Nutrient Rich Foods

What exactly is good nutrition?

In the simplest way possible, this means that your body is receiving all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that it requires in order to function efficiently. The easiest way to obtain sufficient levels of nutrients is to plan your meals ahead of time, including snacks that are nutrient-dense.

There are many superfoods which have an extremely high level of nutrients and ability to heal and fuel your body. These foods should be regularly consumed to ensure your health remains optimal.

Additionally to their healing properties, there are several other benefits of consuming foods that are rich in nutrients. These main ones include:

• Overall wellbeing improvements
• Unhealthy food such as takeaways are expensive 
• Weight management due to fewer calories in healthy foods
• Immune system functioning is improved
• The effects of aging are delayed 
• You will feel more energised
• Your risk of chronic diseases are significantly reduced
• Mood stability and improvements from regular nutrition
• You can feel more focus with a high level of mental clarity
• Your life can be lengthened by nutrition

Now you’re aware of the benefits of physically investing into a nutritionally dense diet (such as improved brain function and lower levels of anxiety), it is important you know exactly which foods have the right ingredients to be rich in nutrients. 

Because of this, we have compiled a list of all the most important foods for your overall nutritional needs. The main foods in this list include avocados, beans, eggs and greens. Check out the full list below.

Avocados 

This rich monounsaturated fat contains a number of vitamins and minerals which are essential to a balanced nutritional diet. These nutrients include protein, potassium, vitamin B, vitamin E, magnesium and vitamin K. The avocado’s fat also helps you to absorb each vitamin more effectively.

Lentils and Beans

Beans and lentils are jam packed with protein and build the foundation of most vegetarian meals. These foods are particularly high in zinc and fibre which help maintain a healthy immune system. In addition to this, beans and lentils have also been known to have heart-health benefits and help reduce some types of cancer.

Berries 

This great source of folate and potassium is also rich in vitamin C. Berry’s superpower comes from their phytochemicals which are based in the pigments responsible for their intense colours. These chemicals act as powerful antioxidants that help reduce cell damage in the body and reduce risk of serious diseases. Finally, berries also boost mental clarity and memory.

Brassicas

This is a fancy name for cabbage and it’s cousins (broccoli, cauliflower and sprouts) which are packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants. More research must be done before we can conclude conclusively the link between these types of foods and an improvement in some lower body cancers, but a link has been discovered.

Eggs 

Eggs are a great source of natural vitamin D alongside high quality protein. This is due to their rich amino acid content. They also contain antioxidants that help slow down the effects of aging, particularly of your eyes… eggs help reduce your risk of cataracts and age related diseases.

Leafy greens

This includes a range of foods such as kale, arugula and swiss chard. These types of leafy greens contain an extremely high content of several vitamins and minerals, such as: vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, antioxidants and potassium all while helping you minimise your calorie intake. Similarly to eggs, greens also contain lutein which promote good vision.

Seeds and nuts

Although they’re small, they should be underestimated! These types of food are a great source of vegetable protein and help you to absorb other important nutrients. These small but mighty snacks have also been known to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Oats

Oats are particularly rich in vitamin E and vitamin B alongside magnesium and potassium. When added into oatmeal they have also been found to improve blood pressure, reduce diabetes risk, lower cholesterol and help weight management.

Salmon

It’s no secret that fish is one of the best sources of omega-3 and salmon is no exception. This protein rich fish is very beneficial in better brain functioning and a healthy cardiovascular system. In addition to this, the salmon skin is loaded with fatty-acids, so be sure to include this in your meal or snack.

Sweet potatoes

These potatoes are extremely rich in vitamins C and B6 as well as fibre and beta-carotene in addition to a rapid energy boost. This can be attributed to their natural sugars being slowly released into your system as opposed to all at once. This helps prevent spikes in blood sugar and in turn prevents fatigue. If you want to go one step further with this, purple sweet potatoes contain an increased amount of antioxidants that help reduce your chances of contracting a degenerative disease.