This always happened to me! People eating another UNHEALTHY meal and telling me they are taking some extra vitamins/supplements/pills on the side to stay healthy. Therefore, we know it doesn’t work that way. We know that a pill does not replace a food! We know that if we swallow every single supplement out there down our stomach, we will not live for a long time.
So, that’s why I always said that I train people and I am not a “supplement seller”. We also know that most people are wasting their time by just focusing on the “new fancy trendy super food with magical power”…Have you never heard about the “avocado toast generation”? All we need is is nutrient dense foods.
I know, improving our nutrition can seem like a confusing task amongst all accessible shining seductive supplements. BUT…you know that you can permanently and easily change your body if you get the most potent foods out there. Don’t know which foods are the beAst choice? Not problem! Let me share my beast list of real health nutrient-dense foods.
Nutrient-dense foods are those that provide substantial amounts of protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients with relatively few calories.
Nutrient Dense Protein Sources
First things first! Did you know protein is the MOST important macronutrient for body composition? We are made by protein and we need to eat protein to survive, period.
Want to change your body? Start with the right amounts and right quality of protein sources.
Beef liver – 100 gram contains 29.1 grams of protein, 1176% of the RDA for B12 and zinc, copper, selenium etc…
Chicken liver – 100 grams contains, 25.8 grams of protein, 352% of the RDA for B12 and phosphorus, selenium and iron.
Sardines – 100 grams contains 24.6 grams of protein, 149% of the RDA for Vitamin D, selenium, phosphorus, and iron.
Eggs – 100 grams contains 12.6 grams of protein, 19% of the RDA for B12 and selenium, phosphorus and folate.
Lentils – 100 grams contains 9.0 grams of protein and iron and manganese.
Oats – 100 gram contains 16.9 grams of protein and magnesium and zinc.
Oysters – 100 grams contains 9.4 grams of protein, 267% of the RDA for Vitamin B12 and zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, vitamin C and iron.
Protein powder – 100 grams of whey protein contains 71.4 grams of protein and 100 grams of hemp protein contains 45 grams of protein, depending on what kind of protein source you choose the amount of protein and amino acid profile can vary significantly.
Sockeye salmon – 100 grams contains 21.9 grams of protein, 130% of the RDA for Vitamin B12 and selenium.
Advert for vegan: we can not survive with not vit B12 and we cannot take vit B12 supplement for all our life.
Vegetables & Fruits
Avocado – 100 grams contains 2 grams of protein and 8.5gr of carbohydrates.
Blackberries – 100 grams contains 2 grams of protein and 13.8gr of carbohydrates.
Blueberries – 148 grams contains 1 gram of protein and 21gr of carbohydrates.
Broccoli – 100 grams contains 2.5 grams of protein and 6gr of carbohydrates.
Pumpkins – 100 grams contains 1 grams of protein and 6.5gr of carbohydrates.
Nuts and Spices
Almond – 100 grams contains 21.6 grams of protein and 19.74gr of carbohydrates.
Brazil nuts – 28 grams contains 4 grams of protein and 3.3gr of carbohydrates.
Turmeric powder – 1 table spoon contains 0.91 grams of protein and 6.31gr of carbohydrates.
Raw garlic – 1 clove contains 0 grams of protein and 1gr of carbohydrates.
Ginger (ground) – 1 teaspoon contains 0.16 grams of protein and 1.27gr of carbohydrates.
How make a simple nutrient dense meal? Just follow these 3 simple steps. It easy like
A. Choose Your Source Of Protein
How much protein do you need?
Let’s say you weight 75kg.
That means you’ll need between 75 – 165 grams of protein daily.
Depending on how many meal you consume and what your sources of protein you consume, you can calculate a rough estimate of how much protein you need to consume in each meal to hit your daily target.
B. Calculate Your Calories
Choose either a calorie dense and nutrient dense source of carbs/fats or calorie poor and nutrient dense source of carbs/fats.
Hate counting calories?
Track your intake for a short while (by using free app like Fat secret, Training Pal etc.) to develop ‘caloric awareness’ and/or to develop the ability to eat ‘intuitively’.
Once you know what type of food will put you into a surplus or deficit, stick to those foods depending on your goal.
C. Choose Your Toppings
So you can add toppings. Nuts or healthy fats are great options especially if you want to gain weight.
On the contrary limit the calorie-dense foods like nuts and stick to largely low-calorie-high-nutrient foods if your goal is to lose weight.
If you have an intense training schedule anti-inflammatory toppings are recommended.
Remember: over time these small dosages will make the difference.
Getting most out of our food is not for the quick-fix addicts (it doesn’t exist the Magic Pill…), but the slow and steady road will make an health and permanent change.
We have all we need now and it’s easy like A-B-C!
Let’s focus of what is really important and just stick with the plan! Consistency is the KEY!
Stay Strong! Stay healthy and Fit!
