About Nutrient Dense Food and Calories
This post is to help make nutrient dense food and calories easier to understand.
Nutrient dense food is food that provides your body essential nutrients.
To eat nutrient dense food means to eat food that gives a large amount of nourishment and often with a smaller amount of food.
It is important to eat nutrient dense food because every part of your body requires the nutrients to function at an optimal level and keep rebuilding itself.
If you don’t eat nutrient dense food, then you are depleting your body of what it naturally requires.
Calories are a unit of measurement for energy. Just like inches and centimeters measure the length of objects, calories measure the amount of energy the body receives from food.
Many processed foods, or foods with added sugar, are high in calories and low in nutrients. For example, two handfuls of simple potato chips (with no extra preservatives except for salt) can be 3 to 4 times the amount of calories than two handfuls of potatoes (baked or boiled with the same amount of salt). Eating the potato in its more natural form gives essential nutrients. Whereas, the transformation of potatoes into potato chips removes the nutrients and gives the body higher calories.
It is important to know the difference between calories and nutrient dense food because they both have big impacts on your body. When your body receives the nourishment it requires from nutrient dense food, you are less likely to overeat. When eating processed food and those with added sugar that are higher in calories but lower in nutrients, you are more likely to overeat or restrict food.
Processed food, or food with extra added sugar, have empty calories that give the body quick energy but leave the body without the nutrients.
For example, real fruit gives the body natural sugar and other nutrients; whereas, most candy bars just give added sugar.
In the following days, I will share more about the nourishment and benefits of protein, carbohydrates, fruit, vegetables, minerals, and healthy fats.
You are welcome to nutrient dense food.
Stacy 🌺
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I share my experiences and my perspective. Eating and healing look different for everyone. If you are struggling with food or your relationship with your body, please find support. You don’t have to do this alone.