Nutrient Dense Foods

How does a person decide what he chooses to eat? Is it the flavor, texture, convenience, experience, or ingredient of the food? Or does one simply consume any food that comes to mind simply for immediate gratification without any thought given to the possible effects of the food choices made. In most cases, people choose just about any food that tastes good, but most of these end up being bad for the health.

What is Nutrient Density?

Most people do not mind the nutritional value of the food that they eat. Unfortunately, nutrient density should be the utmost important thing to consider when choosing food. The amount of nutrients found in a certain volume of food is what dieticians refer to as “nutrient density”. As it is, food that has more nutrients tend to contain fewer calories, and some of the best examples of nutrient dense foods are those that have been dubbed as “super food”. Those that have been classified as “energy dense”, on the other hand, tend to contain more calories and fewer nutrients.

Taking a quick snack, for example, and choosing between a donut and an apple is the classic scenario of healthy versus unhealthy. Of course, it would seem that the donut is yummier, but the donut actually contains a lot of calories – like, say 200 calories – but does not have a lot of nutrients. While it does contain around one gram of fiber, it also contains a lot of saturated fat and sugar. On the other hand, the apple contains around 80 calories, but is abundant with vitamins, phytochemicals, and fiber. The water and fiber that the apple boasts of will ultimately be more fulfilling, and will keep hunger at bay until dinnertime.

Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and vegetables are often used as examples as the type of food that are heavy in terms of nutrient density. This is why a lot of vegetables and fruits have been classified as “super foods”, because they are naturally rich in nutrients as well as fiber, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals. Some of the most common super foods includes: tomatoes, carrots, kale, berries, apples, oranges, broccoli, spinach, cherries, and pomegranates.

Classifying super foods from junk

There are also other nutrient dense foods that are neither vegetable nor fruit. These super foods fall under other various food groups, yet they are still quite nutritious and healthier for the body. Some of these include trout, salmon, tuna, whole grains, dry beans, soy, low-fat dairy products, and some fortified food.

On the other hand, foods that have been classified as “energy dense” are those that are ultimately low in nutrients. Some classic examples of these low nutrient types of food include sugary concoctions, pasta, processed cheeses and lunch meats, candy, potato chips, white bread, soda, ice cream, pastries, corn chips, and other seemingly delectable goodies. Unfortunately, these are still known as “junk food”. Judging by the classification, these types of food are really not good for the body.

Grabbing the nutrient-dense food at a grocery store is more or less easy as pie if one stays around the edges of the store. This is because most grocery stores situate produce, lean meats, fresh bakery goods, low-fat dairy, and other healthy food around these areas. However, it may be said that super foods are generally more costly than the energy dense ones, but the overall effect these foods have on the body should be reason enough to make them worth the price.