Ask Leah! The Ingles Dietitian

Sponsored: Nutrient Dense versus Calorie Dense

Sponsored: Nutrient Dense versus Calorie Dense

Have you heard the term "nutrient dense"? This often means something very different than calorie dense.

A food or beverage that is nutrient dense is a good source of nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and fiber. 

A food that is calorie dense is a good source of calories- but usually not a good source of nutrients, or the nutrients may be overwhelmed by the amount of fat, sugar and sodium.

Here are some examples:

Nutrient dense               

  • Apple
  • 3 oz cooked baked chicken
  • Baked potato
  • 8 oz glass of milk

Calorie Dense

Related Items

  • Apple Pie
  • Fried chicken nuggets with sauce
  • French fries
  • 12 oz sugar-sweetened soda

Make more of your choices NUTRIENT dense - rather than CALORIE dense!

Leah McGrath, RDN, LDN

Ingles Markets Corporate Dietitian

twitter.com/InglesDietitian

facebook.com/LeahMcgrathDietitian

800-334-4936

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