Nutritional Density and Energy Value: Why They Are Not the Same
1 min read
💡 Key Takeaways
Nutrient density and energy value are two ways to measure a food that describe different things. Confusing them leads to incorrect dietary decisions. This article explains the difference and why it matters.
Nutrient density measures micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals) in relation to calories.
Energy value (caloric density) measures calories per 100g of food.
A food can be calorically dense and nutritionally dense at the same time (almonds) or neither (diet soda).
Confusion leads to excluding nutritious foods for being "caloric" and including nutrient-poor foods for being "low in calories."
Cruciferous and leafy green vegetables have very high nutrient density and very low caloric density.
The article is based on Darmon et al. (2005), who analyzed the correlation between caloric and nutritional density in 637 foods, and on Fuhrman's ANDI scoring system.
