Sunday, March 9, 2014

How Do I Know if a Food is Nutrient Dense? (from: UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, LEXINGTON, KY, 40546, USA)

How Do I Know if a Food is Nutrient Dense?

Nutrient-dense foods have:

(1) Few added solid fats, such as butter, margarine, shortening or lard
(2) Little added sugar  
(3) Little added refined starch found in white bread
(4) Small amounts of solid fats naturally present in the food
(5) Little added sodium from salt and preservatives commonly used in ready-to-eat meals
(6) Naturally occurring compo-nents such as fiber still pres-ent in the food, that is, these compounds have not been removed by processing

Even if you do not know the nutrients present in certain foods, remember that fruits, vegeta-bles, fat-free milk, lean meats, and whole grains are nutrient dense.

Candy, pastries, chips, bacon, and sugar-sweetened beverages are less nutrient dense. These foods contain added sugar, solid fats, and refined starch, and they provide few essential nutrients.

Info source: http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/fcs3/fcs3559/fcs3559.pdf

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