SUMMARY

Staying fit and healthy means getting as many nutrients as you can while monitoring and restricting your calorie intake. The foods you need to do this effectively are “nutrient dense.” Here are some of the best nutrient dense foods around.

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What you choose to eat has a big impact on your health and well-being.

Your body needs a lot of nutrients each day, and the best, most natural way to do that is by making the right choices with the foods you eat.

All food contains nutrients, but the amount of nutrients it contains for a given amount of calories can differ substantially.

The best foods to choose are “nutrient dense,” which means that they contain a lot of valuable nutrients for a small amount of calories. These are the foods that will keep you feeling healthy and vibrant without compromising your figure.

So what are the most nutrient-dense foods you can get? Which are the best foods to stock up on?

10 Great Nutrient Dense Foods

Here is a selection of some of the best things to eat to get more nutrients for fewer calories.

Salmon

Fatty fishes like salmon contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. These are “polyunsaturated” fats known to be beneficial for reducing the risks of many health issues, in particular heart problems. Every 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of wild salmon contains around 2.8 g of omega-3s, but this isn’t the only nutrient salmon contains in substantial amounts. You also get some much-needed protein, potassium, selenium, magnesium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. That 100 g / 3.5 ounce serving is just 168 calories, but for those calories you get an impressive amount of nutrients, as well as a delicious and filling fish. It’s a fantastic choice for pescatarians and reducetarians in particular.

Ideally, choose wild salmon over farmed salmon, but any salmon still offers substantial benefits.

Spinach

Spinach is one of the most nutrient-dense leafy greens you can add to your diet, and should be a regular component of any diet, but especially vegan, vegetarian or reducetarian diets. The huge benefit of spinach is the very low calorie count for such a huge amount of nutrients, with 100 g / 3.5 oz containing just 23 calories. For this, you get six times your recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin K, almost twice your RDA for vitamin A, around half of it for folate, vitamin C and manganese, and closer to 10 percent for potassium, riboflavin, calcium, vitamin E and vitamin B6.

Spinach is also a very versatile green, and it can be easily incorporated into a wide range of dishes. In terms of nutrient density, if you were to get a similar amount of nutrients from brown rice or whole grain bread, you’d be consuming over 15 times more calories.

Moringa Leaves

Moringa oleifera is a North Indian tree with many names, including the horseradish tree, the drumstrick tree and the ben oil tree, but the leaves of the tree are an excellent nutrient rich foodstuff you should consider incorporating into your diet. Every cup of fresh leaves you eat contains 2 grams of protein, 19 percent of your RDA for vitamin B6, 12 percent of your RDA for vitamin C, 11 percent for both iron and riboflavin, and slightly less for vitamin A and magnesium. Generally speaking, you’ll actually pick the leaves up as powders or capsules in the west.

Kale

Kale is an even better leafy green than spinach when it comes to nutrient density. For a 100 g / 3.5 oz portion of kale, you consume 50 calories. For these calories, you consume twice your RDA of vitamin C, three times your RDA of vitamin A and a massive ten times your RDA for vitamin K1. As well as these, you also get vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium, copper, manganese and potassium, along with phytonutrients, fiber, protein and plant-based omega 3 fatty acids. In short, while spinach is very nutrient-dense and healthy, kale is arguably even better.

Seaweed

Seaweed is a less common ingredient than the others included on this list so far, but it’s a great choice for plant-based diets and anybody who wants to boost or maintain their health with nutrient-rich foods. Seaweed is actually a generic term for one of many plants found in the sea, but one familiar example is nori, which is used as a wrap in sushi dishes. A 100 g / 3.5 oz serving of seaweed contains just 43 calories, but an impressive 82 percent of your RDA for vitamin K, 45 percent of your RDA for folate, 30 percent for magnesium, 17 percent for calcium and 16 percent for iron. You get a lot more than this for a serving of seaweed though, including smaller quantities of manganese, riboflavin, zinc, copper and vitamin C.

Cacao

You might not expect to find chocolate on a list of the most nutrient dense food sources, but pure cacao/cocoa is actually very high in a wide range of nutrients, and this makes chocolate with over 85 percent cacao a great choice as both a little treat and a healthy snack. A 100 g / 3.5 oz serving of cacao does contain 228 calories, but you also pick up substantial amounts of health-promoting nutrients too. This includes almost twice your RDA for manganese and copper, 125 percent of the RDA for magnesium, about three-quarters of your RDA for iron and phosphorus, close to half for zinc and potassium, and finally less for selenium, riboflavin, calcium and niacin. As long as you don’t eat chocolate loaded with sugar, it’s surprisingly rich in essential nutrients.

