There is
only a limited amount of food you can eat in a single day.
In order to
maximize the amount of nutrients you take in, it makes sense to spend your
“calorie budget” wisely.
The best way
to do that is to simply eat the foods that carry the greatest amount and
variety of nutrients.
These are
the 11 most nutrient dense foods on the planet.
Salmon
Not all fish
is created equal.
Salmon, and
other fatty types of fish, contain the greatest amount of Omega-3s.
Omega-3
fatty acids are extremely important for the optimal function of your body.
They’re linked to improved wellbeing and a lower risk of many serious diseases.
Although
salmon is mainly prized for its beneficial composition of fatty acids, it also
packs a massive amount of other nutrients.
A 100 gram
piece of wild salmon contains 2.8 grams of Omega-3s, along with lots of high
quality animal protein and a ton of vitamins and minerals… including large
amounts of Magnesium, Potassium, Selenium and all the B-vitamins.
It is a good
idea to eat fatty fish at least once or twice a week, to get all the Omega-3s
that your body (and brain) desperately need.
Studies show
that the people who eat fatty fish regularly have a lower risk of heart
disease, dementia, depression and a plethora of common diseases.
Also, let’s
not forget the fact that salmon tastes awesome and is fairly simple to prepare.
It also tends to make you feel full with relatively few calories.
If you can,
choose wild salmon instead of farmed. It is more nutritious, has a better
Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio and is less likely to contain harmful compounds.
Bottom Line: Fatty fish like salmon is loaded
with beneficial fatty acids, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is a good idea
to eat fatty fish every week.
Kale
f all the
super healthy leafy greens, kale is the king.
It is loaded
with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and various bioactive compounds.
A 100 gram
portion of kale contains:
- 200% of the RDA for Vitamin C.
- 300% of the RDA for Vitamin A (from beta-carotene).
- 1000% of the RDA for Vitamin K1.
- Large amounts of Vitamin B6, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Copper and Manganese.
This is
coming with 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and only 50 calories.
Kale may be
even healthier than spinach. Both are super nutritious, but kale is lower in
oxalates, which are substances that can bind minerals like calcium in the
intestine, preventing them from being absorbed.
Kale (and
other greens) are also loaded with various bioactive compounds, including
Isothiocyanates and Indole-3-Carbinol, which have been shown to fight cancer in
test tubes and animal studies.
Bottom Line: Kale is one of the most nutrient
dense vegetables you can eat, with large amounts of vitamins, minerals and
cancer-fighting compounds.
Seaweed
The sea has
more than just fish… it also contains massive amounts of vegetation
Usually
referred to as “seaweed,” there are thousands of different plant species in the
ocean, some of which are incredibly nutritious.
In many
cases, seaweed is even more nutritious than vegetables from the land. It is
particularly high in minerals like Calcium, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese.
It is also
loaded with various bioactive compounds, including phycocyanins and
carotenoids. Some of these substances are antioxidants with powerful
anti-inflammatory activity.
But where
seaweed really shines is in its high content of iodine, a mineral that is used
to make thyroid hormones.
Just eating
a high-iodine seaweed like kelp a few times per month can give your body all
the iodine that it needs.
If you don’t
like the thought of eating seaweed, then you can also get it as a supplement.
Dried kelp tablets are very cheap and loaded with iodine.
Many sushi
dishes also include seaweed in them, along with other goodies.
Bottom Line: The vegetables from the sea are
highly nutritious, but very rarely consumed in Western parts of the world. They
are particularly high in iodine, which is essential for optimal thyroid
function.
Garlic
Garlic
really is an amazing ingredient.
Not only can
it turn all sorts of bland dishes into delicious treats, it is also incredibly
nutritious.
It is high
in vitamins C, B1 and B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper, Manganese and Selenium.
But garlic
is also loaded with another incredibly important nutrient called Allicin, which
is the active ingredient in garlic.
There are
many studies on the health benefits of allicin and garlic. It has been shown to
lower blood pressure and total and LDL cholesterol, while raising HDL… which
should lead to a reduced risk of heart disease down the line.
It also has
various cancer-fighting properties. Studies show that the people who eat a lot
of garlic have a much lower risk of several common cancers, especially cancers
of the colon and stomach.
Garlic is
also very potent at killing pathogens like bacteria and fungi.
Bottom Line: Garlic is both tasty and extremely
healthy. It is highly nutritious and the bioactive compounds in it have known
disease fighting properties.
Shellfish
Out of all
the wonderfully nutritious organisms found in the sea, shellfish may be the
most nutritious of all.
Commonly
consumed types of shellfish include clams, oysters and various others.
Clams are
among the best sources of vitamin B12 in existence, with a 100 grams of clams
supplying over 16 times the RDA! It is also loaded with other nutrients,
including Vitamin C, B-Vitamins, Potassium, Selenium and Iron.
Oysters are
also incredibly nutritious… with a 100 grams supplying 6 times the RDA for
Zinc, 2 times the RDA for Copper, along with large amounts of B12 and Vitamin D
– along with a plethora of other nutrients.
Really,
shellfish are among the most nutritious foods in existence. Unfortunately,
people rarely consume them.
They may
also be considered a great food for people who want to be as close to
vegetarian/vegan as possible, while also getting most of the benefits of
consuming animal foods. Shellfish is non-sentient.
Bottom Line: Shellfish are among the most
nutritious organisms found in the sea. They are very high in important
nutrients like Vitamin B12 and Zinc.
Potatoes
If there’s
one high-carb food that I miss on my low-carb diet, it’s potatoes.
A single
large potato contains lots of Potassium, Magnesium, Iron, Copper and Manganese…
with plenty of vitamin C and most of the B vitamins.
