Powerhouse Fruits And Vegetables Ranked In Order Of Nutrition

Reposted from The Huffington Post  | By Anna Almendrala
Posted: 06/05/2014 2:54 pm EDT Updated: 06/05/2014 11:59 pm EDT

Scientists say that certain "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables can help stave off chronic illnesses like cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. But what exactly is a powerhouse food, and are some fruits and vegetables better than others when it comes to nutrients?

Dietary researcher Jennifer Di Noia, Ph.D., of William Paterson University set out to quantify exactly how good certain fruits and vegetables are for the human body. Out of 47 different foods she tested for nutrients, 41 made the cut to be considered "powerhouse" produce.

The results were published Thursday online in Preventing Chronic Disease, a peer-reviewed journal by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. In a Q&A with HuffPost, Di Noia explains how she ranked each fruit and vegetable, and which ones didn't make the cut. The powerhouse list follows after the interview.

HP: How did you develop this classification system for fruits and vegetables?

JD: Powerhouse fruits and vegetables (PFV) are described in the literature as green leafy, yellow/orange, citrus and cruciferous items -- but a clear definition was lacking. So I decided to look at densities of key nutrients in foods belonging to the aforementioned groups. I thought it would be easier for consumers to have a PFV list as there is often confusion about which foods belong in which groups.

HP: How would you describe the points system?

JD: It is a nutrients-to-calories ratio that expresses the mean of percent daily values for the qualifying nutrients the food provides per 100 calories. So higher-ranking foods provide more nutrients-per-calories.

HP: What are some of the important nutrients you were looking for?

JD: Nutrients of public health importance as per the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and Institute of Medicine, i.e., potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K.

HP: Why did some foods (raspberry, tangerine, cranberry, garlic, onion, and blueberry) not make the cut? People especially think blueberries are superfoods. 

JD: Absolutely. They were not included because they were not rich sources of the qualifying nutrients. Their health benefits are likely due in part to the presence of phytochemicals. Had I been able to incorporate phytochemical data in the calculation of nutrient density scores, they may have made the cut.

HP: How should people use this point system? How do you advise people change their diets using this ranking?

JD: The PFV list will help consumers know what PFV are and help them choose them as part of their overall fruit and vegetable intake. The scores may help focus consumers on their daily energy needs/how best to get the most nutrients from their foods.

POWERHOUSE FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Food: Nutrient Density Score

Watercress: 100.00

Chinese cabbage 91.99

Chard: 89.27

Beet green: 87.08

Spinach: 86.43

Chicory: 73.36

Leaf lettuce: 70.73

Parsley: 65.59

Romaine lettuce: 63.48

Collard green: 62.49

Turnip green: 62.12

Mustard green: 61.39

Endive: 60.44

Chive: 54.80

Kale: 49.07

Dandelion green: 46.34

Red pepper: 41.26

Arugula: 37.65

Broccoli: 34.89

Pumpkin: 33.82

Brussels sprout: 32.23

Scallion: 27.35

Kohlrabi: 25.92

Cauliflower: 25.13

Cabbage: 24.51

Carrot: 22.60

Tomato: 20.37

Lemon: 18.72

Iceberg lettuce: 18.28

Strawberry: 17.59

Radish: 16.91

Winter squash (all varieties): 13.89

Orange: 12.91

Lime: 12.23

Grapefruit (pink and red): 11.64

Rutabaga: 11.58

Turnip: 11.43

Blackberry: 11.39

Leek: 10.69

Sweet potato: 10.51

Grapefruit (white): 10.47

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The rise of generation salad: How today's youngest consumers want more..

The rise of generation salad: How today's youngest consumers want more fresh ingredients and home-cooked meals 

Reposted May 16m 2014 | From The Daily Mail UK | PUBLISHED: 13:28 EST, 13 May 2014 | UPDATED: 15:53 EST, 13 May 2014

By MARGOT PEPPERS

• The youngest generation of consumers is known as Generation Z, and consists of everyone up to the age of 23
• Fresh food consumption is expected to increase more than 11 per cent in the next five years due to the eating habits of Generation Z, with salad consumption in particular on the rise
• Generation Z also exhibits a tendency to use stove tops for preparing meals, in contrast to Gen X consumers who are more convenience-centric and therefore more likely to prepare microwaveable meals

The rising generation, which is known as Generation Z, wants more healthy and fresh ingredients than the older portion of the population ever did.

According to a new report by market research group NPD, the youngest generation of consumers - which includes everyone up to the age of 23 - is more inclined to eat fresh greens and home-cooked meals than their predecessors, Generations Y and X.

This signals an overall trend toward healthier eating, says the report.

Generation salad: According to a new report by NPD market research group, Generation Z (everyone up to age 23) is more inclined to eat fresh ingredients and home-cooked meals than their predecessors

Fresh food consumption is expected to increase more than 11per cent in the next five years, due to the eating habits of Generation Z, with salad consumption in particular on the rise.

Also forecast to increase are the consumption of savory snacks and 'better-for-you' snack foods like dried fruit and granola bars, as well as sandwiches and breakfasts that require some cooking.

Indeed, Generation Z exhibits a tendency to use stove tops instead of microwaves for preparing meals.

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This is in contrast to Gen X consumers (considered as everyone between the ages of 38 and 48), who are more focused on convenience and therefore more likely to prepare microwaveable foods.

In fact, the rising generation tends to spend more time in general in the kitchen, meaning home-made breakfasts like omelets and French toast are set to overtake packaged cereals and oatmeal.

