Different Kinds Of Nutrient-Dense Foods

It is always vital to pay attention to the kind of foods you eat. This is the best way to ensure you get all the nutrients needed. Eating many kinds of foods from all the food groups make it easier to get the all the nutrients you needed for both growth as well as staying healthy. 

Fruits: The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 recommends taking 2 servings of fruits every day. Fruits are the best source of vitamin A (carotenoids), vitamin C, folate, and potassium. They are rich in both dietary fiber as well as nutrients and they happen to be cholesterol-free, low in fats, sodium and calories. Eat at least 2 servings of fruits. Fruits differ in their nutrient contents; therefore try to diversify your fruit choices every day. Choose fruits that are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. Eat them cut-up, whole, pureed, or as 100% fruit juice.

A diet rich in fruits helps reduce the risk for stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers such as mouth, stomach, and colon-rectum, kidney stones, as well as bone loss.

Fruit Sources of Each Nutrient:

• Potassium: bananas, prunes and prune juice, dried peaches and apricots, pomegranates, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapefruits, oranges/orange juice.
• Dietary fiber: Use whole or cut-up fruits with skin. Fruit juices contain little or no fiber.
• Vitamin C: Pomegranates, guava, kiwi, oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, papaya, pineapple and mangoes.
• Folate ( folic acid): Oranges and avocados.
• Phytochemicals: The two common ones are Anthocyanins in blueberries, cherries, blackberries, and raspberries and Quercitin in apples.
• Vegetables: Eat at least 3 servings of vegetables each day. No single vegetable contains all nutrients required for our body to function properly and we need to consume a large variety of vegetables daily.

Vegetables are a source of invaluable nutrients. 

• Vitamin A: Orange vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach, collards, turnip greens are sources of vitamin A.
• Vitamin C: Broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes and leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, turnip greens, and spinach are sources of Vitamin C.
• Folate: Cooked dry beans and peas, peanuts and dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach and mustard greens, romaine lettuce are good sources of folate.
• Potassium: Baked white or sweet potato, and cooked greens are rich in potassium.
• Proteins: Many vegetables are also important sources of proteins: peas and beans contain the highest proportion, but potatoes also have a significant amount, as do green leaves and the cabbage family, especially Brussels sprouts.

Milk and low-fat milk products: Milk and milk products play an important part in our diet. Get enough low-fat or fat-free milk, or equivalent foods made from milk. Dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt and fromage frais are great sources of protein and vitamins A and B12.  They're also an important source of calcium.

Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and beans: Eat enough lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, or beans as they're all important sources of protein, iron, zinc, and B vitamins. Avoid processed meat used in hot dogs, sausage, pepperoni, bacon, ham and luncheon meat as they are high in fat and sodium. To avoid meat that is high in fat, you can exercise a few measures such as choosing leaner cuts like chuck, bottom round or top round of beef, pork loin or lamb shank. You can trim fat from meat before cooking it. You can also take the skin off chicken to minimize the fats. Eggs too are a good source of iron and protein.

Bread, cereals, rice, and pasta: Eat at least half of your grain foods as whole grains. Grain foods like bread, cereals, rice, and pasta are valuable sources of energy and are good for you. They are important sources of vitamins and minerals. Bread, cereals, rice, and pasta are also good sources of carbohydrates like starch and fiber. Choose whole-grain over white-grain foods, such as oatmeal, brown rice, grits, corn tortillas and whole wheat bread. Use brown rice instead of white rice. All these types of food make up the essential steps towards having a healthy diet that goes a long way to make your health better.