My favorite grocery store, Capers in Kitsilano, recently did something that made me take notice: they posted big signs that listed the nutrient density of various foods. So for example, you could see what foods would give you the most powerhouse bang for the buck. The amazing thing is that those foods don’t have the highest profit margins. How odd.
Turns out they took the list from one of my more respected health people, Dr. Fuhrman. You can find that list on this page.
A few things are interesting to me about what’s on it. First is that kale is at the absolute top in terms of nutrients. It ranks at 1,000 out of 1,000 points. This doesn’t surprise me as I’ve intuitively felt to include kale in my daily diet as the main greens in my salads; I just feel good eating them.
The other thing is that the list doesn’t care about arbitrary distinctions like veganism or not–just the nutrient scores. So I can know that eggs are at 27 on a scale of 1,000 points. I was surprised that nuts and beans scored relatively low, like walnuts at 34 out of 1,000. But that’s still double than Swiss Cheese at 15.
The only thing that I’m curious about is what score hemp hearts are because they’re so packed with proteins, essential fatty acids, carbs and fiber.
Well, check out Dr. Fuhrman’s nutrient score list; it’s fascinating!
