This nutrient dense foods list or “nutrient rich” foods, list some of the most healthy foods you will ever find. It’s not complete, and will be constantly added to, so bookmark this page!
The interesting thing about the nutrient dense foods list, is that the list is larger than any other class of foods.
When creating your nutrient dense foods list and shopping list you want to choose more from the five first class food categories 80% to 90 – 95% of the time or more for the best health results, and then focus on eating these foods in great tasting ways, making meals and menus from nutrient rich recipes you enjoy.
Keep in mind that you can eat small amounts of animal foods and still eating “nutrient rich” on a total dietary intake basis, it’s just that we don’t promote these foods for nutritional purpose being they are micro nutrient poor.
You can actually see what are the worlds best and healthiest foods to eat by understanding the nutrient profiles of foods by class, soon to be available at superfoodie.me.
This key to this nutrient dense foods list is that they come from the following categories vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds (ideally raw) beans, and whole unrefined grains.
This list of nutrient rich foods is not complete, and will be constantly added to, so bookmark this page!
Vegetables
- Arugula lettuce
- Peas
- Brussels sprouts
- Asparagus
- Bell peppers
- Broccoli
- Romaine lettuce
- Cauliflower
- Carrots
- Garbanzo beans
- Green beans
- Zucchini
- Green onion
- Mushrooms
- Kidney beans
- Okra
- Green cabbage
- Red cabbage
- Red onions
- Red potatoes
- Spinach
- Summer squash
- Sweet potatoes
- Tomatoes
Fruits
- Acai berry
- Blueberries
- Avocados
- Apples
- Apricots
- Bananas
- goji
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Pineapples
- Cranberries
- Grapes
- Watermelon
- Kiwifruit
- Mangos
- Orange juice
- Peaches
- Plums
- Raisins
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
Beans
- Adzuki Beans
- Black Beans
- Black-eyed peas
- Broad Beans (Fava Beans)
- Butter Beans
- Cannellini Beans
- Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
- Edamame
- Italian Beans
- Great Northern Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Lentils
- Lima Beans
- Mung Beans
- Soy Beans, including black soy beans
- White Beans
Nuts and Seeds:
- Almond,
- Filbert,
- Cashew,
- Brazil Nut,
- Pistachio,
- Walnut,
- Pumpkin Seed,
- Sesame Seed,
- Flax Seed,
- Peanuts*,
- Sunflower
- Pine
- hemp seeds
Whole Grains
- Amaranth
- Barley
- Brown rice
- Bulgur (cracked wheat)
- Whole-wheat pasta or couscous
- Millet
- Flaxseed
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Rye
- Spelt
- Wheat berries
- wild rice
No vegetables are the same, it all depends on the soil they are grown in, thus making your list irrelevant. Kelp may be the only veggie you can count on as being nutrient dense and that also depends on where it was harvested. Omitting high nutrient dense meats fish and eggs does an injustice to your readers also.
Hi Grey
We appreciate your response,but would appreciate a more supportive tone. We are not saying all vegetables are the same and we acknowledge that soil is a variable but that does not make the list irrelevant. Not sure I get your point about kelp at all, and frankly despite being rich in some nutrients, animal foods are micro nutrient poor. That’s why the list is the way it is – plant based. It’s not a comprehensive list, but it points people in the direction of eating more plant-based, nutrient rich foods as “nutrient rich” points to foods that have more phytochemicals in them.
yes
Would anyone be able to provide comment on nutritionally rich super foods that they have in underdeveloped economies that we may not know about in North America?
Hi,
I am a FACS high school teacher and I teach food and nutrition. Thank you for this list. Do you have any recipes that include all nutrient dense foods?
KALE is not on the list? Tut tut!
Great list, thanks!