Foods with high nutritional value
Foods with a high nutritional value provide a lot of nutrients, in exchange for a small amount of calories, and therefore it is called the term food with a high nutritional density (in English: Nutrient dense food), and in the following are the advantages of these foods:
Rich in all of the following:
- vitamins; B vitamins, and vitamin C.
- minerals; such as iron, calcium, and zinc.
- Dietary fiber.
- little or no of the following:
- Fats.
- added sugar; like white sugar, and salt.
- refined carbohydrates; Like white bread and white rice.
Examples of foods with high nutritional value
Here are examples of foods with high nutritional value from different food groups:
Whole grains and their products: They are characterized by being low in fat and high in fiber that maintain the health of the digestive system and reduce appetite. Examples include:
- Whole wheat and its products: such as brown bread, whole wheat pasta, brown flour, and bulgur.
- Whole rice: such as brown rice or wild rice.
- Other grains: oats, barley, quinoa, and others.
Vegetables: Vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and low in fat. Some examples of them follow:
- Leafy vegetables: such as spinach, mallow, watercress, radish leaves, and others.
- Non-starchy vegetables: such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, and others, and they are low in calories.
- Starchy vegetables: such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, and corn, which must be eaten in moderation.
Fruits: Fruits include bananas, apples, melons, grapes, peaches, and citrus fruits; Like oranges, the fruits are characterized by the following:
- Most fruits are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories.
- A source of fiber, and rich in some elements that are often not obtained sufficiently; such as potassium, and some vitamins; As vitamin C, and folate.
- It is recommended to get the whole fruit, not its juice. Because it is less fiber and useful elements.
Proteins: It is recommended to grill different meats, or cook them using a very small amount of vegetable oil, and examples of them are:
- Poultry: It is recommended to remove the skin from the chicken to reduce the fat intake.
- Fish: It is recommended to choose fresh varieties, and if they are not available, you can choose frozen or canned, paying attention to the fact that they are low in salt.
- Meat: It is recommended to choose low-fat parts of meat, and to remove visible fat before cooking.
- Legumes: such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, dried beans, and others.
- eggs
Milk and its products: It is recommended to choose low-fat or fat-free varieties:
- Low-fat or skim milk.
- Low-fat or fat-free milk or yogurt.
- Low-fat cheese, such as ricotta and cottage cheese.
Healthy fats: They contain unsaturated fats, and attention must be paid to the amount consumed. They are rich in calories, even if they are healthy, and examples include:
- Like nuts with less salt.
- avocado.
- Seeds: chia seeds, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds.
- Vegetable oils: such as sunflower oil, corn oil.
Tips for eating foods rich in nutrients
Moderation and not exaggerating in eating: It is worth noting that even if the food is healthy, like the examples mentioned above, it must be moderate in eating it, because eating any type of food in large quantities will lead to weight gain.
Reading the food label: When buying various commercial products, it is necessary to look at the nutritional facts listed behind the envelopes, and it is better to choose foods that are low in fats, sugars, and sodium (salt), and in the following clarification:
Sugars in foods:
- It is high in sugars when it contains 22.5 grams per 100 grams.
- They are low in sugar when they contain 5 grams or less per 100 grams.
- Salt in food: Food is high in salt when it contains 1.5 grams per 100 grams.
- Fat in food:
- It is high in total fat when it contains 17.5 grams per 100 grams.
- It is low in total fat when it contains 3 grams or less per 100 grams.
Gradual change of eating habits: It is not required to change all food patterns at once, so you can start with some simple steps, including:
- Replace soft and sugary drinks with water.
- Replacing full-fat products with low-fat ones, with the need to look at the food label. As some of them may be rich in sugar.
- get a healthy snack; Like vegetables and fruits, instead of potato chips, for example.
The difference between foods with high nutritional value and other foods
There are some types of food that are called energy dense food. It is the one that contains a large amount of calories, compared to a small amount of nutrients, for example: a medium apple contains 80 calories; It provides some vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients, while a piece of sweet cake contains 200 calories, with a few nutrients, and is rich in sugars and fats.[7] This does not mean that eating these foods is forbidden, but rather it is advised not to Consuming it on a daily basis, or in large quantities.