Nutrient Dense (Low Macro) Food Ideas and Recipes

On the other pages, we're focused on macronutrients. On this page, let's shift gears and look at low macro, high micronutrient foods. Micronutrients are the topic of a separate blog article (coming soon!) - they are the vitamins and minerals that are essential for life, but needed in small amounts. The best way to get the micronutrients you need is to eat a wide variety of foods, especially foods like produce.

This is the category of food where you may have heard that you should 'eat a rainbow', as foods of different colors contain different vitamins and minerals, and it's true!

Ways to eat fruit and vegetables:

Fresh: For produce that isn't peeled before eating (apples, grapes, strawberries, bell peppers, tomatoes, salad or cooking greens, etc), be sure to give it a wash before you eat it. Produce spoils faster once it's been washed, so it's rarely given more than a cursory rinse (if that) before it's packed up and shipped out. Depending on the specific food, there are many ways to prepare fresh produce - eat them raw, steam or simmer them, add them to salads, add them to stir fries, roast them, include them in baked goodies.

Canned: Canned fruit and veggies are processed at peak ripeness, so most of the nutrients remain intact, and in the case of some foods, like tomatoes, the nutrients are concentrated. Choose options that don't include added salt or sugar if possible. No-salt-added veggies, and fruit packed in juice rather than syrup will fit into your nutrition plan more easily. Canned veggies can be as simply prepared as opening and warming (and even warming is optional - if the power is out, they're perfectly safe to eat as-is in a pinch). They can also be added to stews, soups, or used as a recipe ingredient in dishes where their softer texture is desirable.

Frozen: Like canned, frozen produce is processed at peak ripeness, and the process of rapidly quick-freezing preserves most, if not all, of the nutrition in the fruit or vegetable. Be sure that you buy only what you can use within a reasonable time frame, as long-term storage in home freezers can result in unpleasant flavors and drying out (aka freezer burn). Choose frozen vegetables without added sauce, and frozen fruit without added sugar. Heat frozen vegetables up in a pot of water, or in the microwave, or add to stews, soups and recipes similar to canned veggies and fruit. Add frozen fruit to smoothies, or thaw to use as a topping for your yogurt or pancakes. If you're using them in a baked dish, allow them to thaw and let any water/juice either drain off or pour it off to include in the liquid portion of your recipe.

Recipe links:

Swiss Chard with Garlic and Oregano

Grilled Corn and Onion Salsa