Enlarge 

Trends: Also forecast to increase are the consumption of savory snacks and 'better-for-you' snack foods like dried fruit and granola bars, as well as sandwiches and breakfasts that require some cooking

Enlarge 

Involved: Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst, says Gen Z 'wants to have a hand in the production of the food so that when it hits the plate they can say that they were part of the project'

Darren Seifer, NPD food and beverage industry analyst, pointed out on his blog that it may seem counter-intuitive that the younger generation - which is typically time-pressed - is spending more time in the kitchen.

But he explains the logic behind it, writing: 'There seems to be a need to have their say or approval on the final product. 

'It's almost as if they want to have a hand in the production of the food so that when it hits the plate they can say that they were part of the project.'

Changing habits: Fresh food consumption is expected to increase more than 11 per cent in the next five years, and the consumption of convenient microwaveable meals will decrease

He added that younger consumers are increasingly using additives - i.e. putting fruits or syrups on their foods - for the same reason, to feel more involved in the overall process.

Judging by growing food trends, having what is typically considered a side dish as a main meal is another eating habit that will continue to become more popular.

And with Hispanics making up a large percentage of Millennials as well as Gen Z, the NPD group expects the consumption of Latino foods to grow by seven per cent in the next five years.

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In Health, 

The Naturally Botanicals Team

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Urban Greengrocers Are Back, To Serve Big-Spending Locavores

This is like a step back in time, but in a good way. I fondly remember going to the green grocer with my mother and grandmother as a child.

Reposted NPR | the salt | WHAT'S ON YOUR PLATE
by MAANVI SINGHMay 02, 2014 2:49 PM ET

Each Peach Market in Washington, D.C., is a far cry from the Trader Joe's where I usually shop. For one thing, it's tiny — smaller than the apartment I share with two others. And there are no lines snaking through aisles and aisles of tempting goods.

Each Peach Market in Washington, D.C. is one of a growing breed of small, urban greengrocers.Maanvi Singh/NPR

You'll find the usual staples here, and also artisanal pickles, locally grown and cured charcuterie and yogurt from Pennsylvania's Amish country. But don't expect much selection — there's just two brands of olive oil, rather than several shelves to choose from at Harris Teeter.

Jeanlouise Conaway, left, and Emily Friedberg
say they like to get to know their regulars,
most of whom live or work in the neighborhood.
Maanvi Singh/NPR

If a regular comes in with a hankering for something that's not on the shelves, owners Jeanlouise Conaway and Emily Friedberg say they'll happily put in an order.

But while it offers what feels like a distinct shopping experience, Each Peach, which opened in 2013, isn't all that unique. It's a new version of the old-school neighborhood market that has been popping up in cities across the country. There's Urban Radish and Cookbook in Los Angeles, Farm to Market in Austin and Milk and Honey Market in Philadelphia — to name just a few.


These aren't your parents' big box grocery stores. They're closer to the places your grandparents might have shopped — but updated for the modern foodie.

"This renaissance of small markets has happened in just the past couple of years," Friedberg of Each Peach says. She and Conaway say they opened theirs because they sensed a growing appetite for high-quality, local foods.

But even though Each Peach carries a lot of quirky specialty goods, Friedberg says the biggest draw for most customers is "the 'neighborhoodiness.'"

"We have a lot of regular customers that we see almost every day," she says. They stop by to pick up a couple of things at a time — maybe just ingredients for dinner that night.

Oxbow Public Market in Napa, Calif., opened in 2007 and was designed to blend in with the surrounding architecture.

Ed McMahon, a senior fellow at the Urban Land Institute, a non-profit research group focused on urban development, agrees that independent shops like Each Peach are a growing trend in urban areas. "And I think it'll continue to grow," he tells The Salt.

On a corner in Washington, D.C., where stores burned during riots 44 years ago, there's now a plaza where farmers sell produce on Saturday mornings.

The growing interest eating farm-fresh, locally grown food is partially responsible for the small shop renaissance, McMahon says. As we've reported before, public markets are coming back to cities for the same reason.

"It used to be that everybody did all their shopping in one great, big grocery store," he says. People would drive over to a Safeway or a Kroger once a week, or once every ten days, and stock up.

But for city-dwellers who might not drive and who live in small apartments with limited pantry space, the walkable neighborhood grocery store is becoming more appealing.

"And these local stores, they tend to be more in touch with their consumers," McMahon says. "The closer you get to the people, the more in touch you are with their needs, wants and desires."

People also prefer the small grocery store for the same reasons they prefer the independent coffee shop over Starbucks or the local bookstore over Barnes & Noble, McMahon says. "They tend to be a great place to meet your neighbors."

Of course, these little markets are often pricier than chain stores. In some cases they're a lot more expensive. At Each Peach, Friedberg says she tried to stock affordable staples. But a bunch of asparagus there costs $6. And a bag of local, organic granola is $7.50 — that's more than twice as much as a giant box of Grape Nuts.

But while modestly priced chains like Trader Joe's are booming, there's a growing number of people who can afford — and are willing — to pay more for their food.

"If you want to spend your entire food budget on low-nutritional value nonsense, your dollars can go a lot farther at some of our competitors," says Danielle Vogel, who owns Glen's Garden Market in D.C.

Unlike Each Peach, which sources both local and imported foods, Glen's is 100 percent local. That means you'll only find produce grown in the Northeast or the mid-Atlantic in Vogel's shop. "I will never sell bananas," she says. And if you're willing to be adventurous, she does carry local, organic and sustainable substitutes for pretty much everything you'd find at chain store.

A lot of customers are willing to do that, it seems — Vogel says she drawing in regulars. "We've tripled our inventory in the year that we've existed," she says.

Friedberg from Each Peach says she's excited to see so many stores opening around the city. "Everyone is doing something a little different," she says. "But I think there's a real hunger for local food."

This month's featured product, Metal Detox 

Plus, click here to see other natural detox products 

In Health, 

The Naturally Botanicals Team
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