Friday, April 14, 2006

Friedman School research on nutrient density

From the news release:
Newswise — Why choose an apple over a bag of pretzels if they have roughly the same number of calories? It would be a simple matter of taste if calories were the only thing that counted. But nutrients count, too. For an equal number of calories, a person could also get fiber, vitamin C, and potassium by going with the apple. This example illustrates the concept of “nutrient density,” which may be new to many people, although it’s highlighted in the USDA 2005 Dietary Guidelines. Eileen Kennedy, DSc, RD, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, thinks it’s important to help consumers understand the concept of nutrient density and how to categorize and choose foods based on nutrient density.
I have been contributing some technical advice to this effort (and, to complete the disclosure, of course, Kennedy is my dean). See related writing by Kennedy in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and coverage in CalorieLab.