With so many good foods out there, it's hard to know what to eat. Here are the 10 best foods for your body.
The World’s Most Nutritious Foods, According to Science
Updated on Nov. 14, 2023
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Hitting that sweet spot with your healthy diet can be hard. In 2015, PLoS ONE published a study that came up with an unconventional way to rank foods according to their “nutritional fitness”. They grouped foods together in combinations that meet our daily nutrient requirements with the smallest number of foods possible. The foods that were included in the most combinations were ranked as having the most “nutritional fitness”. Find out how to incorporate these top 10 foods into your diet.
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Almonds
Almonds are rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids (i.e. the good fats), which can promote your cardiovascular health. We love them in everything from crostinis to pie crust and every salad topping in between. They are also a yummy snack on their own, and can definitely satisfy a craving for something salty and crunchy.
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Cherimoya
You may not have ever heard of or seen this fleshy fruit, but it’s definitely something to take note of once the spring and summer roll around. It tastes like a cross between a banana and a pineapple, would be great in a smoothie and is high in fiber, vitamin C and potassium.
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Ocean Perch
Part of the rockfish family, you’ll usually find ocean perch available as small fillets, perfect for adding them to a fish taco or frying with a crumb crust. This fish, which is light brown in color when cooked, is high in protein and low in saturated fat.
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Flatfish
If you’re worried about your mercury intake, this is a great option because flatfish are generally very low in mercury. You probably know flounder, one of the most common species of flatfish, but halibut also falls in the same family. Both are a great source of protein and include B vitamins.
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Chia Seeds
One of the most popular nutritional superfoods over the last few years are these teeny tiny black seeds. You can make a versatile chia pudding or add them as a topping on your bowl of oatmeal or whirl into smoothies for an added boost of omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
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Pork Fat
This one might come as a shock to you, but the nutrient profile of pork fat complimented groupings in the research by supplying missing nutrients. You can use clarified pig fat (lard) in cooking, in rich pie crusts and even flour tortillas.
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Beet Greens
The greens of beets are often overlooked, but they’re in the same family as Swiss chard (#7 on the list) and are also a great source of vitamins K, A and C. They would make a great addition to your bed of greens to top with beets, berries and more this summer!
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Snapper
There are so many species of snappers out there, named after their “snapping” teeth, but red snapper is likely what you know best. Snapper can help boost your nutrient intake, but beware because it can be high in mercury, so limit yourself to one dish of it per week, whether broiled or baked.
