What is Nutrient Density?
Last week’s article used a term that you may or may not have come across before: nutrient density. Here I would like to flesh out what nutrient density is and how the concept can be helpful when it comes to our eating patterns.
Nutrient density is a concept typically used to describe a food that has many healthful nutrients per calorie provided. While there is no clear definition of which foods are nutrient dense versus not, it does provide a nice guideline when thinking about foods to incorporate into a healthy eating pattern.
The opposite of a nutrient dense food is typically referred to as a calorie dense food (although this is not always the case). A calorie dense food is described as a food that has many calories per nutrient provided. While calories are absolutely a necessary and good thing for our bodies (they are the foundation of our growth, development, energy, physical activity, etc.), it is best to get the most “bang for your buck” when it comes to the calories you eat.
For example, you could eat 8 sour gummy worms or 1 large apple. Both options are about 100 calories. And interestingly, both options will provide about 25 grams of carbohydrate. They each provide about 1 gram of protein and 0 grams of fat. So, what’s the difference?
The apple would be considered a nutrient dense food. This is because per 100 calories of apple, it would also provide almost 200 mg of potassium, almost 5 grams of fiber, and about 15% of your daily value of vitamin C. Furthermore, the apple provides numerous antioxidant plant compounds that boast health benefits, such as quercetin. Apples are also hydrating, as they are 86% water!
The sour gummy worms, on the other hand, would be considered a calorie dense food. This is because per 100 calories of sour gummy worms, they provide 0 mg of potassium, 0 grams of fiber, and 0% of your daily value of vitamin C (or any other vitamins and minerals, for that matter!). Furthermore, they will contribute 14 grams of added sugars, which in excess have been linked to poor health outcomes.
Again, while there is no true definition of a nutrient dense food, a good rule of thumb is to focus on foods that provide a good source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants.
Choosing to incorporate nutrient dense foods as the bulk of your eating pattern is necessary in order to achieve an adequate intake of all of the health-promoting nutrients that our bodies require each day. On the other hand, a diet high in calorie dense foods will result in one of two outcomes: 1) excess caloric intake and weight gain, and/or 2) suboptimal nutrient intake and increased health risks.
This is not to say that calorie dense foods have to be avoided completely in order to achieve good health! Rather, this means that nutrient dense foods make up the base of a healthy diet, and other calorie dense foods can be sprinkled in for enjoyment.
Working with a dietitian is a great way to figure out how to incorporate more nutrient dense foods into your eating pattern. If you would like to work with me, schedule a FREE discovery call here.
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