Robert Z Posted September 15, 2015 Share Posted September 15, 2015 (edited) I got to wondering about the most nutrient-dense foods - those having the greatest nutritional value per calorie - and quickly found a reference. Care to take any guesses at the top 11? A lot of you are going to LOVE number 11! The 11 Most Nutrient Dense Foods on The Planet I'm a huge fan of kale and have been for a few years now. I generally make kale-broccoli-spinach omelets with extra-sharp white cheddar. Mmmmmm! Tonight I bought almond milk [unsweetened] for the first time, which is what made me think of this. I noticed that it has a lot of vitamins for only 35 calories, and less than 1 gram of sugar, per serving. And I like it! Tasty!!! Dairy is my big weakness but I think I can replace a good percentage of my cow's milk intake, with almond milk, pretty easily. Edited September 15, 2015 by Robert Z 6 Link to post Share on other sites
Popsicle Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 Thanks for sharing. I like everything on that list (even liver in pâté!). 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Robert Z Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 Thanks for sharing. I like everything on that list (even liver in pâté!). I found that I had reduced the red meat in my diet so much that I was not getting enough iron. If you don't eat iron-fortified cereals [i don't eat cereal] it is hard to get enough iron without red meat. But I'm not a fan of liver. I'm wondering about options... like liverwurst [is that really made from liver?]. Currently I take a supplement and monitor my iron intake pretty closely. I eat a lot of spinach and vegetables high in iron but it is almost impossible to get enough that way. Liquorish is one great source of iron but how much can you eat every day? I also suspect it is best to get both heme and non-heme iron. And the only way to get heme iron is from red meat. Link to post Share on other sites
Popsicle Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 I love liverwurst too. Pretty sure it's made from liver, it sure tastes like it. Link to post Share on other sites
lollipopspot Posted September 21, 2015 Share Posted September 21, 2015 I'm wondering about options Robert, see this about vegan sources of iron - and there are some tips to increase iron without meat - it's not so difficult Iron 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Robert Z Posted September 21, 2015 Author Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) Robert, see this about vegan sources of iron - and there are some tips to increase iron without meat - it's not so difficult Iron Actually, it is. For a man my age you want something close to 18mg of non-heme iron every day. Do the math using your own reference. Beyond that, because of blood sugar issues I am low carb and don't eat grains, legumes, or any high-starch or high-carb foods. That makes it especially tough. As I said, most people really get a good bit of their iron from breakfast cereals; which are "iron fortified", which means you are really just taking a supplement. Edited September 21, 2015 by Robert Z Link to post Share on other sites
Author Robert Z Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 (edited) Iron iron iron!!! I never knew. Dark chocolate is a better source of iron than liver. It has 7 mg of iron - 39% of the RDA, [3 ounce serving]. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/ Note that while most people don't realize it, many people get most of their iron from their iron-fortified breakfast cereals. I have to compensate because I don't eat breakfast cereals. I don't want to load up on red meat. And I can't eat starches. Long ago I added dark cocoa to my supplements but never knew it is THAT high in iron. I was going for the flavonoids. Popeye should have been eating Godiva Chocolates! I noticed recently that my sensitivity to the flavor of sugar is so high now that I can use unsweetened cocoa, and regular whole milk, to make chocolate milk, and it tastes sweet to me. The natural sugar in the milk is enough. Edited April 14, 2016 by Robert Z Link to post Share on other sites
loveweary11 Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 Novel, alternative foods are great, fun and I eat them too, but just because it's new doesn't mean it's better. Meat is a nutrient dense food. Proteins, iron sometimes. Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 The other day, I had an afternoon hunger pang, so I ate an entire box of strawberry frosted Pop tarts and 2 large chocolate Rice Krispy treats.. I then went to the gym and killed it....Best workout Ive had in a long time... (True story though!)... Lots of my favorites on that list...I eat tons of Sardines as snacks and on my salads....I wish the brand I like was cheaper, but I dont skimp... TFY Link to post Share on other sites
