Nutrient dense foods can be extremely healthy for people. These meals are packed with vitamins and minerals that people need to survive. Some examples of nutrient-dense foods include salmon, kale, seaweed, garlic, shellfish, potatoes, liver, blueberries, and egg yolks. However, these foods can also be extremely high in caloric count. The average potato has about 163 calories, but it’s loaded with potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, and manganese.
Calorie-dense foods, on the other hand, are extremely useful for people who exercise a great deal or who have an extremely physically demanding job. A calorie is a unit of energy. If people use a high amount of energy, they need to replace it with high-calorie foods such as nuts, seeds, butter, fats, chocolate, dried fruit, fruit juice, avocado, whole grains, milk, oily fish, and meat. About 3 ounces of ground pork has 334 calories.
So, if you’re losing weight, which is more important? The answer: nutrient-dense foods. These kinds of meals will not only have the nutrients you need to keep your body going, such as protein, carbs, fats, vitamins, and minerals, but they offer the most boost with the least amount of calories.
Let’s take two foods, for example, avocados and kale. One cup of each will give you 2.9 grams of protein, which you need to build healthy muscles, repair tissues, and make various important body chemicals. However, the avocado has 234 calories and 21 grams of fat compared to kale, which has 33 calories and 0.6 grams of fat. You would need to eat 7 cups of kale to reach the numbers in the avocado.
Calories are necessary, even when you’re losing weight. However, making the wise decision to increase your nutrients while decreasing unnecessary calories will help you meet your weight goals. After all, unused calories are stored in our fat cells for later use. If your body lacks sufficient calories to cover your daily activities, then that is when those stored fat cells get used up.
If you want to be healthier, consider calling us about our Louisiana weight loss program. We offer targeted solutions for rapid and long-lasting results. Contact us at (504) 475-9817 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation today.