10 most nutritious foods

Bbc.com analyzes more than 1,000 raw foods, researchers ranked the ingredients that provide the best balance of your daily nutritional requirements – and they found a few surprises. Imagine the ideal food. One that contains all the nutrients necessary to meet, but not exceed, our daily nutrient demands. If such a food existed, consuming it, without eating any other, would provide the optimal nutritional balance for our body. Such a food does not exist. But we can do the next best thing. The key is to eat a balance of highly nutritional foods.

Calculated and ranked by scientists, these are the 10 most nutritious foods:

Please note: a few of the foods listed are endangered species, which we would not recommend. We would advise researching the provenance of all ingredients if buying them yourself.

10. SNAPPER –100kcal, $3.75, per 100g A family of mainly marine fish, with red snapper the best known. Nutritious but can carry dangerous toxins. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 69

9. BEET GREENS (v) 22kcal, $0.48, per 100g The leaves of beetroot vegetables. High in calcium, iron, vitamin K and B group vitamins (especially riboflavin). NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 70

8. PORK FAT 632kcal, $0.95, per 100g A good source of B vitamins and minerals. Pork fat is more unsaturated and healthier than lamb or beef fat. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 73

7. SWISS CHARD (v) 19kcal, $0.29, per 100g A very rare dietary source of betalains, phytochemicals thought to have antioxidant and other health properties. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 78

6. PUMPKIN SEEDS (v) 559kcal, $1.60, per 100g Including the seeds of other squashes. One of the richest plant-based sources of iron and manganese. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 84

5. CHIA SEEDS (v) 486kcal, $1.76, per 100g Tiny black seeds that contain high amounts of dietary fibre, protein, a-linolenic acid, phenolic acid and vitamins. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 85

4. FLATFISH 70kcal, $1.15, per 100g Sole and flounder species. Generally free from mercury and a good source of the essential nutrient vitamin B1. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 88

3. OCEAN PERCH 79kcal, $0.82, per 100g The Atlantic species. A deep-water fish sometimes called rockfish. High in protein, low in saturated fats. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 89

1. CHERIMOYA (v) 75kcal, $1.84, per 100g Cherimoya fruit is fleshy and sweet with a white pulp. Rich in sugar and vitamins A, C, B1, B2 and potassium. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 96
2. ALMONDS (v) 579kcal, $0.91, per 100g Rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids. Promote cardiovascular health and may help with diabetes. NUTRITIONAL SCORE: 97

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