S_A Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 (edited) Thanks for the list. Glad to know Salmon was number 1. I eat that like 4-5 times a week. On days where I don't eat salmon, I tend to eat Kale (with chicken breast), which is #2 I am very surprised by the egg yolks though (it is a pleasant surprise). Edit: I've also been eating 85% Dark Chocolate for a while (Trader Joe's has one). However, I would avoid consuming high quantities of it. Edited April 14, 2016 by S_A Link to post Share on other sites
RecentChange Posted April 14, 2016 Share Posted April 14, 2016 (edited) Hum... I eat much on this list quite often. Salmon, 5-6 times a week. A small serving for lunch 3-4 days a week, then a larger portion for dinner 1 to 2 times a week - I do wonder about mercury though - although I am pretty sure my "lunch" salmon is farmed, not wild caught. I have kale just about every day, usually in a giant salad with shredded Brussels sprouts (W/ orange vinegar and olive oil). I eat it will I cook dinner so I am not so famished! Seaweed - yep again, probably 5 days a week (on my salmon roll, and I love those dried seaweed snacks - wasabi flavor especially) Garlic - in just about every dinner I make. Shellfish - not often! I hardly ever make it at home, but I do love some steamed muscles when eating out. Potatoes - nope, not often. Sweet potatoes about once a week. Liver - nope. Although I do like liverworst - its just so fatty, not part of my regular diet. Sardines - YES, and kipper snacks, and smoked herring, and mustard herring. I love canned fish, I will eat it straight out of the can for a snack, or on a salad. Blueberries -love them, I should eat them more often than I do. Egg yokes- yep, a few times a week, although I eat way more whites than yokes to control calories. Dark chocolate - I Loooove chocolate. I have no will power when it comes to chocolate, and only buy it when I can buy just a small piece at a time - can't have a whole big bar. I WILL eat it :/ IRON - yes, cook in a cast iron pan! I LOOOOVE mine, and use it for 90% of my cooking (no gross non stick surfaces, you can put it in a hot oven, they are wonderful) Edited April 14, 2016 by RecentChange 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author Robert Z Posted April 14, 2016 Author Share Posted April 14, 2016 Novel, alternative foods are great, fun and I eat them too, but just because it's new doesn't mean it's better. What are novel, alternative foods? Link to post Share on other sites
Author Robert Z Posted April 15, 2016 Author Share Posted April 15, 2016 The other day, I had an afternoon hunger pang, so I ate an entire box of strawberry frosted Pop tarts and 2 large chocolate Rice Krispy treats.. I then went to the gym and killed it....Best workout Ive had in a long time... (True story though!)... Yeah, carb loading works, even with simple carbs. But that doesn't make it healthy to eat pop tarts. Was that your point? Eating crap is good? Link to post Share on other sites
KatZee Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 The other day, I had an afternoon hunger pang, so I ate an entire box of strawberry frosted Pop tarts and 2 large chocolate Rice Krispy treats.. I then went to the gym and killed it....Best workout Ive had in a long time... (True story though!)... Lots of my favorites on that list...I eat tons of Sardines as snacks and on my salads....I wish the brand I like was cheaper, but I dont skimp... TFY Of course you did, you were sugar OD'ing! Processed sugar is TERRIBLE for you. Scientifically linked to cancer. All these boxed foods, junk, sugar snacks... slowly killing people. I can't eat stuff like this much anymore. Makes me feel ill and like I haven't fueled my body at all. Just bogged down with garbage. Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 (edited) Of course you did, you were sugar OD'ing! Processed sugar is TERRIBLE for you. Scientifically linked to cancer. All these boxed foods, junk, sugar snacks... slowly killing people. I can't eat stuff like this much anymore. Makes me feel ill and like I haven't fueled my body at all. Just bogged down with garbage. Understood...Probably few people do what I physically do in a typical day...Not trying to compete or anything, just simply stating facts.. I run my own company, but am on my feet for 10-12 hours a day and many days are spent doing heavy physical labor...then I spend 5-6 days a week doing pretty brutal workouts, mostly heavy weight training and some high intensity sprinting/hills and other types of cardio ... A 5'7"ish 224 lb male body(at a measured 14% bf) at my activity level needs a LOT of fuel...I eat a very strictly regimented "clean" diet of 6000-7000 cals a day....Most of it consisting of clean foods(lean meats, fish, eggs, chicken, whole grains/oats, dairy, some veg, etc)...I can basically maintain, or slowly build muscle at this caloric intake..I do not add fat with this "diet"...My bodyfat levels stay pretty consistent...>I do cut a bit during the summer, though...Then I'll tweak it... But then I have no issue eating 6 slices of pizza if I want to or some junk food on occasion...And an entire box of Pop Tarts etc, may be a sugar OD for a sedentary 140 lb person, but its nothing for me...Has no effect on me whatsoever...I have routine blood tests frequently and semi annual heart/cardio exams and always pass with no problems.. We all need to live our lives....We are all gonna die at some point..I'm already over 50(barely), so I have lived pretty long already and am satisfied with my physique and general health......I wouldn't recommend a diet of all junk(although that's basically what my dad did and lived to 84 and never weighed more than 170), I certainly dont see the purpose of never indulging because maybe it might be bad someday....thats crazy, IMO TFY Edited April 17, 2016 by thefooloftheyear 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Taramere Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 I got to wondering about the most nutrient-dense foods - those having the greatest nutritional value per calorie - and quickly found a reference. Care to take any guesses at the top 11? A lot of you are going to LOVE number 11! The 11 Most Nutrient Dense Foods on The Planet I'm a huge fan of kale and have been for a few years now. I generally make kale-broccoli-spinach omelets with extra-sharp white cheddar. Mmmmmm! Tonight I bought almond milk [unsweetened] for the first time, which is what made me think of this. I noticed that it has a lot of vitamins for only 35 calories, and less than 1 gram of sugar, per serving. And I like it! Tasty!!! Dairy is my big weakness but I think I can replace a good percentage of my cow's milk intake, with almond milk, pretty easily. I like everything on that list - except liver if it's cooked to the consistency of old shoe leather (which it usually seems to be). If it's lightly grilled, spiced up a bit and served in a bun with lots of lettuce then it can be quite nice. That's also a fairly cheap nutritious meal. I used to eat it a lot in my student days. Almond milk is great..and it lasts much better than cow's milk. To me, it tastes good in coffee - because I think coffee should have a fairly nutty sort of taste anyway. I go through kale phases. I haven't eaten it for a few weeks, but when I do buy a bag I'll be eating kale omelettes or stir fries for days. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Care to take any guesses at the top 11? meat Dairy is my big weakness mine too, I love cheese, especially a good blue cheese Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 :laugh: TFY Link to post Share on other sites
loveweary11 Posted April 20, 2016 Share Posted April 20, 2016 Understood...Probably few people do what I physically do in a typical day...Not trying to compete or anything, just simply stating facts.. I run my own company, but am on my feet for 10-12 hours a day and many days are spent doing heavy physical labor...then I spend 5-6 days a week doing pretty brutal workouts, mostly heavy weight training and some high intensity sprinting/hills and other types of cardio ... A 5'7"ish 224 lb male body(at a measured 14% bf) at my activity level needs a LOT of fuel...I eat a very strictly regimented "clean" diet of 6000-7000 cals a day....Most of it consisting of clean foods(lean meats, fish, eggs, chicken, whole grains/oats, dairy, some veg, etc)...I can basically maintain, or slowly build muscle at this caloric intake..I do not add fat with this "diet"...My bodyfat levels stay pretty consistent...