Nutrient Density: Meeting Nutrient Goals within Calorie Needs
Volume 107, Issue 5, Pages 860-869 (May 2007)
Although nutrient density is a core nutrition concept of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 (hereafter referred to as the Dietary Guidelines) (1), there is currently no scientifically valid definition for either nutrient density or nutrient-dense food. The purposes of this American Dietetic Association (ADA) Practice Paper are to summarize the current understanding of nutrient density, provide a brief history of approaches to assessing the nutrient quality of foods, identify issues related to the development of a more precise definition of nutrientdense foods and provide guidance to dietetics practitioners for using the current concept of nutrient density to improve the food choices of patients, students, clients and consumers.