Nutrient Density – What You Need to Know

Nutrient density can be read again and again in nutrition blogs. It should be an important indicator of healthy food and also indispensable for a healthy diet . But what is really behind it? This is exactly the question we are investigating in this article.

What is meant by nutrient density?

Nutrients are those components of food that provide the body with important substances that are essential for the maintenance of 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 and related proteins.

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

Now it is the case that nutrient density is being discussed quite controversially, especially in Western industrial nations. The reason for this is that too many high-calorie foods are consumed in classic Western cuisine , while the amount of important vitamins and minerals consumed is often comparatively low .

The result is a low nutrient density , which in the longer term poses a risk for widespread diseases such as obesity or chronic diseases. 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 higher the nutrient density and the healthier the food. The formula is therefore as follows:

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

The assessment is always 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 for the foods to be compared.

The evaluation of foods based on the content of essential nutrients is also common. These include vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids and fatty acids.

These essential nutrients are considered in relation to the energy content . In this calculation, berries , mushrooms or herbs, for example, have a particularly high nutrient density . So these products have a lot of nutrients with a low amount of energy at the same time.

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 many kilocalories but only contain a small amount of important nutrients (vitamins, trace elements, minerals). Therefore, these products have a low nutrient density. The 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 "the nutrient content of a food per kilocalorie".

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

The most important foods in the nutrient check

So much for the theory behind it. Let's now look at some categories of foods according to their nutrient and energy content in order to assign them practical relevance.

Fruit and vegetables

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

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

Although some nuts are also legumes, 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 get carried away, but at the same time get the valuable nutrients .

Cereals and pseudocereals

Cereals and pseudocereals, such as oats , pasta, quinoa or rice, tend to be in the middle on the nutrient and energy density scale. 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, they have on average a medium energy density and at the same time a medium nutrient density.

Meat, fish and dairy products

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

While some meats, such as turkey or chicken, have a comparatively low energy density, the situation is different with fatty meats and, above all, fish. Especially salmon or fatty meat and sausage products are far from being able to keep up with the nutrient content of fruits and vegetables.

When it comes to dairy products, the whole thing looks relatively similar. While lower-fat yogurt variants or lean quark are somewhat lower in energy , their higher-fat counterparts have significantly higher energy densities and thus lower nutrient densities.

Some plant foods are also high in fat. These include, for example, avocados or a wide variety of nuts and seeds. However, unlike animal products, they often contain higher amounts of valuable micronutrients.

Confectionery, ready meals and alcohol

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

What the nutrient content now means for practice

For the practice and your personal eating habits, you can remember the following. In principle, a high energy density is 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 increasingly use products with a high energy density . Otherwise, the desired calorie target could be difficult to meet.

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 rely on 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 is best to start in the morning . A balanced breakfast with a high nutrient density is the perfect start.

If you started your day with a bread with jam, you may 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 much healthier for you due to the high nutrient density and also fills you up for longer. For example, our Verival Sport Porridge raspberry cocoa has a significantly more beneficial nutrient density than a jam bread.

This is largely due to the oatmeal , which forms the basis of the porridge mixture. Since oats are rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals and especially fiber , the oatmeal keeps you full for a long time and provides your body with all the important nutrients.

This makes it easy for you to start the day and you're just bursting with energy!