Nutrient Density

How nutrient dense a food is, is how many nutrients it contains. These nutrients range from macronutrients like protein, carbs, and fats, to all your vitamins and minerals.

Foods that are more nutrient dense are things like fruit, vegetables, nuts, pulses, and meat.

They are high in fibre or protein and contain plenty of vitamins and minerals that are essential for our bodily functions.

Foods that typically don’t contain many nutrients are things like baked products.

Biscuits, cakes, chocolates, pastries, that are predominantly made of just sugar and fats.

They contain very few vitamins, minerals, not a lot of fibre or protein.

So when it comes to health, consuming the majority of your calories from foods that are more nutrient dense is going to be beneficial.

But just because something is nutrient dense, doesn’t mean it isn’t also calorie dense.

Things such as nuts, seeds, oils, are some of the most calorie dense foods there are.

Which is where the danger lies in calling things just – good or bad, healthy or unhealthy, fattening or slimming.

Nuts and seeds provide our bodies with essential fats. They’re packed with goodness.

But as a result, they contain a huge number of calories. 100g of nuts, which is only a bit more than a hand full, would be around 700 calories. Which is more than most meals!

Previously you may have eaten these things as much as you pleased believing – it’s okay, they’re “healthy”, no problem.

But fat loss doesn’t come down to whether you are eating a nutrient dense diet or not. It will always come down to calories in vs calories out.

You could be eating the healthiest, densely nutrient packed diet in the world, but if you are over consuming calories, you will gain weight.

You could be eating a diet low in nutrients, but if you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight.

So it isn’t just as simple as looking at foods as “healthy” or “unhealthy”.

This is one of the reasons why tracking your calories is so important for your learning. Because by doing so, you get a better understanding of the foods you are eating as a whole.
Allowing you to make better decisions when choosing what to eat.