Food lists often have to be taken with a grain of salt, but when the CDC develops a new classification scheme and ranks them by nutrient density, we tend to take notice.
As you can see in the graph below, leafy green vegetables dominate the rankings. Interestingly, of the 47 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only six did not meet the “Powerhouse” standard: raspberry, tangerine, cranberry, garlic, onion, and blueberry. (But that doesn’t mean that those foods aren’t also very healthy for you!)
Fruits and Vegetables Nutrient Density Score
| Watercress | 100.00 |
|---|---|
| Chinese cabbage | 91.99 |
| Chard | 89.27 |
| Beet green | 87.08 |
| Spinach | 86.43 |
| Chicory | 73.36 |
| Leaf lettuce | 70.73 |
| Parsley | 65.59 |
| Romaine lettuce | 63.48 |
| Collard green | 62.49 |
| Turnip green | 62.12 |
| Mustard green | 61.39 |
| Endive | 60.44 |
| Chive | 54.80 |
| Kale | 49.07 |
| Dandelion green | 46.34 |
| Red pepper | 41.26 |
| Arugula | 37.65 |
| Broccoli | 34.89 |
| Pumpkin | 33.82 |
| Brussels sprout | 32.23 |
| Scallion | 27.35 |
| Kohlrabi | 25.92 |
| Cauliflower | 25.13 |
| Cabbage | 24.51 |
| Carrot | 22.60 |
| Tomato | 20.37 |
| Lemon | 18.72 |
| Iceberg lettuce | 18.28 |
| Strawberry | 17.59 |
| Radish | 16.91 |
| Winter squash (all varieties) | 13.89 |
| Orange | 12.91 |
| Lime | 12.23 |
| Grapefruit (pink and red) | 11.64 |
| Rutabaga | 11.58 |
| Turnip | 11.43 |
| Blackberry | 11.39 |
| Leek | 10.69 |
| Sweet potato | 10.51 |
| Grapefruit (white) | 10.47 |
Visit CDC.gov to learn more about how the researchers defined and ranked the Powerhouse Fruits and Vegetables list.
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