Seven nutrient-dense foods to add to your diet now

If you rely on supplements to get your daily dose of nutrients, consider rethinking your menu.

Adding nutrient-dense foods to daily meals and snacks can significantly affect your intake of a surprising number of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Don’t get me wrong: Many people rely on supplements to supply certain nutrients that diet alone can’t provide. A daily multivitamin and mineral supplement, for example, helps vegans meet vitamin B12 and iodine requirements. And taking vitamin D every day is an effective way to maintain a sufficient level of the nutrient, especially during the winter months.

But still, your regular menu should include nutrient-dense foods. This is why.

What is nutrient density?

Nutrient density refers to the amount of nutrients in relation to the caloric content of a particular food. Nutrient-rich foods offer the most nutrients in proportion to their calories.

Not surprisingly, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, dairy products, fish, and lean meats are rich in nutrients, as are whole grains. Compared to white rice, brown rice provides five times the fiber, twice the niacin and zinc, and three times the potassium, a mineral needed for healthy blood pressure.

Eggs are another example of a nutrient-packed food. For just 75 calories, a large egg provides six grams of protein, B vitamins, plenty of brain-friendly choline, and plenty of minerals, including a quarter of the daily value of immune-supporting selenium.

Getting the most nutrition for the calories consumed is especially important for older adults with poor appetites. A nutrient-dense diet helps maintain physical health and cognition, and reduces the risk of diet-related chronic diseases.

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Seven multipurpose foods to add to your diet

Each of the following foods provides a wide range of nutrients that are often under-consumed. They will increase the nutritional value of your meals and snacks and infuse variety into your diet.

Pumpkin seeds: A quarter cup provides 10 grams of plant protein, two grams of fiber, three milligrams of iron, 190 milligrams of magnesium (adults need 310 to 420 milligrams daily to help regulate blood sugar and blood pressure), and 2.5 milligrams of zinc that supports the immune system. along with a range of other essential vitamins and minerals.

Pinto beans: Per cup, these nutritional powerhouses provide 15 grams of protein and fiber, 79 mg of calcium, 85 mg of magnesium, 3.6 mg of iron, and an impressive 746 mg of potassium, the amount found in two small bananas (adults need 4500 mg a day). ). They are also a decent source of zinc and selenium.

Edamame: Three-fourths of a cup of these young green soybeans (shelled) provides 13.5 grams of protein, six grams of fiber, 507 mg of potassium, and nearly a full day’s worth of folate, a B vitamin used to make red blood cells and DNA repair (adults need 400 micrograms per day). Edamame is also an excellent source of choline and bone-building vitamin K.

chard: This leafy green offers great nutrition. One cup, cooked, provides 4 g of fiber, 150 mg of magnesium, 100 mg of calcium, 4 mg of iron, 961 mg of potassium and 31 mg of vitamin C (women and men need 75 and 90 mg per day, respectively). It also provides a large amount of beta-carotene (6.4 mg), an antioxidant believed to protect brain and heart health.

Freekeh: This nutty-flavored whole grain is harvested when the wheat is young and green, then roasted to burn off the husks. A cooked cup provides 12 g of protein and fiber, 106 mg of magnesium and 3.6 mg of iron. Freekeh is also an excellent source of manganese, a mineral necessary for normal nerve and brain function, and used to produce enzymes in the body that prevent free radical damage to cells.

Sardines: Its claim to fame isn’t just its rich source of heart- and brain-friendly omega-3 fatty acids. Three ounces of sardines also provide an outstanding amount of protein (21 g), calcium (324 mg), selenium (80 percent of a full day’s value), and 7.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 (adults need 2.4 mcg per day).

Strawberries: Along with their remarkable vitamin C content (97 mg per cup, sliced), strawberries are a good source of folate and potassium, and also provide some calcium and magnesium. And, like other berries, they are an exceptional source of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytochemicals called polyphenols.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based private practice dietitian, is director of food and nutrition at Medcan. Follow her on Twitter @LeslieBeckRD

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