Food rankings
Most nutrient-dense foods, ranked
Nutrient density is about how much nutrition a food delivers for its calories. This ranking scores each food by the average share of a Daily Value it provides per 100 kcal across protein, fiber, and the vitamins and minerals we track — with each nutrient capped so no single one can dominate. Whole, lower-calorie foods such as vegetables tend to lead, while calorie-dense foods with few micronutrients sit lower. It is a guide to nutrition per calorie, not a complete verdict on how healthy a food is.
Average Daily Value across 22 beneficial nutrients delivered per 100 kcal (USDA FoodData Central). Higher is more nutrient-dense.
Study at a glance
Top foods chart
Top 8 · Avg %DV / 100 kcal
Distribution across all 170 foods
Each bar counts how many of the 170 foods fall in that range of avg %dv / 100 kcal; the dashed line marks the median. The ranked leaders are the highest values, at the right.
| # | Food | Avg %DV / 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spinach 23 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 37% |
| 2 | Swiss chard 20 kcal · 2 g protein · Vegetables | 30% |
| 3 | Asparagus 22 kcal · 2 g protein · Vegetables | 30% |
| 4 | Okra 22 kcal · 2 g protein · Vegetables | 26% |
| 5 | Romaine lettuce 17 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 22% |
| 6 | Grapes 93 kcal · 6 g protein · Fruits | 21% |
| 7 | Collard greens 33 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 21% |
| 8 | Broccoli 35 kcal · 2 g protein · Vegetables | 21% |
| 9 | Mushrooms 22 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 21% |
| 10 | Bell pepper 26 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 20% |
| 11 | Brussels sprouts 36 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 19% |
| 12 | Kale 44 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 19% |
| 13 | Zucchini 15 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 18% |
| 14 | Cauliflower 32 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 17% |
| 15 | Crab 83 kcal · 18 g protein · Seafood | 17% |
| 16 | Pumpkin 18 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 17% |
| 17 | Tomato 18 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 16% |
| 18 | Blackberries 43 kcal · 1 g protein · Fruits | 15% |
| 19 | Green beans 35 kcal · 2 g protein · Vegetables | 15% |
| 20 | Mussels 172 kcal · 24 g protein · Seafood | 15% |
| 21 | Tuna (fresh) 130 kcal · 29 g protein · Seafood | 14% |
| 22 | Lobster 89 kcal · 19 g protein · Seafood | 14% |
| 23 | Butternut squash 40 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 14% |
| 24 | Oysters 159 kcal · 29 g protein · Seafood | 14% |
| 25 | Radish 16 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 13% |
Spinach tops the list at 37%, followed by Swiss chard (30%) and Asparagus (30%). Below are the top 25.
Questions
- Which food is highest on this list?
- Spinach ranks first at 37%. Swiss chard (30%) and Asparagus (30%) follow.
- What does nutrient-dense mean?
- A nutrient-dense food provides a lot of beneficial nutrients — protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals — relative to how many calories it has. Per calorie, these foods give you more of what the body needs.
- How is the density score calculated?
- For each food we add up the share of the FDA Daily Value it supplies per 100 calories across 22 beneficial nutrients, cap each nutrient so a single one can't dominate, then average them. Foods are ranked on that average, highest first.
More rankings
References & methodology
- Data source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service — FoodData Central (public domain). Each food links to its individual record.
- Method: Average Daily Value across 22 beneficial nutrients delivered per 100 kcal (USDA FoodData Central). Higher is more nutrient-dense. Ties are listed in dataset order; the table shows the top 25, and the downloadable CSV contains the full ranked set. See the full methodology.
- Daily Values: FDA Nutrition Facts label, 2016 update (adults and children aged 4+).
- Scope: ranked across the 177 common foods in the NutriFactsHub database; it is a representative shortlist, not every food in existence.
- Last reviewed: June 2026.
NutriFactsHub. “Most nutrient-dense foods, ranked.” https://www.nutrifactshub.com/best/most-nutrient-dense-foods
Keep exploring
Sort the whole database by any nutrient, build your own side-by-side comparison, or browse every food.