There is only a limited amount of food you can eat in a single day.
To maximize the amount of nutrients you take in, it makes sense to spend your calorie budget wisely.
The best way to do that is to simply eat the foods that carry the greatest amount and variety of nutrients.
Here are the 11 most nutrient-dense foods on the planet.
Not all fish is created equal.
Salmon — and other fatty types of fish — contain the greatest amount of omega-3s fatty acids.
Omega-3s are extremely important for the optimal function of your body. They’re linked to improved wellbeing and a lower risk of many serious diseases
Although salmon is mainly prized for its beneficial composition of fatty acids, it also packs a massive amount of other nutrients.
A 100-gram piece of wild salmon contains 2.8 grams of omega-3s, along with lots of high-quality animal protein and ample vitamins and minerals, including large amounts of magnesium, potassium, selenium and B vitamins
It is a good idea to eat fatty fish at least once or twice a week to get all the omega-3s your body needs.
Studies show that people who eat fatty fish regularly have a lower risk of heart disease, dementia, depression and many other common diseases
Also, salmon tastes good and is fairly simple to prepare. It also tends to make you feel full with relatively few calories.
If you can, choose wild salmon instead of farmed. It is more nutritious, has a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio and is less likely to contain contaminants
Of all the healthy leafy greens, kale is the king.
It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and various bioactive compounds.
A 100-gram portion of kale contains
The same amount has 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and only 50 calories.
Kale may be even healthier than spinach. Both are very nutritious, but kale is lower in oxalates, which are substances that can bind minerals like calcium in your intestine, preventing them from being absorbed
Kale and other greens are also high in various bioactive compounds, including isothiocyanates and indole-3-carbinol, which have been shown to fight cancer in test-tube and animal studies
The sea has more than just fish. It also contains massive amounts of vegetation.
There are thousands of different plant species in the ocean, some of which are very nutritious. Usually, they are referred to collectively as seaweed
Seaweed is popular in dishes like sushi. Many sushi dishes also include a type of seaweed known as nori, which is used as an edible wrapping.
In many cases, seaweed is even more nutritious than land vegetables. It is particularly high in minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium and manganese
It is also loaded with various bioactive compounds, including phycocyanins and carotenoids. Some of these substances are antioxidants with powerful anti-inflammatory capacities
Garlic really is an amazing ingredient.
Not only can it turn all sorts of bland dishes delicious, it is also very nutritious.
It is high in vitamins C, B1 and B6, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium .
Garlic is also high in beneficial sulfur compounds such as allicin.
Many sea animals are high in nutrients, but shellfish may be among the most nutritious of all.
Commonly consumed types of shellfish include clams, oysters, scallops and mussels.
Clams are among the best sources of vitamin B12 in existence, with 100 grams of clams supplying over 16 times the RDI. They are also loaded with vitamin C, various B vitamins, potassium, selenium and iron
Oysters are also very nutritious. Only 100 grams supply 600% of the RDI for zinc, 200% of the RDI for copper and large amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin D and several other nutrients
Though shellfish are among the world’s most nutritious foods, most people rarely consume them.
A single large potato is high in potassium, magnesium, iron, copper and manganese. It also contains vitamin C and most B vitamins
They contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need. There are accounts of people living on nothing but potatoes for a long time.
They are also one of the most filling foods. When researchers compared the satiety value of different foods, boiled potatoes scored higher than any other food measured (28
If you allow potatoes to cool after cooking, they also form resistant starch, a fiber-like substance with many powerful health benefits
Humans and our remote ancestors have been eating animals for millions of years.
However, the modern Western diet has prioritized muscle meat over organ meats. Compared to the organs, muscle meat is nutritionally poor.
Out of all the organs, liver is by far the most nutritious.
The liver is a remarkable organ with hundreds of functions related to metabolism. One of its functions is to store important nutrients for the rest of your body.
Given that the organs are usually the most nutritious parts of an animal, it is not surprising that whole sardines are very nourishing.
They contain a little bit of almost every nutrient that your body needs and are nearly nutritionally perfect
Like other fatty fish, they’re also very high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
When it comes to the nutritional value of fruits, blueberries are in a league of their own.
Although not as high — calorie for calorie — in vitamins and minerals as vegetables, they’re packed with antioxidants.
They are loaded with powerful antioxidant substances, including anthocyanins and various other plant compounds, some of which can cross the blood-brain barrier and exert protective effects on your brain
One study found that blueberries improved memory in older adults
Egg yolks have been unfairly demonized because of their cholesterol content.
However, studies show that dietary cholesterol isn’t something you generally need to worry about.
Eating moderate amounts of cholesterol doesn’t raise the “bad” LDL cholesterol in your blood
