Nutrient density—getting the most nutrition from the food and beverages you consume—is important for everyone, every day. But it’s especially important if you are eating less food overall. This includes folks who are working on weight management by eating smaller portions of food, those who are taking GLP-1 medications, and anyone whose appetite is down for any reason. When you’re eating less, getting your essential nutrients in adequate amounts requires that you shop smart and eat with intention.
Which Nutrients Are Essential?
Essential nutrients are divided into general categories: macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are needed in larger amounts and include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. Water is also considered an essential nutrient.
What Exactly Is a Nutrient-Dense Food?
Nutrients are chemical compounds that exist in all foods and drinks in varying levels. Our bodies use essential nutrients for growth and repair, and to maintain vital body functions. Eating a balanced diet typically provides the range of nutrients we need in adequate amounts. Foods that are nutrient-dense are rich in nutrients and lower in calories, including:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Low-fat dairy products
- Lower-fat proteins
Easy & Economical Tips for a Nutrient-Dense Diet
One of the best things about eating a nutrient-rich diet? It’s easy to get lots of nutritional bang for your buck. The key is to employ a few smart and simple shopping strategies to maximize nutrition and stretch your dollar.
Easy
- Use Guiding Stars shelf tags to find the most nutritious choices: This is one of the easiest ways to find nutrient-dense foods. All you need to do is choose foods with Guiding Stars! And the more stars a food earns, the more nutritious it is. So when you have a choice between several possible options, simply select the one with more Guiding Stars. For me, this is most helpful when shopping for yogurt or bread—so many choices!
- Choose easy recipes that are based on a nutrient-dense food: Fancy recipes can be fun to make sometimes. But for regular daily meals, you can cook more simply and still hit the mark for nutrient density. Whether you’re making a main dish, side, or snack, focus on recipes where the star ingredient is rich in nutrients. Make use of the Guiding Stars recipe collection for simple, star-earning recipes in every category from appetizers to dessert.
- Aim to make your plate look like MyPlate: When you eat a balanced meal, you’re much more likely to get a good mix of nutrients. The MyPlate graphic gives you a quick idea of what your plate balance should look like. Half the plate is fruits and vegetables, roughly a quarter is protein, and a quarter is grains (whole grains, preferably). You can explore all the resources and recipes at MyPlate.gov and even request a free personalized eating plan.
Economical
- Plan menus around weekly grocery deals: Scour the weekly sales flyers and emails before heading out to shop each week. Protein foods and produce typically feature prominently in sales each week, and those foods are rich in nutrients. Once you know what’s on sale, you can figure out a basic plan for what you’ll make during the week. And then look for new recipes to keep it all interesting.
- Learn how to cook whole grains, dried beans, and lentils: These foods are generally inexpensive no matter if they’re on a special sale or not. Plus, they are nutritional powerhouses, providing protein, a wide array of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber. And, when you cook them from scratch, you’ll be amazed at the yield! A pound of dried beans costs less than $2.00 and yields 6 cups of cooked beans. One cup of dried whole grain (such as bulgur, oats, rice, or barley) turns into 3-4 cups of cooked grain. Lentils are also great for “stretching” more pricey proteins. Freeze extra portions of grains, beans, and lentils for later meals (then pat yourself on the back for making healthy meal prep easier).