How to Calculate Nutrient Density

2. Divide the Calorie Amount by the Total Daily Calories

Take the calories per 100 grams of the food and divide it by the reference calorie intake of 2,000 calories per day.

Eggs have 144 calories per 100 grams. Dividing 144 by 2,000 gives you roughly 0.072.

3. Divide the Number from Step 1 by the Number From Step 2

Divide the number you got using the RDA calculation in step 1 by the number you got in the calorie calculation in step 2.

For the egg example, 0.126 divided by 0.072 is 1.75.

Using the Nutrition Facts Label

To easily determine whether or not a food is nutrient-dense while shopping, just take a look at the nutrition facts label and the percent daily value for each particular nutrient.

For a food to be considered a "good" source of a nutrient, it must have between 10 and 19 percent of the percent daily value per serving, according to the FDA. A food is considered an "excellent" nutrient source if it provides over 20 percent of the daily value per serving.

Nutrient-dense foods are often high in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium, iron and potassium and lower in saturated fat, added sugars and sodium.

Tip

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 emphasize eating whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy.