For March’s Nutrition Education tip, SMAA Meals on Wheels Dietician, Elizabeth Varga, explains how to stay full with nutrient-dense foods this spring.

What does nutrient-dense food mean?

Nutrient dense foods are typically full of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients important for our health. These foods often don’t contain high amounts of salt, added sugars, or fats which helps in reducing chronic diseases. Our diets tend to be full of energy-rich foods that give us quick bursts of energy but oftentimes don’t give us all the nutrients we need. Examples of these foods include bagels, pastries, chips, crackers, and cookies.

So, what are the foods that can provide us with energy and the nutrients we need?

These foods include fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins, and lean protein like turkey, chicken, or fish. These foods may be the main source of carbohydrates or protein in your meals but also provide ample amounts of vitamins and minerals too! 

A great example of comparing nutrient-dense food to non-nutrient-dense food is looking at the nutrition facts label between two types of bread. The white bread option may only have 80 calories per slice, but be very low in fiber and other B-vitamins important to our health. The whole grain bread option has the same number of calories per slice but more fiber (4-5 grams), more protein, more B-vitamins, potassium and magnesium. In other words – same calories, more nutrients. Other common nutrient-dense swaps that can provide more vitamins and minerals are switching from white rice to brown rice, using low-fat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, and choosing to add veggies as toppings to pizzas, nachos and other meals.