Foods That Maximize Nutrition for the Calories

Designing a healthful diet is definitely a balancing act that must take several important things into consideration. The three main concerns are the amount of energy in calories foods will provide, the amount of nutrients the body will receive from those foods, and how appetizing and tasty those foods will be. Nutrition is important when exercising, and a little knowledge of the food you put into your body will make a big difference.

The first two categories consider the cost/benefit relationship to health of the all-too-familiar calorie counting system that we must examine on foods. The final category is a matter of lifestyle, deciding how much of a benefit taste will be. No matter how well a meal stacks up in the first two categories, if it doesn’t make a certain grade on taste, no one will eat it.

Nutrient Density

Adding nutrient dense foods to the diet ensures that the body will receive the maximum load of vitamins, minerals, proteins and healthful fats relative to the number of calories they provide. One of the ways nutrient density is measured is by the ANDI scale or Aggregate Nutrient Density Index.