140 Unit 2 Nutrition and Wellness Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. This means including a diverse assortment of foods and beverages across and within all food groups and subgroups in your daily diet. Eating a variety of foods within the appropriate calorie level is important for good health. An individu- al’s nutrient needs are better met with food rather than with supplements. While choosing foods within calorie limits, it is important to make choices that are good sources of required nutrients. This means choosing more foods and beverages that are nutrient dense. Such choices provide vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting substances with little or no added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. The most nutrient-dense forms of foods also keep nutritional components that occur in them naturally. For instance, unsweetened applesauce is fairly nutrient dense. It is fat free and contains no added sugars. However, a fresh apple is even more nutrient dense than the unsweetened sauce. The whole fruit is a source of dietary fiber, some of which is lost when the fruit is made into sauce (Figure 8.5). Health experts urge people to eat more foods that provide potassium, dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D. These nutrients are low in many diets. Many Americans consume less than recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables. Eating more of these foods will help people get many of the nutrients that may be low in their diets. The nutrients supplied by fruits and vege- tables vary from one type to another. Choosing Switch to Nutrient-Dense Food Choices Typical Nutrient Dense Fried fish Grilled fish Broccoli with cheese sauce Steamed broccoli White bread Whole-grain bread margouillat photo/Shutterstock.com svry/Shutterstock.com MSPhotographic/Shutterstock.com MSPhotographic/Shutterstock.com Dan Kosmayer/ Shutterstock.com Kodda/Shutterstock.com Figure 8.5 Over time, small changes in food choices contribute to good health. What other nutrient-dense food choices could you make?