The Meaning of Nutrient Density
Nutrient density refers to the nutritional quality of any given food. The concentration or denseness of nutrients that a food contains describes the overall quality of that food.
Foods that are very nutrient dense are the most concentrated sources of vitally important nutrients.
These foods support and build super health because they are exceptional sources of all the building blocks necessary for our bodies to function optimally.
In essence, nutrient rich foods are the opposite of empty calories junk foods.
Berries, blackstrap molasses, eggs, fish, gourmet mushrooms, green tea, most nuts, organic meats, sea vegetables, whole grains, and many fruit, and vegetables especially dark leafy greens, all qualify as nutritionally dense foods.
Surprisingly, dark chocolate, microbrew beers, and red wines also qualify as dense sources of important nutrients.
Typically, specific foods are dense for particular nutrients. As an examples, eggs contain large amounts of lecithin, proteins, and vitamins A and are therefore considered to be highly nutrient dense in these nutrients. But it would no be accurate to say that eggs are a dense source of fiber or vitamin C.
Fresh, raw sugar cane (and the molasses that is pressed from it) contain large amounts of minerals, such as calcium, chromium, iron and potassium and can be considered nutrient dense.
Once refined, however and the end products – white cane sugar – contains virtually none of these nutrients and is considered very poor in nutritive value.
Eating with a nutrient- dense sensibility is not an exotic new trend. Whole unprocessed foods that have been human mainstays for centuries are often considered nutrient dense.
Many ethnic cuisines, such as curries and hummus, are dense sources of important nutrients, as are many condiments, spices and herbs.
Organic foods are generally denser in vitamins and minerals that their conventionally grown counterparts, which contain agricultural chemicals, residues of pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers.
In cooking eggs, poaching or boiling them may preserve and protect their vital nutrients, while frying or scrambling, which exposes them to higher temperature may destroy sensitive molecules.
The Meaning of Nutrient Density