>I do cut a bit during the summer, though...Then I'll tweak it... But then I have no issue eating 6 slices of pizza if I want to or some junk food on occasion...And an entire box of Pop Tarts etc, may be a sugar OD for a sedentary 140 lb person, but its nothing for me...Has no effect on me whatsoever...I have routine blood tests frequently and semi annual heart/cardio exams and always pass with no problems.. We all need to live our lives....We are all gonna die at some point..I'm already over 50(barely), so I have lived pretty long already and am satisfied with my physique and general health......I wouldn't recommend a diet of all junk(although that's basically what my dad did and lived to 84 and never weighed more than 170), I certainly dont see the purpose of never indulging because maybe it might be bad someday....thats crazy, IMO TFY You gotta work 10 hours a day just to keep up with the grocery bill. I think sugar does its damage when not burned off, which is not happening in your case. I, at my much smaller size (taller though), need to eat a sugar snack after workout days a lot too. I just crave the extra calories. Pizza: I definitely eat a whole large pie every time. ha ha 1 Link to post Share on other sites
truthtripper Posted April 23, 2016 Share Posted April 23, 2016 What about alfalfa, wheat grass and barley grass? Link to post Share on other sites
Buddhist Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 The humble egg is my favourite. I can't eat an egg without the yolk! That's the best part. I eat on average 2 whole eggs a day, poached is my favourite. Link to post Share on other sites
Radu Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 I got to wondering about the most nutrient-dense foods - those having the greatest nutritional value per calorie - and quickly found a reference. Care to take any guesses at the top 11? A lot of you are going to LOVE number 11! The 11 Most Nutrient Dense Foods on The Planet I'm a huge fan of kale and have been for a few years now. I generally make kale-broccoli-spinach omelets with extra-sharp white cheddar. Mmmmmm! Tonight I bought almond milk [unsweetened] for the first time, which is what made me think of this. I noticed that it has a lot of vitamins for only 35 calories, and less than 1 gram of sugar, per serving. And I like it! Tasty!!! Dairy is my big weakness but I think I can replace a good percentage of my cow's milk intake, with almond milk, pretty easily. Will link this around. The funny part is that my family only eats dark chocolate with at least 65% content and recently i had to point out to someone that it's the sugar and other stuff in chocolate that is bad for you, not cocoa. Link to post Share on other sites
Radu Posted June 22, 2016 Share Posted June 22, 2016 Understood...Probably few people do what I physically do in a typical day...Not trying to compete or anything, just simply stating facts.. I run my own company, but am on my feet for 10-12 hours a day and many days are spent doing heavy physical labor...then I spend 5-6 days a week doing pretty brutal workouts, mostly heavy weight training and some high intensity sprinting/hills and other types of cardio ... A 5'7"ish 224 lb male body(at a measured 14% bf) at my activity level needs a LOT of fuel...I eat a very strictly regimented "clean" diet of 6000-7000 cals a day....Most of it consisting of clean foods(lean meats, fish, eggs, chicken, whole grains/oats, dairy, some veg, etc)...I can basically maintain, or slowly build muscle at this caloric intake..I do not add fat with this "diet"...My bodyfat levels stay pretty consistent...>I do cut a bit during the summer, though...Then I'll tweak it... But then I have no issue eating 6 slices of pizza if I want to or some junk food on occasion...And an entire box of Pop Tarts etc, may be a sugar OD for a sedentary 140 lb person, but its nothing for me...Has no effect on me whatsoever...I have routine blood tests frequently and semi annual heart/cardio exams and always pass with no problems.. We all need to live our lives....We are all gonna die at some point..I'm already over 50(barely), so I have lived pretty long already and am satisfied with my physique and general health......I wouldn't recommend a diet of all junk(although that's basically what my dad did and lived to 84 and never weighed more than 170), I certainly dont see the purpose of never indulging because maybe it might be bad someday....thats crazy, IMO TFY Just want to add to this, i totally agree .... there is nothing wrong with a little indulging if overall you lead a healthy lifestyle. Unless the diet is needed to continue on living in a life and death situation. Link to post Share on other sites
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