Potatoes
really are one of the world’s most perfect foods.
They contain
a little bit of almost every nutrient we need and there have been accounts of
people living on nothing but potatoes for a long time.
They are
also one of the most fulfilling foods in existence. When researchers compared
the “satiety value” of different foods, boiled potatoes scored higher than any
other food they measured.
If you cook
the potatoes and then allow them to cool afterwards, they also form large
amounts of resistant starch, a fiber-like substance with many powerful health
benefits.
Bottom Line: Potatoes contain a little bit of
almost every nutrient we need. They are incredibly fulfilling and can contain
large amounts of resistant starch.
Liver
Humans and
pre-humans have been eating animals for millions of years.
However…
back in the day, we didn’t just eat the muscles like we do today. Compared to
the organs, muscle meat is nutritionally poor.
There are
even accounts of modern hunter-gatherers selectively eating the organs, then
feeding lean muscle meat to the dogs.
Out of all
the organs, liver is by far the most nutritious.
The liver is
a remarkable organ with hundreds of functions related to metabolism. One of its
functions is to store important nutrients for the rest of the body.
A 100 gram
portion of beef liver contains:
- 1176% of the RDA for Vitamin B12.
- Over 50% of the RDA for Vitamins B6, B5, Niacin and Folate.
- 201% of the RDA for Vitamin B2.
- 634% of the RDA for Vitamin A.
- 714% of the RDA for Copper.
- Over 30% of the RDA for Iron, Phosphorus, Zinc and Selenium.
- 29 grams of high quality animal protein.
Eating liver
once per week is a good way to ensure that you get optimal amounts of these
very important nutrients.
Bottom Line: Hunter-gatherers who eat meat
usually prize organs like liver, because they are the most nutritious parts of
the animal.
Sardines
Sardines are
small, oily fish that can be eaten whole.
This
includes bones, skin, organs, brains and everything.
Given that
the organs are usually the most nutritious parts of an animal, it is not
surprising to see that whole sardines are incredibly nutritious.
They contain
a little bit of almost every nutrient that the body needs and are pretty close
to being perfect from a nutritional standpoint.
Like other
fatty fish, they’re also very high in heart-healthy Omega-3s.
Bottom Line: Small, oily fish like sardines are
usually eaten whole, which includes the organs, bones, brains and other
nutritious parts. They contain a little bit of almost every nutrient we need.
Blueberries
When it
comes to the nutritional value of fruits, blueberries are in a league of their
own.
Although
they’re not as high in vitamins and minerals as vegetables (calorie for
calorie), the antioxidant content is where they really shine.
They are
loaded with powerful antioxidant substances, including anthocyanins and various
phytochemicals, some of which can cross the blood-brain barrier and exert
protective effects on the brain.
Several
studies have examined the health effects of blueberries in humans.
One study
found that blueberries improved memory in older adults.
Another
study found that obese men and women with metabolic syndrome had a lowered
blood pressure and reduced markers of oxidized LDL cholesterol, when they added
blueberries to their diet.
This finding
makes sense, given that eating blueberries has been shown to increase the
antioxidant value of the blood.
Then
multiple studies in test tubes and experimental animals suggest that
blueberries can help fight cancer.
Bottom Line: Blueberries are very nutritious
compared to most fruits and are loaded with powerful antioxidants, some of
which can increase the antioxidant value of the blood and have protective
effects on the brain.
Egg Yolks
Egg yolks
have been unfairly demonized because of their cholesterol content.
But the
studies actually show that dietary cholesterol isn’t something you need to
worry about, because cholesterol in the diet doesn’t raise the “bad”
cholesterol in the blood.
What we’re
left with is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet. Whole eggs are so
nutritious that they’re often referred to as “nature’s multivitamin.”
Egg yolks
are loaded with vitamins, minerals and various powerful nutrients.
They’re high
in Lutein and Zeaxanthine, antioxidants that can protect the eyes and reduce
your risk of eye diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration.
Eggs are
also loaded with choline, a brain nutrient that about 90% of people aren’t
getting enough of.
Eggs also
contain high quality protein and healthy fats. Several studies suggest that
they can help you lose weight.
Really…
whole eggs are an amazing food. The yolk is where almost all the nutrients are
found, throwing it away is the absolute worst thing you can do.
Also let’s
not forget that eggs are cheap, taste amazing and are super easy to prepare.
If you can,
get pastured and/or Omega-3 enriched eggs. They’re healthier and more
nutritious than most “conventional” supermarket eggs.
Bottom Line: Whole eggs are so nutritious that
they’re often called “nature’s multivitamin.” The yolk is where almost all of
the nutrients are found, just eating the whites is a terrible idea.
Dark Chocolate (Cocoa)
Dark
chocolate with a high cocoa content is one of the most nutritious foods you can
eat.
It is loaded
with fiber, iron, magnesium, copper and manganese.
But the
biggest factor is its amazing range of antioxidants.
In fact, a
study showed that cocoa and dark chocolate scored higher than any other food
they tested, which included blueberries and acai berries.
There are
multiple studies in humans showing that dark chocolate has powerful health
benefits… including improved blood flow, a lower blood pressure, reduced
oxidized LDL and improved brain function.
One study
found that people who consumed chocolate 5+ times per week had a 57% lower risk
of heart disease.
Given that
heart disease is the most common cause of death in the world, this finding
could have implications for millions of people.
Make sure to
get dark chocolate with a 70% cocoa content, at least. The best ones contain
85% cocoa or higher.
Eating a
small square of quality dark chocolate every day may be one of the best ways to
“supplement” your diet with additional antioxidants.
By Kris
Gunnars