Nutrient Density- Arguably the Best Way to Eat+Bonus Recipe

There are so many different fad diets out there, and I honestly think most of them miss the mark on what really matters. Yes, they can help clean up your diet, and can be great babysteps in your journey towards help… though let’s be honest. Are fad diets really that fun? 

What if eating for optimal health was not constraining, but instead freeing? 

This is where I bring in the concept of nutrient density, which according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition can be the most accurate predictor of a truly healthy diet.

What exactly is nutrient density?

Nutrient density focuses on the nutrition levels of foods such as minerals, vitamins, amino acids, essential fatty acids, etc. in relation to the caloric content of the food.

Food with a high nutrient density profile will offer various vitamins and minerals that fuel the body. 

Think of whole foods which come from well-kept sources, such as beef liver that is sourced from grass-fed beef, or potatoes sourced from a regenerative farming practice.

This can be contrasted by foods low in nutrient density, which have a low mineral to high calorie proportion. An example of this would be corn chips fried in nasty canola oil (check out my post here all about oils!)

Why does nutrient density matter?

As I mentioned above, studies show that nutrient dense lifestyles (You guys know how I feel about the word diet) will be a very accurate predictor of health. Why is this, though, and why is it such a powerful predictor of internal health. 

While many modern-day health issues which we see today involve multiple factors such as stress, lack of sleep, environmental toxins, etc, deficiency of nutrients is strongly correlated with hundreds of the chronic diseases which we see today.

These chronic diseases involve a skyrocketing of autoimmune disorders, thyroid issues, certain cancers, etc. Even insulin resistance has strong correlations with nutrient deficiencies.

This is because the body depends on micronutrients for each of its internal functions.

For example, in order for calcium to properly enter the bones, it requires activation by Vitamin K.

Sodium on potassium must be balanced for proper cell activation.

Magnesium and calcium must be in balance- the list goes on but I think you get the point.

Going back to the chronic diseases above- nutrient deficiency is often a root cause because chronic diseases occur through the body’s inability to perform specific tasks internally.

 Thus, it is vital to fuel the body with a diet full of bioavailable nutrients in order to ensure that the body can perform all of its essential tasks with ease.

How to prioritize nutrient-dense “diets”

The best thing about nutrient-dense eating is that it does not require formulaic tracking, intense restrictive dieting, or much guesswork. It is pretty simple, actually.

By prioritizing a whole-foods diet with diverse meals, quality food, and reducing (potentially eliminating) processed foods, you will be able to consume a nutrient-dense diet!

Let’s break this down even more so that you will know how to get started on this journey!

What are whole-foods and how do they relate to nutrient density?

Whole foods is more than just a grocery store, it is a delicious lifestyle.

The fad-version of this would be considered “clean-eating,” but in the Wisely Rooted Community we step away from fad diets, in order to be innately in tune with our body’s needs.

Whole foods are simply foods at the root of their creation. They are fruits, animal products, grains, legumes, and veggies close to their original state in nature.

Take it a step further through nose-to-tail eating, in which you consume all parts of the animal. The American diet has stepped away from organ meats, but these are an incredible source of bioavailable nutrients for the body.

Liver for example is nature’s multivitamin, with the perfect ratios of nutrient stores within it that your body will happily absorb.

What about diverse foods and nutrient density?

This simply means that while eating whole foods, what you eat gets changed up on a day-to-day basis.

Maybe one morning for breakfast you consume a veggie-packed omelet. Well, the next day you might want to eat some avocado sourdough toast topped with smoked salmon and dill, with a side of raw cheese of course.

This helps to diversify the gut microbiome and keep it flourishing, as well as ensure that throughout the week your body gets a variety of the vitamins and minerals that it needs to keep the metabolism running strong. 

Does quality food really matter when it comes to nutrient density?

Yes, quality food really does matter. If you want truly-nutrient dense foods, you must be aware of where you are sourcing it from.

Not all beef will be the same.

Grass-fed and grass-finished beef will be bursting with so many incredible mineral boosts that your body will flourish on. A cow, however, raised in a factory will not be getting the same nutrients, and may even be absorbing harsh metals and chemicals. This ground beef will not provide you with the same nutrients, and does great disservice to the earth in how it is produced.

Try sourcing your foods from local farmers and ranchers! (The price difference will even out when you will no longer have to spend all of your money on expensive supplements and doctor’s visits!) Plus, you get to support local businesses and create a cleaner earth.

Are processed foods not nutrient dense?

I hate to say it, but processed foods simply give your body empty calories. These are low-nutrient dense foods, and are the culprit of so many chronic issues that we see occurring in Americans today.

On top of being low in nutrients, these often contain harsh chemicals and endocrine disruptors that wreak havoc on the body in so many ways.

They can ultimately drain the nutrient-supply already in your body, until the body is working on empty fuel- while also not receiving any good nutrients from diverse whole foods.

What if I don’t want to say goodbye to ice cream?

Make your own ice cream from raw milk! Most of the things you see in store can be easily prepped at home- and will taste even better.

Prioritize whole foods- and get creative if you are missing your processed foods! Make sourdough bread from scratch, make sweet potato brownies, make home-made cassava-flour tortillas with coconut oil (you can even turn them into chips!!) 

My point is that saying goodbye to processed foods does not mean you have to say goodbye to delicious food. In fact, the more whole foods that you feed your body, the more it will begin to only crave what is packed full of nutrition. Try it for two-weeks and see how you feel!

Nutrient-Dense Foods to Focus On

Here are some yummy nutrient-dense foods that you can begin consuming for a boost in vitamins and minerals:

-Organ meats

-Cooked leafy greens (This makes them the most bioavailable)

-Shellfish

-Seafood

-Colorful fruits

-cruciferous veggies

-Fiber-packed root vegetables

-Raw dairy products

–Bone broth

Key Takeaways

-Nutrient-Density is a big piece in this puzzle called health

-Many chronic diseases are correlated with a lack of nutrients

-Thankfully, we can fight against this by prioritizing nutrient-dense foods

-We do this by eating diverse whole foods and not relying on processed foods for our energy

-Nutrient-dense foods are pretty delicious, and the body craves them the more we choose to eat them.