Quinoa

Quinoa isn’t quite as nutrient dense as some of the other entries on this list, but it contains a substantial amount of protein and a good selection of nutrients too. A 100 g / 3.5 oz serving of quinoa contains 120 calories, with 4.4 g (about 9 percent of your daily recommended) protein in the serving. This same serving will give you about a third of your RDA for manganese, and closer to a sixth for magnesium and phosphorus. It also contains many other components in lower amounts, including copper, iron, zinc, folate, thiamin, selenium and vitamin B6. It’s a good source of carbohydrates, though, and it can be used in many dishes besides other nutrient-dense ingredients.

Liver

For reducetarians, flexitarians and meat-eaters, liver is easily one of the most nutrient dense foods you could incorporate into dishes. The calories per 100 g / 3.5 oz of beef liver are quite high at 191, but it has so many nutrients that you’ll only need to eat it once a week to get ample B vitamins in your diet in particular. For example, this same serving gives you over 10 times your daily value (DV) for B12, over twice your DV for B2 and over 50 percent for B5 and B6. The serving will also get you over half of your DV for folate and niacin, and over 30 percent for zinc, phosphorus, iron and selenium. As well as 29 g of protein for every 100 g serving, you’ll also get a huge seven times your DV for copper and over six times your DV for vitamin A.

You shouldn’t eat liver too often, though, because the vitamin A content in particular can cause problems at high intakes. Stick to once a week to get all the nutrients without the downsides.

Egg

Eggs are an incredibly common ingredient, but are also fantastic sources of a huge range of nutrients and vitamins. Much like quinoa, they don’t contain huge amounts of anything in particular, but the range of nutrients contained within each egg is enough to catapult them onto this list. For a single large egg, for around 70 calories you get (going from higher percentages of your RDA to lower) selenium, riboflavin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, pantothenic acid, folate, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B5, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin D, calcium and copper. For selenium, you get 23 percent of your RDA, but this is for a single egg – two eggs doubles this, three triples it and so on. They’re also rich in protein and healthy fats, but most of the nutrient density is contained within the yolk.

Sardines

Finally, for pescatarians, reducetarians and meat-eaters, sardines are another example of a nutritious, natural food from the ocean. Like salmon, sardines are rich in omega-3 and protein, but their small bones also provide much-needed calcium. For 100 g / 3.5 oz of sardines, you take in 208 calories, but along with 24.6 g of protein, you get 149 percent of your RDA for vitamin B12, three-quarters of your daily selenium, two-thirds of your vitamin D, about half of your daily phosphorus and smaller amounts of calcium, niacin, iron, riboflavin, potassium, magnesium and vitamin E.

Foods That Are Promoted As Nutrient Dense… But Aren’t

Nutrient density is one of the most important things you can think about when you’re choosing what to eat, but not all foods commonly-claimed to be nutrient dense really are. The most obvious types of foods with poor nutrient density are things like French fries and soda, but just because a food is natural and looks healthy doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for nutrient density.

Avocado

Avocado is a great example of this. If you eat 100 g / 3.5 oz. of avocado, you’ll get about a quarter of your daily recommended vitamin K, a fifth of your daily recommended folate and smaller amounts of other nutrients, but this also comes with 160 calories and 23 percent of your daily allowance of fats. While you shouldn’t avoid avocado by any means – it’s delicious and still rich in nutrients such as potassium – compared to something like spinach or kale it can hardly be considered nutrient dense.

Plums

Plums are sometimes mentioned on lists of nutrient-dense foods too, but even though they are great in terms of calories – with just 46 calories per 100 g / 3.5 oz. serving – they don’t really pack many nutrients into a serving compared to many of the others on this list. A 100 g serving gets you 16 percent of your daily vitamin C, but for everything else the quantities are much smaller. Again, plums are still a healthy food and can be a great snack, but referring to them as nutrient dense is pushing it.

Nutritious Foods You Can Add to Your Smoothie for a Quick Burst of Energy

A great way to get nutrient rich foods into your daily diet is to incorporate them into a smoothie. The benefit of this is that smoothies are easy to pick up on-the-go and don’t require much meal prep to get them tasting delicious and full of goodness.

