Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List

Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List Introduction

“Powerhouse Foods” are those which supply a high level of important nutrition. When compared to the amount of calories. So they are an ideal starting place for anyone wanting to improve the quality of their food consumption. Because you can quickly see which foods will give you more indispensable nutrients. Without providing unwanted calories.

First, I’ll explain why and how I’ve prepared this Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List. But if you just want the numbers, you can skip down to the list.

Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List Purpose

I published this Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List to help people select foods that are good sources of nutrients. So that they are better prepared to discuss their personal nutrition with professional advisers.

Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables

I have taken this list directly from Jennifer Di Noia’s study^[1]. So it presents the nutrient density score for 41 fruits and vegetables. With little other data about how you might measure the impact of those foods in your own circumstances. But I intend to create new versions with PRAL scores. Also, I will highlight how these foods relate to the latest dietary guidelines. Because I feel that will give you better information to discuss your eating patterns with professional advisers.

However, I need your input to tell me how you use this powerhouse foods list. Because that guides me to make sure that future versions are most useful to you. So please use the feedback links near the end of this article.

Nutrient Density Score

You need to be aware that there is no “official” way to calculate Nutrient Density Score. So you may see other lists of powerhouse foods that show different values. In which case, you need to find how the list authors calculated their scores. Then you need to discuss how that impacts you with a suitably qualified professional.

For this table, I’ve rounded Nutrient Density Score (NDS) to whole percentage numbers. NDS is defined as:

Calculated as the mean of percent daily values (DVs) (based on a 2,000 kcal/d diet) for 17 nutrients (potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K) as provided by 100 g of food, expressed per 100 kcal of food. Scores above 100 were capped at 100 (indicating that the food provides, on average, 100% DV of the qualifying nutrients per 100 kcal).

Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List

Food (100 Calorie Serving)	Nutrient Density Score
Watercress	100
Chinese cabbage	92
Chard	89
Beet green	87
Spinach	86
Chicory	73
Leaf lettuce	71
Parsley	66
Romaine lettuce	63
Collard green	62
Turnip green	62
Mustard green	61
Endive	60
Chive	55
Kale	49
Dandelion green	46
Red pepper	41
Arugula	38
Broccoli	35
Pumpkin	34
Brussels sprout	32
Scallion	27
Kohlrabi	26
Cauliflower	25
Cabbage	25
Carrot	23
Tomato	20
Lemon	19
Iceberg lettuce	18
Strawberry	18
Radish	17
Winter squash (all varieties)	14
Orange	13
Lime	12
Grapefruit (pink and red)	12
Rutabaga	12
Turnip	11
Blackberry	11
Leek	11
Sweet potato	11
Grapefruit (white)	10

Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List Summary

Be aware that the scores relate to amounts of each food that will provide you with 100 calories of energy. And, the nutrient requirements are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Importantly, this study points out other nutrient-dense items may have been overlooked. Because it only considered 10 foods that failed to meet the 10% cut-off:

Apple
Banana
Blueberry
Corn
Cranberry
Garlic
Onion
Potato
Raspberry
Tangerine

Unfortunately, no individual scores are given for these foods. Or any others below the 11% cut-off. So I’ve listed them in alphabetic order. For clarification, my list does include one “ten percenter” — white grapefruit. But only because I’ve rounded down from the original 10.47.

So the list is best used to aid in the selection of more nutrient-dense foods. Because that allows you to improve the nutrient benefits of your own total consumption. As opposed to aiming for any kind of target score.

Your Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List

My list provides great food choices for average people. But you are not average. Also, your nutrient needs change as you age. So use the list to improve the quality of your meals and your shopping list. Then check the quality of your weekly food intake with a professional adviser.

This is especially important if you have any health issues. But even without them, you must avoid radical changes. Unless you’ve agreed them with your doctor.

If you still have concerns about powerhouse fruits and vegetables, you should discuss those concerns with your professional advisers. However, if you want help to prepare for that discussion, please see the feedback section below.

Leave Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List to read more Nutrient Articles.

Powerhouse Fruits & Vegetables List Feedback

Please discuss your concerns about powerhouse fruits and vegetables at Foodary Discussions. Where you can also discuss any aspect of food. Especially how food promotes wellbeing and helps support disease treatments.

If you are asking a question, it’s best to: