Easy ways to get more nutrients

A can of soft drink and two large eggs may have a similar number of calories, but the eggs will provide us with protein, vitamins and other nutrients, and satisfy our hunger, while a fizzy drink provides little more than tooth decay and calories. The important concept here is nutrient density. This is the number of nutrients we take in for each calorie consumed. No one would suggest replacing sweet drinks with eggs, but what can we do to increase nutrient density in our diet?

"Have you had your five a day?" that's the message on British supermarket shelves, and it's asking about fruit and vegetables. Many countries have launched similar campaigns to encourage people to eat more healthily. Fresh, natural produce is usually very dense in nutrients. Eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables is important, so some advice focuses on including different colours of food in our diets. 'Eating a rainbow' could be one way to get more nutrients.

Other advice recommends that we are more adventurous in what we eat. Cooking food that we haven't eaten before can lead us to use ingredients that we don't usually consume. This can give us a wider range of nutrients. It's not just about fruit and vegetables. Even using different seasoning can offer health benefits. Nutrition academic Hazel Flight highlights that flavourings such as garlic, ginger or turmeric can have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while also leading people to use less salt. Dairy products such as milk and cheese, are high in calcium, while in limited amounts, meat can be a good source of protein.

If you're not feeling that adventurous, then swapping individual food items can be beneficial. Choosing wholegrain bread or rice instead of white bread or rice can increase fibre intake. Unsalted nuts provide more nutrients than snacks such as crisps. Possibly surprisingly, popcorn is a wholegrain snack that is high in fibre.

So, fresh fruit and vegetables, swapping the worst things, and just a little bit more adventure could be the secret to a more nutritious diet.


词汇表
soft drink 软饮料（不含酒精）
calorie [ˈkælərɪ] 卡路里（热量单位）
protein [ˈprəʊtiːn] 蛋白质
vitamin [ˈvɪtəmɪn] 维生素
nutrient  [ˈnjuːtriənt] 营养素，营养物，养分
fizzy drink ['fɪzi] 汽水，碳酸饮料
tooth decay [dɪ'keɪ] 蛀牙
nutrient density ['densəti] 营养密度
take in 摄入，吸收
consume 吃，食用，摄入
launch campaigns [lɔːntʃ] [kæm'peɪn] 发起运动
produce 农产品
dense in 富含
a wide range of 许多，各种各样的，广泛的
adventurous [ədˈventʃ(ə)rəs] 勇于冒险的，大胆的
ingredient [ɪnˈɡriːdiənt] 食材，配料，原料
seasoning  [ˈsiːz(ə)nɪŋ] 调味品，佐料
flavouring ['fleɪvərɪŋ] 调味品，调味料
garlic [ˈɡɑː(r)lɪk] 大蒜，蒜头
ginger [ˈdʒɪndʒə(r)] 姜，生姜
turmeric [ˈtɜː(r)mərɪk] 姜黄
antioxidant [ˌæntiˈɒksɪd(ə)nt] 抗氧化的；抗氧化剂
anti-inflammatory [ˌæntiɪnˈflæmətəri] 抗炎的，消炎的；抗炎药
property [ˈprɒpə(r)ti] 属性，特性，性能
dairy products [ˈdeəri] 乳制品，奶制品
calcium ['kælsiəm] 钙
swap [swɒp] 交换，替换
wholegrain [ˈhəʊlˌɡreɪn] 全麦的，全谷物的
fibre intake [ˈfaɪbə(r)] [ˈɪnteɪk]（膳食）纤维摄入量
unsalted nuts  [ʌnˈsɔːltɪd] 无盐坚果
snack  [snæk] 零食，小吃，点心
crisp [krɪsp] 炸薯片，松脆食品
popcorn [ˈpɒpˌkɔː(r)n] 爆米花

📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】