Moringa and Spirulina

The best nutrient dense food from the list above for this is undoubtedly moringa. The powder can be added to any smoothie to hugely boost the nutrient content dramatically, and can work with a wide range of other ingredients. Adding a couple of tablespoons of spirulina can have a similar effect.

Kale and Spinach

Some other fantastic options for any smoothie are kale and spinach. These will both have more of an impact on the taste of the smoothie than a simple powder, but as detailed above, they pack tons of nutrients in for very few calories indeed. Combined with fruits, they help you create a more balanced meal out of your regular smoothie. This is also a great idea if you sometimes struggle to incorporate vegetables into your diet in other ways.

Seeds and Nut Butters

Although slightly higher in calories, nuts, seeds and nut butters can also be valuable additions to your smoothie. Flaxseed in particular is a good choice, because it has omega-3, protein and fiber, and a couple of tablespoons will only add around 60 calories to the total for your smoothie.

Nutrient Rich Snacks to Eat On-the-Go

Along with smoothies, finding some great nutrient dense snacks to enjoy when you’re on the go is a key tip for staying healthy and maintaining a nutrient-packed diet.

Goji Berries

Goji berries are a fantastic option for snacking on-the-go. They’re absolutely packed with nutrients, but the best thing about them is that they’re delicious enough to just be eaten without preparation. Fruits are great for the same reason, but in general they can’t compete with goji berries when it comes to nutrient density.

Trail Mix

A trail mix is another similar choice for high nutrient snacking on-the-go, especially if you make it out of nuts and fruits high in nutrients. Incorporate almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and a selection of dried fruits and you’ll produce a mix that’s both filling and loaded with valuable nutrients.

Yogurt

Yogurts are also a fantastic option if you’re looking for a nutrient-dense snack. You’ll get protein, calcium, potassium and vitamin D in any yogurt, but you’ll get the most benefits from incorporating a yogurt snack into your day if you choose a low-fat variety and add some of your favorite fruits to it.

Fitting Nutrient Dense Foods Into a Busy Lifestyle

If you’re a busy mom or professional who cares about her diet, knowing the most nutrient dense food sources is great, but finding the time to cook from scratch regularly is far from easy. With kids to pick up, work to fit in and time for exercises like jogging or yoga to fit in, getting yourself down to a farmer’s market to gather ingredients and spending time in the kitchen isn’t always possible.

You want energy-boosting, nutrient-rich foods, but fitting these into a busy lifestyle can be a huge challenge.

Firstly, don’t beat yourself up for not always having the time to cook from scratch. Everyone has a lot on their plate and you don’t have to be a superwoman. But if you do want high-quality, clean food that’s both delicious and good for you, there is a way to do it without investing too much of your precious time. Fresh n’ Lean’s freshly-prepared and pre-cooked meals emphasize getting premium, nutrient-dense, unprocessed and healthy meals into your home with no effort from you. You get all the benefits of the nutrient-dense foods listed above and you barely have to lift a finger, so you can focus on living your life and let us worry about the food.

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Fresh N’ Lean is the nation’s largest organic meal delivery service. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer five convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N’ Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

Just ask any health professional and they’ll tell why you should consider adding seeds to your diet.

From the tiny chia seed to the more robust pepita, each seed is packed full of an incredible wealth of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, which are an essential part of a well-balanced diet.

But there’s more to seeds than the health benefits you can reap from them. They add a bit of crunch, a pop of flavor, and are a wonderfully simple way to jazz up a dish – whether you’re meal prepping at home or want to add a personal touch to a premade meal.

Today, we’ll take a look at four healthy seeds to stock in your pantry and how they can help you achieve your dietary goals.

Flax Seeds

Also known as linseeds, flax seeds have long been valued for their nutritional value. Once cultivated in the Fertile Crescent and ancient Egypt, flax continues to be a staple crop in our modern world both for its fiber and its superfood status seeds.

• Flax seeds are widely recognized for being densely packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other nutrients.
• These little brown seeds are brimming with omega-3s, fiber, and protein as well.
• Worried about your cholesterol levels? When added to your diet, flax seeds can help lower the level of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in your blood.
• To get the most out of your flax, you’ll want to pick up ground flax meal rather than whole seeds.
• Because they’re so packed with fiber, the outer shell of the seeds is harder to digest and grinding them up makes it easier for your body to extract the good stuff.
• Flax seeds may also be made into oil, which you can drizzle over a salad or as the finishing touch of your dinner.

Sesame Seeds

With their mouthwatering nutty flavor, sesame seeds have been featured in cuisines around the world from Japan to the Middle East, East Africa and India. We enjoy sesame seeds as much for their health benefits as their delicious flavor.

• These delicate little seeds contain fiber, protein, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and zinc which means a dash of sesame seeds sprinkled over a savory roasted quinoa with fresh vegetables is a great way to supplement your dietary needs.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds, which come from the Salvia hispanica plant, a member of the mint family, have risen to prominence among the health-conscious in recent years.

• These tiny seeds pack a major dose of B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, and magnesium.
• Although chia seeds are high in fat, they’re brimming with health linoleic acid and essential omega-3 fatty acids.
• Sprinkle them over yogurt, add them to smoothies, or use them in easy to make homemade granola with oats, nuts, dried fruits, and coconut flakes.

Pumpkin Seeds

Also known as pepita, pumpkin seeds are an incredible source of protein, fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and magnesium.

• Some studies have linked eating pumpkin seeds to potentially reducing the risk of certain cancers and lowering cholesterol.
• Pumpkin seeds are a fantastic way to supplement a vegetarian or vegan diet and ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need, like baking them into a quick pumpkin seed zucchini bread or adding them to your favorite healthy lentil dish.

Seeds are an easy way to pack your meal with a powerful punch of essentials vitamins and minerals, protein, fiber, and more. Just a teaspoon or two to any meal will liven up its texture and flavor, whether you’re cooking at home, enjoying a meal service, or even getting a cheeky takeout dinner.

Image credit: Ditchthecarbs.com

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Fresh N’ Lean is the nation’s largest organic meal delivery service. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer five convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N’ Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

If you’re a chocolate lover, cacao has been a part of your life for a long time.

The innocuous little cacao bean is the starting point for that delicious dessert so many of us love.

Cacao: Food of the Gods?

Native to the tropical jungles of Central and South America, the cacao tree (also called Theobroma cacao, which translates to “Food of the Gods” – sounds about right!) has been bolstering the health of mankind for thousands of years. Cacao was made into a portable beverage by the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica for religious ceremonies, used as a medicine, and even enjoyed as a food.

The beans of the cacao tree were so highly valued that at one point, it was used as a currency. Domesticated then cultivated by the indigenous civilizations of Central and South America, today the cacao tree is grown throughout the tropics of West Africa and South America.

The tree produces large brightly colored pods which contain the cacao beans. After the pods are harvested, the beans are removed and allowed to ferment for several days, shifting from white or purple to brown.

Cacao, Not Cocoa

Here’s an important distinction to make. Cacao powder and cocoa powder are not the same thing.

Cacao in all its forms: powder, nibs (chopped beans), butter, and paste, is brimming with antioxidants, micronutrients, and fiber. While cocoa powder still has some health benefits, it pales in comparison to the power of raw cacao.

Roasting is an essential step in making cocoa powder, a process which ends up destroying many of the nutritional goodness originally present in the cacao bean. So, we’re sorry to break the news to all the hot chocolate fans out there – cocoa powder just won’t cut it.

Cacao Benefits

Well, you know how they say dark chocolate is good for you?

All those essential micronutrients found in chocolate are also found in cacao. Basically, we’re talking about chocolate at its purest, most raw form. Cacao is chock-full of magnesium, plant-based iron, antioxidants (in the form of flavonoids), calcium, and fiber.

Just a little bit of cacao added to your diet can help reduce inflammation, improve cardiovascular health, and even lift your mood.

Cacao also has a beneficial effect on gut microbes – increasing the beneficial ones while decreasing the less beneficial ones – acting the same way that probiotics do.

Cacao vs. Chocolate

As to why cacao is so much better than chocolate, the answer is simple. Cacao is relatively unprocessed. Chocolate is sweetened, contains milk, can have added vegetable oils, and as with cocoa powder, many though not all of the nutritional benefits have been sapped out of it during production.

On the other hand, raw cacao is chocolate as nature intended, completely free of the nonsense. You can also add a tablespoon (or two) of cacao nibs to your meals for extra flavor and texture or sprinkle a dusting of cacao powder into smoothies or oatmeal and reap all the health benefits of this miracle superfood.

