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Dairy Council Digest Archives
MAKING NUTRIENT-RICH FOOD CHOICES FIRST: KEY TO A HEALTHFUL DIET
Volume 78, Number 5 September/October 2007
Summary
Concern that most Americans are overweight, yet undernourished, has refocused attention on the long-standing, underutilized concept of nutrient density (a ratio of nutrients to calories) to make healthier food choices. It is evident that advice focusing on calories alone or “nutrients to avoid” (e.g., fat, saturated fat, sodium, sugar) has not worked.
The concept of nutrient density underlies the nutrient-rich foods approach to healthy eating. This positive approach has the potential to help consumers choose foods and beverages that are naturally nutrient-rich first, and less nutrient-dense foods within food groups as calorie needs allow. Nutrient-rich foods include brightly colored fruits and vegetables; regular and whole-grain products; low-fat and fat-free milk, cheese, and yogurt; and lean meats, skinless poultry, fish, and legumes.
There is widespread support for nutrient density in scientific, academic, government, and industry communities. In 2003, the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition – a partnership of leading scientific researchers, communication experts, and 12 food commodity groups – was formed to increase understanding of the complex nutrient package of foods and beverages as a means to improve overall diet quality. The Coalition hosted a scientific symposium in early 2004 to explore possible approaches to assessing the nutrient density of foods and beverages with leading researchers. Further support came from the 2005 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee which called for the development of a science-based definition of nutrient density. Choosing nutrient-dense foods is a basic concept emphasized in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid, which translates the Dietary Guidelines into practical advice for consumers.
Despite support for nutrient density, a scientifically agreed upon definition has yet to be established. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines defines nutrient-dense foods on a nutrient to calorie basis: “Nutrient-dense foods are those foods that provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals (micronutrients) and relatively few calories. Foods that are low in nutrient density are foods that supply calories but relatively small amounts of micronutrients, sometimes none at all.”
Different approaches to rank the quality of individual foods and beverages based on their nutrient composition have been proposed (e.g., consideration of desirable nutrients only, undesirable nutrients only, or a combination of both). The Naturally Nutrient Rich score, a nutrient to calorie ratio to assess the nutritional quality of foods, focuses on the beneficial nutrients that are naturally present in foods, rather than mainly emphasizing the less desirable nutrients. A consistently determined nutrient density score could help people implement the Dietary Guidelines, be used on food labels, and form the basis of nutrition policy (e.g., nutrition standards for foods offered in schools).
There is a need to communicate the concept of a nutrient-rich approach to choosing a healthful diet and to provide tools to help people readily identify nutrient-rich foods. To meet this need, the Nutrient Rich Foods Coalition has developed the Live Well! tool kit, an educational guide for health professionals to use with their clients, as well as other resources (e.g., nutrient-rich menus and recipe ideas) found on the web site, www.nutrientrichfoods.org.
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