It is very common in recent years to hear food producers claim that their produce is ‘nutrient dense’. Many food producers, especially those that employ regenerative practices make this claim. But what is nutrient density? And how reliable are those claims?
The Term Nutrient Density – What does it really mean?
Nutrient density is not a new term at all. Its roots can be found in nutrition science in 2005. It refers to the concentration of essential nutrients (such as vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats) in a food relative to its calorie content. Foods with high nutrient density provide more nutrients per calorie, making them healthier choices compared to foods with low nutrient density, which are often high in calories but low in beneficial nutrients.
Here are some examples of nutrient dense and nutrient poor foods – I bet you can guess what they might be anyway!
Why do proponents of Regenerative Agriculture claim their food is ‘nutrient dense’?
Proponents of Regenerative Agriculture often claim that their food is more nutrient-dense for several reasons.
Colourful and healthy Artichokes from our garden
1) Regenerative Agriculture focuses on practices that are said to improve soil organic matter and soil biodiversity. Healthy soils have a diversity of microorganisms that facilitate nutrient uptake in plants.
Regeneratively farmed soils often have higher levels of essential micronutrients (e.g., magnesium, zinc, iron). Although the soil and rock type and its pH have a big role to play in the presence, absence, balance, and availability of micronutrients. When plants grow in nutrient-rich soils, they absorb more nutrients, which may translate into more nutrient-dense food.
2) Microbial communities in the soil play a crucial role in breaking down organic material and making nutrients bioavailable to plants. Regenerative practices enhance microbial diversity, potentially leading to plants that are more nutrient-packed.
3) Regenerative pasture management aims to maintain ground cover over the soil. This improves soil shading, and so enhances soil moisture. Soil moisture improves biological activity, which in turn may also improve nutrient availability and uptake.
4) Regenerative systems minimize or eliminate synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which can sometimes disrupt soil health. By avoiding these inputs, the natural nutrient cycle is preserved, potentially enhancing the quality of food.
Proving nutrient density
Just because a particular farming system has the potential to enhance nutrient density, it doesn’t mean that the food is actually nutrient dense.
The potential is one thing, the proof is another.
Proving that farm produce is nutrient-dense requires objective evidence obtained by testing the nutrients of the produce and by comparing the farm produce to either standard or conventionally produced foods.
Certified laboratories can test farm produce and provide a nutrient analysis. These labs can measure:
- Macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates)
- Micronutrients (vitamins, minerals)
- Phytonutrients (antioxidants, flavonoids) and other food components.
Nutrient dense compared to what?
Once you have lab results of your produce, you can compare them to conventionally produced produce. Say, for example, comparing the lab results for your regeneratively grown celery to celery purchased from the supermarket or, even more fairly, picked straight from a conventional farm (as all produce loses nutrients with time).
Want to eat nutrient dense food?
Well, for a start, eat the foods listed in the table above. And, if you can, eat seasonally and locally produced.
Why?
Because there is less time between harvest and consumption, the less time in storage means less time for the food to lose nutrition as it will naturally do. And even better? Grow your own. Because there is hardly any time for produce to lose nutrition if it comes straight from your garden to your table!
Verifying claims
What about producers who claim their food is nutrient dense? Well, without testing the farm produce and comparing the result to tests done on conventionally produced food, it is deceptive and misleading to the customer to claim that food is ‘nutrient dense’.
Ask for proof.
Ask the producer to show you the lab analysis of the food they produce, AND ask them to show you a comparison to conventionally produced food. Believe me, if they have had their food tested and compared to conventionally produced food and if they could prove their claims, they will gladly show you the results. In fact, they’d shout it from the rooftops and publish it on their website and on their packaging.
If they cannot show you the analysis and cannot show you a comparison of their produce showing how it is more nutrient dense than other produce of the same type, then their claim cannot be believed.
If their answer to your query is, “Our food is nutrient dense because we use regenerative practices and using those practices means our soil is healthier, so our food is therefore nutrient dense”, then that is nothing more than wishful thinking.
That might be the theory, but without testing the claim on that particular food item, the claim cannot be verified. Just because it might ‘sound right’, or ‘make sense’, that healthy soils make nutrient dense food, doesn’t mean that particular produce is nutrient dense.
And you are trusting the farmer when they say they use regenerative principles?
And you are trusting them when they say their soils are healthy?
How do you know? Without the numbers on the page and without a comparison, the claim means nothing.
But aren’t these claims regulated?
Currently, there is nothing to prevent producers from making this claim. Anyone can make claims about nutrient density. And because it’s become a bit of a buzz word consumers need to question the claims.
Our farm grown rhubarb
Do we use regenerative practices?
Yes, we do, but for us, they are only the beginning. In fact, you might like to read some other of our blog articles on the topic Our Farm Philosophy and Guiding Principles.
Do we get our produce tested to ascertain the nutrient density?
No. Currently, we don’t. And that is why we refuse to make any claims about the nutrient density of our produce. We believe in being honest and transparent with our customers, and we believe that making unverified claims about our food is disrespectful to them.
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