Make hot chocolate with raw cacao powder

We’re big fans of Terrasoul Superfoods organic raw cacao powder which we add to hot water and tasty oat milk with just a touch of agave nectar to satisfy our sweet tooth. It’s like having an ultra-healthy, supercharged hot chocolate. A definite win-win in our book.

Keen to see exactly why people love cacao so much? Fresh n’ Lean meal subscription offers a delectable chocolate muffin made from cacao powder which has the added bonus of being organic and gluten-free. It’s as delicious as it sounds, so why not give it a try?

If you’re trying to improve the overall quality of your diet and the foods you put into your body, cacao offers a fantastic way to satisfy your chocolate cravings without the guilt. With all the wonderful effects cacao can have on your health, who could possibly resist?

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Fresh N’ Lean is the nation’s largest organic meal delivery service. Our tasty, chef-prepared cuisine is always fresh and never frozen, and we offer five convenient meal plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Standard Vegan and Low-Carb Vegan. Choose Fresh N’ Lean for affordable nutrition, delivered to your doorstep. 

Pea protein powder is popularly used by people who live an active lifestyle, are health conscious, and are on a plant-based diet.

The popularity of pea protein is mainly due to the fact that it is gluten and dairy free, but it also has other health benefits.

If you are wondering what the pea protein craze is about, you have come to the right place.

We are going to discuss what pea protein is, its nutritional value, and the health benefits of incorporating pea protein into your diet.

What is pea protein?

Pea protein is protein extracted from peas.

To put it simply, pea protein is made by grinding up dried yellow split-peas into a fine powder and isolating the protein from most of the fiber and starch. This is why it is often called pea protein isolate.

This veggie protein is one of the most hypoallergenic protein powders because it contains no dairy, nuts, eggs, or soy.

Pea protein is easy to digest and doesn’t cause bloating like other protein powders commonly do.

What nutritional value does pea protein powder have?

The following nutritional values are based on 20 grams of organic pea protein powder.

• Calories: 80
• Fat: 1.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 1 g
• Protein: 28 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Calcium: 58 mg
• Iron: 5 mg
• Potassium: 21 mg

Note: Nutrition composition may vary per brand, so make sure to always check the nutrition facts.

By the numbers above you can see that pea protein is a great source of protein, calcium, and potassium.

Calcium is an essential mineral that helps build up your teeth and bones. Your heart and muscles need calcium to function too.

Potassium is another essential mineral that is found in the foods we eat such as bananas. Our bodies need potassium because it assists with the following body functions: blood pressure, digestion, pH balance, nerve impulses, and muscle contractions.

What are the health benefits of pea protein?

Pea protein provides five key health benefits:

1. Promotes Heart Health

We all want to have a healthy heart and pea protein has the power to help with that.

Pea protein promotes heart health by reducing cholesterol levels and lowering blood pressure.

A study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology supports the idea that consuming plant-based protein over animal-based protein may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

2. Increases Muscle Mass

You may have heard the myth that plant-based protein doesn’t have the same effect as animal-based protein to increase muscle mass or aid in muscle recovery after working out. This is not true at all.

A study published in 2015 by the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition supports the fact that pea protein is able to increase muscle thickness as well as animal-based protein.

The high concentration of Arginine, an amino acid, helps increase muscle mass.

3. Reduces the Risk of Kidney Disease

Pea protein may also benefit your kidney health, according to a Canadian study at the University of Manitoba.

The study found that consuming pea protein may reduce blood pressure, which can delay or prevent the onset of chronic kidney disease. Many deaths caused by chronic kidney disease is because of high blood pressure.

4. Aids in Weight Loss

If you want to lose weight, pea protein can help with that too!

Pea protein can help you lose those extra pounds because it can help you feel fuller longer, boost your metabolism, and reduce your appetite.

English research has shown that pea protein may help control a hormone called Ghrelin, which is responsible for increasing your appetite.

5. Regulates Blood Sugar

We all know that foods can fluctuate our blood sugar levels.

Pea protein has a low carbohydrate concentration and ranks low on the glycemic index, meaning that it won’t cause spikes in blood sugar.

A study done by the University of Toronto researchers supports this claim by discovering that blood glucose levels in young men were lower after consuming a meal with pea protein compared to without.

Now that you know the health benefits of pea protein and its nutritional value – don’t forget to add some protein powder to your smoothie. Your body will thank you.

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