Fundamentals of Nutrition - Nutrient Density, Energy Density, Examples of Nutrient Dense and Energy Dense Foods

This article discusses the fundamentals of nutrition, including nutrient density and energy density. It provides examples of nutrient dense and energy dense foods and explains the importance of consuming nutrient dense foods for a healthy diet. The article also includes a discussion on the nutrient content of salmon fish and the risks associated with consuming low nutrient dense foods like soft drinks.

Running head: FUNDAMENTALS OF NUTRITION
FUNDAMENTALS OF NUTRITION
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1FUNDAMENTALS OF NUTRITION
1. Nutrient density- Nutrient density can be defined as the proportion of the nutrients
present in food. It generally determines the percentage of the micronutrients and the
macronutrients present in the food (Food and Drug Administration 2014).
2. Energy density- Energy density can be defined as the amount of energy present in per
gram of food. Food with lower energy density provides few calories per gram of food.
3. Examples of nutrient dense food- Spinach, Broccoli, kale, corn and quinoa.
Examples of energy dense food- Peanuts, butter, biscuits, confectionaries and cheese.
4. Nutrient densities (i)
1 glass of milk Coke Orange juice
A glass of whole milk
contains 3.25 percent of fat.
a glass of milk provides
approximately 150 calories,
8 gram of proteins, 8 grams
of fat and 11.5 grams of
carbohydrates, 276 mg of
calcium, 205 mg of
phosphorous and 322 mg
of potassium (Australian
Dietary guidelines.2013).
A regular glass of cola
would contain 11 calories
per ounce.
A glass of orange juice
contains 91 % of carbs, 4
% fats and 5% proteins.

2FUNDAMENTALS OF NUTRITION
According to my opinion compared to the soft drinks, milk is a good source of protein
and vitamins. Although a glass of coke and milk might show same calorie count, but the calorie
sources for both the drinks are quite different.
Orange juice on the other hand have a less nutrient density and can be consumed as a low calorie
diet.
(ii)
100 grams baked potato French fries Potato chips
Calories- 93%
Proteins- 2%
Carbohydrate-
21.6%
Fat- 0.1%
Fibre- 1.5%
1 serving of French fries
contain 49 %
carbohydrates, 46 % fats
and 5 % proteins.
100 gram of potato chips
contain 37 % of
carbohydrates, 60 % of
fats and 3 % of proteins.
Among these three foods baked potatoes might have more nutritive values as the percentage of
carbohydrates and fats are much lower than compared to the 100 grams of French fries and
potato chips. Furthermore, the fries are deep fried in oil and the presence of the transfats might
increase the LDL cholesterol that might increase the risk of obesity and heart diseases
(Australian Dietary guidelines.2013).
5. Nutrient dense food consumed yesterday- Salmon fish

3FUNDAMENTALS OF NUTRITION
The nutrient content of Salmon fish are given as - 142 Kcal of energy, 68.50 gram of water,
19.84g of proteins, 6.34g of fat, 55mg of cholesterol , 12mg of calcium and 0.80mg of iron.
Low nutrient dense food- soft drinks. It contains about 150 kcal. It is not a nutrient dense food
but a calorie dense food that can lead to obesity and other gastrointestinal problems (Food and
Drug Administration, HHS, 2014).
Salmon fish on the other hand are rich in both vitamins and minerals. Furthermore it is rich in
omega-3 fatty acids that helps in improving the brain function. Apart from this, salmon fish also
contains potassium, selenium and vitamin B12.

4FUNDAMENTALS OF NUTRITION
References
Australian Dietary guidelines.2013. Standard 1.2.8 – Nutrition Information Requirements,
Retrieved from:
https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/code/userguide/Documents/Userguide_Prescribed
%20Nutrition%20Information%20Nov%2013%20Dec%202013.pdf.
Food and Drug Administration, HHS, 2014. Food labeling; nutrition labeling of standard menu
items in restaurants and similar retail food establishments. Final rule. Federal register, 79(230),
p.71155.