Many opinions exist about what
makes a food good, better or best. Some use taste as the defining
factor, others ease of preparation. Affordability and availability are
other criteria frequently involved in judging a food's worth. But if you
are talking about nutrient density, or the amount of vitamins,
minerals, antioxidants and fiber that you get for a serving of a food,
those which are by far the most nutritious, according to Joel Fuhrman,
M.D., in his book "Eat for Health," are almost exclusively leafy greens.
Mustard Greens
Mustard
greens are pungent members of the cruciferous family of vegetables,
whose seeds are used to make the condiment mustard. One cup of mustard
greens contains only 15 calories, and is an excellent source of many
nutrients, including the vitamins A, C, K, E and folate, in addition to
the minerals manganese and calcium. According to Dr. Fuhrman, who has
evaluated the total nutrient value of hundreds of foods and compared
them on a numerical scale of 1 to 1,000, mustard greens earn a perfect
score.
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Kale
Kale
is a cruciferous vegetable whose nutritional value makes it a worthy
inclusion to your weekly shopping list. Kale has levels of nutrients
comparable to mustard greens. It is a very good source of fiber and
calcium, and like other leafy greens kale is a good source of omega-3
fatty acids. Kale also has a nutrient density score of 1,000.
Collard Greens
Collard
greens are another low-calorie leafy green vegetable with a nutrient
density score of 1,000. At a mere 60 calories per 5 oz. serving, collard
greens are a perfect addition to salads and steams if you are budgeting
calories, and with over 40 percent of calories coming from protein,
collard greens are a perfect muscle food.
Spinach
Spinach
is not just for Popeye, although if you want his forearms, this leafy
green is for you. Over half of the calories in spinach come from
protein, and 1 cup of spinach, at only 7 calories, provides over 180
percent of the daily requirement for vitamin K, important for blood
clotting, and over half your daily requirement for vitamin A, necessary
for healthy vision.
Brussels Sprouts
Although
they look like miniature cabbages, Brussels sprouts are anything but
puny when it comes to nutritional punch. Along with the antioxidant
vitamins A, C and E, Brussels sprouts are very rich in vitamin K, folate
and fiber, similar to their cruciferous kin, kale and mustard greens.
Swiss Chard
Swiss
chard may not be as readily-available as spinach, but calorie for
calorie, this tall, leafy vegetable with a thick, crunchy stem is one of
the most nutritious of all vegetables, which makes it one of the best
foods around. It is a rich source of many newly discovered
phytonutrients, essential compounds present only in plants, and it is a
concentrated source of the carotenoids, anti-oxidant compounds such as
beta-carotene, which slow cellular aging.
Bok Choy
Bok
choy is a frequent addition to Asian dishes, and like collard greens it
is packed with protein, with over 10 grams of protein per 100 calories.
Bok choy has a very mild flavor and a higher concentration of
beta-carotene and vitamin A than any other cabbage. It is also a good
source of potassium, important for the maintenance of normal blood
pressure. Bok choy earns a nutrient value of 824, by Fuhrman's scoring
method.
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