What is Nutrient Density?

Our bodies need different nutrients in different amounts to support growth, repair and important bodily processes. We need to ensure we get array of healthy macro- and micronutrients from the foods we eat to keep our body functioning at its best. I wrote all about nutrients and our body’s nutrient needs HERE. Check it out!

Nutrient Density, Energy Density and Empty Calories

One thing that can help us to make healthy food and beverage choices is to understand the concept of energy density and, most importantly, nutrient density.

Energy density is the amount of energy (calories/kilojoules) per 100 grams of food.

It’s a pretty straightforward concept. 100g of broccoli is significantly less energy dense than 100g of potato chips or 100ml or sugary soft drink.

Nutrient density or micronutrient density refers to the ratio of healthy micronutrients to energy (calories/kilojoules) in the foods/meals we eat.

The amount of nutrients a food contains per calorie can vary greatly. Some nutrients, like vitamins and phytonutrients and anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids are good for us, whilst too much of others like salt, added sugars and trans fat place unnecessary strain on our bodies. Nutrient density focuses on the healthy nutrients, and some scientific calculations of Nutrient Density assign a negative score to salt, added sugars, saturated and trans fats.

Empty calories are foods that provide calories but have very little nutritional value

The concept of nutrient density is virtually the opposite of empty calories. A nutrient-dense food provides higher amounts of vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds like phytonutrients per gram compared with a less nutrient-dense food.

Understanding Energy Density, Nutrient Density and Empty Calories can help us make better food choices

All we need to do it consider the energy/calories in a serve of food, as well as the healthy nutrients in that same serve of food.

For example:

• A sugary soda/soft drink contains about 150 calories per cup, and apart from water, provides your body only with refined sugar (or high-fructose corn syrup) and chemicals such as food colourings.

• A cup of broccoli contains only around 30 calories, and provides your body with calcium, magnesium and potassium; vitamins A, C, and K; and an array of healthy phytonutrients including isothiocyanates, glucobrassicin; zeaxanthin and kaempferol.

It’s pretty obvious which one is the nutrient-dense food, and which one is the perfect example of an a food which is energy dense whilst also having “empty calories”.

In general, the more processed the food, the less nutrient dense it becomes. So processed foods, like white pasta, sugary sodas/soft drinks, cookies, lollies/candy, chips, and alcohol are considered to have low nutrient density (aka “empty calories”). And they are usually quite energy dense too.

Whole, unprocessed (or minimally processed) foods are generally a lot more nutrient dense - vegetables, whole grains, legumes, meat, fish, poultry, unsweetened dairy products, and unsalted nuts and seeds.

Have you ever heard the term “overfed but undernourished”?

This refers to people who consume a standard western diet, heavy in nutrient-bereft, calorie-dense, highly-processed foods. People who are “overfed but undernourished” regularly consume more calories than their body needs, but because they are choosing highly processed, nutrient-bereft foods, they are not getting enough healthy micronutrients to support the various systems and processed in their body.

Studies are increasingly revealing just how important it is for us to make sure we don’t burden our bodies with more energy than our bodies can utilise. The technical term for this is “overnutrition”. It it is not a healthy thing to be doing on a regular basis. Overnutrition places significant strain on our bodies, generating inflammation at the cellular level, deposits of ectopic fat in our organs, and is directly related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. I wrote about overnutrition HERE.

So on the one hand we need to stay out of overnutrition by ensuring we don’t consume more calories than we need on a regular basis. But…

if we choose our foods and meals solely on their calorie content, we are overlooking the most important thing - their impact on our health!

Good nutrition is about a LOT more than simply reducing calories, sugar or carbs.

We also need to eat a variety of foods to nourish our bodies with an array of healthy nutrients to keep us functioning at our best.

Good nutrition is not just about what we minimise or cut out (excess calories, sodium and added sugars), it is also about the healthy nutrients we can add in - especially the essential nutrients.For example, studies consistently show that there are a number of healthy nutrients that we are not getting enough of in our diets - things like fibre, omega 3 fatty acids, and even minerals like iodine.

And that can be a very tricky balancing act!

On the one hand we need to eliminate excess calories and the substances that challenge our health (like excess salt, sugars and teas fats)

And on the other hand we need to make sure we are consuming optimal amounts of all the healthy nutrients we need to perform at our best.

And this balancing act only gets more challenging as we get older, and our energy needs reduce whilst our need for certain micronutrients increases.

Bottom line: make every calorie count!

Make food choices that give you lots of nutritional bang for your calorie buck!

The best way to do this is to eat a variety of whole, unprocessed (or minimally processed) foods, and to steer clear of sugary sodas and soft drinks, deep fried and ultraprocessed foods, and foods with hidden or high levels of added sugars. You can read about why HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

We should also be looking at how we can add in as many healthy micronutrients and phytonutrients as possible. One of the best ways to get the micronutrients and phytonutrients we need is to eat a variety of healthy plant foods in all the colours of the rainbow (veggies, fruit, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds), lean protein and healthy fats.

Here’s a homework assignment for you…

For the next week or two, stop and think about the foods you regularly shop for and eat. Check food labels and do a little googling to understand the energy density and nutrient density of these foods.

For bonus points, check out THIS POST, scroll down to the section on “How to Calculate Your Daily Energy Requirement” and calculate how many calories you need each day. Are you consuming the right amount of energy or are you regularly tipping into unhealthy overnutrition?