your recommended daily allowance for that nutrient. For example, if you are a male age 33 years and want to calculate the nutritional density of an egg, divide its protein content by your RDA -- 13 divided by 0.66 -- to get a nutritional density estimate of 19.7.
Step 3
Compare the number you get against the "Index of Nutritional Quality" to see if the food ranks as a nutritionally dense food. If the food ranks between two and six, it ranks as "good." If you get a number higher than six, however, the food ranks as "excellent." In this case, an egg is an excellent source of protein.
Things You'll Need
- Package nutrition labels
- RDA tables
- Calculator
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Steps to a Healthier Weight
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration: How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label
- Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes: Recommended Intakes for Individuals
- ABC Body Building: Nutrient Density
- American Egg Board: Egg Nutrient label
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