12 Of The Most Nutrient-Dense Foods You Can Eat (2024)

You can support your overall health by choosing foods with the greatest amount and variety of nutrients. No single food provides all the nutrients you need, so a varied diet is more nutritious.

First, you’ll need to limit or avoid highly processed foods with many calories but little nutritional value. Some of them even increase inflammation and negatively affect your health.

Then, start adding nutritious foods to your eating plan. The foods in this list contain beneficial nutrients that may:

Keep reading to learn which foods are most nutritious and how they support your health.

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Oily fish, such as salmon, is high in omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential nutrients, which means you can only get them from foods. Every cell in your body needs omega-3 fatty acids. They are necessary for the correct functioning of your:

A 100-gram serving of wild Atlantic salmon contains about 2.2 grams (g) of omega-3s and 25.4 g of high quality animal protein. It also provides vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, potassium, selenium, and B vitamins.

Salmon tastes good and is fairly simple to prepare. It also tends to make you feel full with relatively few calories.

Sardines are small, oily fish that you can eat whole, including the organs, bones, and other nutritious parts. They contain a little of almost every nutrient your body needs.

Like other fatty fish, they’re also high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Plus, they’re low in mercury compared to larger fish.

Kale is a green, leafy vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and various bioactive compounds. Brassicas like kale and cabbage also contain cancer-fighting compounds.

It provides vitamins C, A, K, and B6, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and manganese. A one-cup serving has only 9 calories.

There are many types of seaweed and ways to use it in food. Nori, for instance, is used to wrap sushi.

Seaweed provides minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and manganese.

Some test tube and animal studies suggest that polysaccharides and other nutrients in seaweed may also have antioxidant properties. This means they could help protect against oxidative stress, which contributes to inflammation and other health issues.

Garlic is both tasty and healthy. It’s highly nutritious and contains bioactive compounds that have confirmed disease-fighting properties.

While more research is needed, some evidence suggests allicin and garlic may help reduce the risk of heart disease by:

A high intake of vegetables from the garlic family has also been linked to a lower risk of gastrointestinal cancer.

How to peel garlic

Clams, oysters, scallops, and mussels are types of shellfish that can be highly nutritious. They’re very high in important nutrients like vitamin B12 and zinc.

Clams are a good source of B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12. They also provide vitamin C, potassium, selenium, and iron.

As with other fish, be sure to obtain sustainable and safe shellfish, as some seafood can contain mercury and other toxins.

Potatoes are good sources of potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese. They also contain vitamin C and most B vitamins. If you eat them with their peels, they provide a good source of fiber.

A 2021 study of data for adolescents in the United States found that those who eat potatoes are more likely to have higher levels of essential nutrients, such as B vitamins, fiber, protein, and a range of minerals, than those who don’t. However, there could be various reasons for this.

Potatoes are a high-satiety food and provide resistant starch, making them satisfying and filling. Some research suggests they may be more filling than other high carb foods, such as rice or pasta. This can help people manage their weight, as they are less likely to snack after eating potatoes.

One function of the liver is to store important nutrients for the rest of the body. As a food, this makes animal liver highly nutritious.

A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) portion of beef liver contains significant amounts of:

Eating liver once per week is a good way to ensure that you get optimal amounts of these vital nutrients.

Many berries provide an excellent source of antioxidants.

Blueberries, for instance, contain anthocyanins and other polyphenols. Some research suggests these compounds can cross the blood-brain barrier and have a neuroprotective function.

However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.

Whole eggs are so nutritious that they’re sometimes called “nature’s multivitamin.” The yolk contains most of the nutrients.

Eggs provide high quality protein and healthy fats and are a satisfying food. Their high satiety value means you are less likely to be hungry soon after eating. Because of this, eating eggs for breakfast may help with weight loss.

Egg yolks contain vitamins, minerals, and various powerful nutrients, including choline. They’re also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that can protect your eyes and reduce your risk of eye diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration.

They are also cheap, flavorful, and easy to prepare.

Momordica charantia, also known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, is a cucumber-shaped vegetable with antioxidant properties.

It is commonly grown across parts of Asia, South America, and Africa and has long been a traditional medicine or medicinal food in some regions.

Research suggests the nutrients it contains may:

One 130-g cup of cooked bitter melon contains 53 calories and also provides:

You can try it in the following recipes:

Cocoa powder contains iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, and antioxidants. A cup of cocoa with milk but no added sugar can make a nutritious treat.

Some studies have suggested that eating dark chocolate with a 70 to 85% cocoa content may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

However, the nutrients you can get from eating a reasonable amount of chocolate are unlikely to have significant health benefits.

The American Heart Association recommends eating a little chocolate for enjoyment but not necessarily for its health benefits.

Which food is the most nutrient-dense?

No single food can provide all the nutrients you need. Still, potatoes are high in nutrients and relatively easy to produce in many places, making them the most important non-cereal staple crop worldwide and essential for food security in many places.

However, fried potatoes and potato chips may be detrimental to health due to added fat and factors related to processing. Baked potatoes in their peels are likely the healthiest option.

Other nutrient-dense options include whole eggs and fatty fish.

What is the number 1 healthiest food in the world?

It is not possible to identify a single healthiest food, but the healthiest diet contains a variety of fresh, plant-based foods, lean protein, and a range of nutrients.

What are some of the most nutritious foods?

Oily fish, eggs, avocados, potatoes, and green leafy vegetables are some of the most nutritious foods.

However, no food provides all the nutrients we need, so it’s essential to have a varied diet that includes plenty of fresh ingredients and is as little processed as possible.

The more processed a food is, the more likely nutrients are to be destroyed and unwanted nutrients, such as sugar or additives, to be added.

What is one food you can survive on?

It is unlikely that a person could survive for long on a single food source. Still, the choice would depend on many factors, such as where you lived, access to cooking facilities, water content (if you didn’t have access to water), and the availability of the food.

Dates are high in antioxidants, minerals, and other nutrients. They provide energy and can help sustain life in harsh desert conditions. Some research suggests they may have health benefits. However, they do not provide the protein or other nutrition you need in the long term.

People have also used potatoes as a survival food, but eating only potatoes would likely have a negative effect on your health.

Nutrient-dense foods are rich in nutrients relative to their calorie content. These include various foods such as whole vegetables, fruits, cocoa, seafood, eggs, and liver.

Adding these foods to your diet can make it more nutritious.

Typically, however, the best diet will always contain as wide a variety of fresh foods as you can obtain and afford, as no single food can provide all the nutrients your body needs.