Nutrient Density – What You Need to Know

The term “nutrient density” crops up again and again in nutrition blogs. It is said to be an important indicator of healthy food and also essential for a healthy diet. But what does it really mean? That's precisely what we'll be looking at in this article.

How to have a healthy breakfast – find out more

What is nutrient density?

Nutrients are the components of food that provide the body with important substances that are essential for maintaining vital functions. A distinction is made between macronutrients and micronutrients.

Macronutrients are all those components of food that provide energy in the form of calories. These include fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Micronutrients, on the other hand, do not provide the body with energy, but instead supply important products that the body needs for a wide range of functions. While a good supply of the respective vitamin or mineral leads to increased well-being, a deficiency can cause serious illnesses.

Now, the nutrient density is a controversial topic, especially in western industrialized nations. The reason for this is that in classic western cuisine, too many high-calorie foods are consumed, while the amount of important vitamins and minerals consumed is often comparatively low.

The result is a low nutrient density which, in the long term, poses a risk of widespread diseases such as obesity or chronic illnesses. But what exactly is nutrient density and how is it calculated?

How is nutrient density calculated?

Nutrient density is basically nothing more than the ratio of energy to nutrient content. The higher the value, the greater the nutrient density and the healthier the food. The formula is therefore as follows:

nutrient density = nutrient content (g) : energy content (kcal)

The evaluation is always done for a nutrient in relation to the energy content of the food. For example, the amount of the trace element iron in relation to the energy content of the food being compared.

It is also common to evaluate food based on the content of essential nutrients. These include vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids and fatty acids.

These essential nutrients are considered in relation to the energy content. According to this calculation, berries, mushrooms and herbs, for example, have a particularly high nutrient density. These products contain many nutrients but only a small amount of energy.

Energy density versus nutrient density

One term that is often mentioned in the same breath as nutrient density is energy density. The reason for this is that the two concepts overlap.

A high energy density indicates foods that provide a large number of kilocalories but only a small amount of important nutrients (vitamins, trace elements, minerals). Therefore, these products have a low nutrient density. Energy density is calculated and defined as “energy content per gram of food”.

A high nutrient density means that the food contains many important nutrients (vitamins, trace elements, minerals) but only a few calories. Nutrient density is defined as “nutrient content of a food per kilocalorie”.

So, to a certain extent, the two concepts are antagonists.

The most important foods in the nutrient check

So much for the theory behind it. Let's now look at some food categories in terms of their nutrient and energy content to give it a practical relevance.

Fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables have a particularly high nutrient density. The ranking of those foods with the highest nutrient density includes mainly products that are very water-rich and also rich in vitamins and minerals.

• Mushrooms
  
• Herbs
• Citrus fruits
• Vegetables with a high water content

The following foods have a slightly higher energy content and consequently a slightly lower, but still extremely high nutrient density:

• Fruit
• Starchy vegetables
  
• Legumes (beans, lentils, etc.)

Nuts are also considered legumes, but they usually have a significantly higher energy density, although they also contain numerous important fat-soluble vitamins and minerals. You should therefore enjoy them in moderation so as not to go overboard, but at the same time get the valuable nutrients.

Cereals and pseudocereals

Cereals and pseudocereals, such as oats, pasta, quinoa or rice, are somewhere in the middle on the scale of nutrient and energy density. On the one hand, they have a relatively high amount of energy due to their high carbohydrate content, but at the same time they also provide important minerals.

Thus, on average, they have a medium energy density and, at the same time, a medium nutrient density.

Meat, fish and dairy products

Compared to plant-based foods, animal products tend to have a higher energy density. This is mainly due to their often high protein and fat content.

While some types of meat, such as turkey or chicken, have a comparatively low energy density, the situation is different for meat and especially fish with a higher fat content. In particular, salmon or fatty meats and sausages cannot compete with the nutrient content of fruit and vegetables by a long way.

The situation is relatively similar for dairy products. While lower-fat yogurts and low-fat quark have slightly lower energy levels, their higher-fat counterparts have significantly higher energy densities and thus lower nutrient densities.

Some plant-based foods are also high in fat. These include avocados and a wide variety of nuts and seeds. However, in contrast to animal products, they often contain higher amounts of valuable micronutrients.

Sweets, ready meals and alcohol

The group with by far the lowest nutrient density includes sweets, most highly processed ready meals and alcohol. The reason for the low nutrient density is the high fat and carbohydrate content, which, in combination with the small amount of vitamins and minerals, leads to an extremely high energy density.

What you need to know about processed foods – find out more

What the nutrient content means in practice

You can remember the following for your personal eating habits: a high energy density is generally suboptimal – but a high nutrient density is desirable.

However, it is important that you pay attention to your respective goal in your nutrition plan. For example, if you want to gain a lot of muscle mass, you will probably have no choice but to rely more on products with a high energy density. Otherwise, it could be difficult to meet your calorie goal.

If, on the other hand, you want to lose weight or have the goal of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, the recommendations look different again. Now you should increasingly turn to nutrient-rich foods with a high nutrient density to provide your body with healthy amounts of important vitamins, minerals and fiber. On the other hand, you should avoid foods with a high energy density as much as possible.

Nutrient density at breakfast

If you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, it's best to start in the morning. A balanced breakfast with a high nutrient density is the perfect way to start.

If you've been starting your day with bread and jam, you might want to switch to a healthier option. Because jam is one of those foods that has a high energy density and is therefore rather suboptimal for you and your health.

Porridge, for example, is a breakfast option that is significantly healthier for you due to its high nutrient density and also satisfies you for longer. Our Verival Sport Porridge Raspberry-Cocoa, for example, has a significantly more beneficial nutrient density than jam on bread.

This is largely due to the oat flakes that form the basis of the porridge mixture. Since oats are rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals and, in particular, fiber, porridge will keep you full for a long time and provide your body with all the essential nutrients.

This makes it easy to start the day and you'll be bursting with energy!