13 Best Nutrient-Dense Foods to Add to Your Meals

 You can support your overall health by choosing foods with the greatest amount and variety of nutrients. No single food provides all the nutrients you need, so a varied diet is more nutritious.

First, you’ll need to limit or avoid highly processed foods with many calories but little nutritional value. Some of them even increase inflammation and negatively affect your health.

Then, start adding nutritious foods to your eating plan. The foods in this list contain beneficial nutrients that may:

• help reduce inflammation
• reduce oxidative stress and cellular damage that can contribute to cancer and other diseases
• help regulate the body’s essential functions like digestion
• support healthy organ function
• lower your risk of or help manage diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and dementia

Keep reading to learn which foods are most nutritious and how they support your health. 

1. Salmon

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Oily fish, such as salmon, is high in omega-3 fatty acids. These are essential nutrients, which means you can only get them from foods. Every cell in your body needs omega-3 fatty acids. They are necessary forTrusted Source the correct functioning of your:

• brain
• eyes
• heart
• blood vessels
• lungs
• immune system
• endocrine system

A 100-gram serving of wild Atlantic salmon contains about 2.2 grams (g)Trusted Source of omega-3s and 25.4 g of high quality animal protein. It also provides vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, potassium, selenium, and B vitamins.

Salmon tastes good and is fairly simple to prepare. It also tends to make you feel full with relatively few calories.

When buying fish, always check it comes from a sustainable source.

2. Sardines

Sardines are small, oily fish that you can eat whole, including the organs, bones, and other nutritious parts. They containTrusted Source a little of almost every nutrient your body needs.

Like other fatty fish, they’re also high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Plus, they’re low in mercury compared to larger fish.

3. Kale

Kale is a green, leafy vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and various bioactive compounds. Brassicas like kale and cabbage also containTrusted Source cancer-fighting compounds.

It provides vitamins C, A, K, and B6, potassium, calcium, magnesium, copper, and manganese. A one-cup serving has only 9 caloriesTrusted Source.

4. Seaweed

There are many types of seaweed and ways to use it in food. Nori, for instance, is used to wrap sushi.

Seaweed providesTrusted Source minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and manganese.

It is also high in iodine, a mineral your body uses to make thyroid hormones.

Some test tube and animal studiesTrusted Source suggest that polysaccharides and other nutrients in seaweed may also have antioxidant properties. This means they could help protect against oxidative stress, which contributes to inflammation and other health issues.

5. Garlic

Garlic is both tasty and healthy. It’s highly nutritious and contains bioactive compounds that have confirmed disease-fighting properties.

Garlic providesTrusted Source:

• vitamins C
• B1,
• B6
• calcium
• potassium
• copper
• manganese
• selenium
• allicin, a sulfur compound

While more research is needed, some evidenceTrusted Source suggests allicin and garlic may help reduce the risk of heart disease by:

• lowering blood pressure
• reducing total and LDL (bad) cholesterol
• raising HDL (good) cholesterol

A high intake of vegetables from the garlic family has also been linked to a lower riskTrusted Source of gastrointestinal cancer.

6. Shellfish

Clams, oysters, scallops, and mussels are types of shellfish that can be highly nutritious. They’re very high in important nutrients like vitamin B12 and zinc.

Clams are a good sourceTrusted Source of B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12. They also provide vitamin C, potassium, selenium, and iron.

As with other fish, be sure to obtain sustainable and safe shellfish, as some seafood can contain mercury and other toxins.

7. Potatoes

Potatoes are good sourcesTrusted Source of potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese. They also contain vitamin C and most B vitamins. If you eat them with their peels, they provide a good source of fiber.

A 2021 studyTrusted Source of data for adolescents in the United States found that those who eat potatoes are more likely to have higher levels of essential nutrients, such as B vitamins, fiber, protein, and a range of minerals, than those who don’t. However, there could be various reasons for this.

Potatoes are a high-satiety food and provide resistant starch, making them satisfying and filling. Some researchTrusted Source suggests they may be more filling than other high carb foods, such as rice or pasta. This can help people manage their weight, as they are less likely to snack after eating potatoes.

8. Liver

One function of the liver is to store important nutrients for the rest of the body. As a food, this makes animal liver highly nutritious.

A 3.5-ounceTrusted Source (100-gram) portion of beef liver contains significant amounts of:

• vitamin B12
• vitamin B5, vitamin B6, niacin, and folate
• vitamin B2
• vitamin A
• copper
• iron, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium
• high quality animal protein

Eating liver once per week is a good way to ensure that you get optimal amounts of these vital nutrients.

9. Berries

Many berries provide an excellent source of antioxidants.

Blueberries, for instance, contain anthocyanins and other polyphenols. Some researchTrusted Source suggests these compounds can cross the blood-brain barrier and have a neuroprotective function.

The possible health effects of blueberries include:

• improvementsTrusted Source in thinking and mood
• enhancing endothelial function, essential for healthy blood flow, such as in this studyTrusted Source of postmenopausal people with low estrogen and high blood pressure
• inhibitTrusted Source the growth of cancer cells

However, more research is needed to confirm these findings.

10. Eggs

Whole eggs are so nutritious that they’re sometimes called “nature’s multivitamin.” The yolk contains most of the nutrients.

Eggs provideTrusted Source high quality protein and healthy fats and are a satisfying food. Their high satiety value means you are less likely to be hungry soon after eating. Because of this, eating eggs for breakfast may helpTrusted Source with weight loss.

Egg yolks contain vitamins, minerals, and various powerful nutrients, including choline. They’re also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that can protect your eyesTrusted Source and reduce your risk of eye diseases like cataracts and macular degeneration.

They are also cheap, flavorful, and easy to prepare.

11. Bitter melon

Momordica charantia, also known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, is a cucumber-shaped vegetable with antioxidant properties.

It is commonly grown across parts of Asia, South America, and Africa and has long beenTrusted Source a traditional medicine or medicinal food in some regions.

Research suggests the nutrients it contains may:

• help manageTrusted Source blood sugar levels in people with diabetes
• protect the brain and improve memory in people with Alzheimer’s disease
• haveTrusted Source anticancer properties

One 130-g cupTrusted Source of cooked bitter melon contains 53 calories and also provides:

• fiber
• calcium
• magnesium
• potassium
• B vitamins
• vitamins K, C, and A

12. Cocoa and dark chocolate

Cocoa powder containsTrusted Source iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, and antioxidants. A cup of cocoa with milk but no added sugar can make a nutritious treat.

Some studies have suggested that eating dark chocolate with a 70 to 85%Trusted Source cocoa content may reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease.

However, the nutrients you can get from eating a reasonable amount of chocolate are unlikely to have significant health benefits.