We often discuss vitamins and minerals and their essential role in human health; however, that can be rather abstract until you take the time to examine nutrients and foods on a case-by case basis. How exactly does vitamin K or riboflavin or selenium support our health? Is liver really a nutritional powerhouse? How so?
Moreover, we consistently hear that plant foods – fruits, vegetables and whole grains – offer the very best sources of vitamins and minerals and while they certainly play a critical role in a wholesome diet, plant foods do not always represent the best source of nutrients. Indeed, animal foods – particularly liver, roe and shellfish – offer some of the most concentrated sources of vitamins and minerals. Turkey liver offers 3 times more vitamin A than the same quantity of sweet potato. Keep in mind that vitamin A from animal foods (retinol) is more easily absorbed and metabolized than beta carotene from plant foods. Smoked salmon offers 40% more riboflavin than peanuts. Plant foods are grossly lacking in all but nominal amounts of vitamin D and completely lacking in vitamin B12, while one could conceivably receive all one’s vitamins and minerals from animal foods alone – though I wouldn’t recommend it. In the end, what you see in this chart is a beautiful balance between nutrient-dense animal foods and nutrient-dense plant foods: an omnivorous diet.
In examining these foods – a few nourishing foods kept appearing over and over again. Liver appears 34 times on this list, while sesame appears 9 times and oysters 7. Many of these foods are sacred foods – foods cherished by our ancestors and they should regain their rightful place on the kitchen table. You’ll note that grain, dairy and even fruit are barely mentioned among these nutrient-dense foods which, I imagine, will pique the interest of many of Nourished Kitchen’s primal readers. While all truly natural foods can also be truly health-giving foods, a mindful eye to maximizing nutrient-dense foods is vital.
As you examine these foods, their nutrients and the value they should play in your kitchen, please note that while much of the data regarding fish and shellfish is based on wild-caught seafood, the data regarding animal foods are based on conventionally-raised animals. Data on the nutrient content of pasture-raised foods is very difficult to find on such a massive scale; rest assured that data consistently indicates that grass-fed and pasture-raised animals produce more nutrient-dense food than their confined, industrial counterparts. Moreover, please note that while muscle meat is rarely listed – that doesn’t mean it offers no value, only that it is simply not as nutrient-dense as offal. Quite often muscle meat scored higher than the plant food sources listed. Similarly, in many instances, plant foods not listed scored higher than animal foods that are listed.
I omitted obscure ingredients – whale blubber and walrus meat for instance – as they’re unlikely to be widely available. I also omitted heavily processed, fortified foods, choosing to rely instead of the natural value of food in their naked and unadulterated state as much as possible.
Nourish yourself mindfully and well.
Nutrient |
Why You Need It: |
Best Animal Food Sources1: |
Best Plant Food Sources1: |
| Vitamin A |
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| Vitamin C |
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| Vitamin D |
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| Vitamin E |
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| Vitamin K |
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| Thiamin |
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| Riboflavin |
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| Niacin |
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| Vitamin B6 |
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| Folate |
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| Pantothenic Acid |
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| Vitamin B12 |
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| Choline |
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| Betaine |
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| Calcium |
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| Iron |
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| Magnesium |
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| Potassium |
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| Zinc |
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| Copper |
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| Manganese |
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| Selenium |
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1. Nutrient data is based on 100-gram servings of foods listed. Nutrient information was sourced from NutritionData.com and is provided exclusively for educational and informational purposes. I make no warranties about its accuracy or reliability.
2. Photo credit.
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What are the recommended daily requirements for these nutrients. I’m curious to see how much of each item would be needed to make up each days requirement.
Oh man, I’m bookmarking, tweeting, stumbling and sending this link to everybody I have ever heard of. Awesome, awesome post!! Thank you!!
Great!
I’ve heard a lot recently that the highest animal source of vitamin D (other than cod liver oil) is actually wild Sockeye Salmon, due to their unique natural diet. Not sure the exact amount, though.
Leanne -
You can view the Dietary Reference Intakes here: http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=3&tax_subject=256&topic_id=1342&level3_id=5140. Take care to remember that these intake recommendations are focused more on minimizing deficiencies than maximizing wellness, and are individualized for age and sex.
Hope that helps -
Jenny
Thank you for spreading the word about the post. It took A LOT of time to research. I hope it helps some folks.
- Jenny
Gina -
It’s my understanding that Wild Sockeye Salmon is a good source of vitamin D. A 100-gram portion contains about 660 IU vitamin D. Not bad at all. Most oily fish are a good source of this vital nutrient.
Take Care -
Jenny
This is a fabulous post. I am definitely going to be referencing this one a lot and sending friends to it as well. Thank you so much for putting it together. What a lot of work!
BTW, Dried Ear Cloud Fungus sounds yummy.
LOVE THIS POST! Thank you!!!
This is an awesome list. Thank you so much for taking the time to research it and put it all down in one, easy to reference, place. I was surprised not to see raw milk anywhere on the list. I suppose I’ll have to up our intake of liver (which I already knew) =)
This list is so awesome! Thanks for taking the time to compile such a comprehensive resource!!
Marianne -
Raw milk is decidedly a deeply nourishing food; however, much of its weight is comprised of water so when you examine nutrient density based on 100-gram values, more concentrated foods such as butter and cheese will contain more nutrients on a gram-by-gram basis. This is also why dried shiitake mushrooms make the list, but fresh shiitakes don’t. That’s not to say these aren’t nourishing foods – they are; however, they simply aren’t as concentrated due to the water weight. It was definitely an interesting list. I was surprised by how often sesame made the list!
Take Care and Thanks for Reading!
Jenny
Great post, thanks! Keep up the good work!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! This is MARVELOUS! I really appreciate you researching this and then posting for us. I’m printing out a copy to post in my kitchen and as a reference as I do my meal planning for my family!
Wow, Jenny, the research for this post must have taken a really long time! Thank you so much for providing such a simple and concise chart for us to follow!
This is an extremely helpful post. I’m forwarding to all my friends. I may have missed it, but I don’t think I saw where you got this data from. Is this from the USDA?
OK. I found it. sorry
Where do you get Amaranth Leaves and how do you eat them?
Fantastic chart! This must have been a lot of work. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I only wish you had a “print view” function so I could print this out and memorize it!
Stupid me, you DO have a printer-friendly version. Hooraaayyyy!!! Thank-you!
Leah -
To answer your question about amaranth – amaranth leaves are easy to grow in most locations, even on a patio! Also, you can often find them at farmers markets, though they’re rarely carried at super markets.
Take Care -
Jenny
This is an AWESOME resource, Jenny! I have needed something like this for so long! Thanks for your hard work.
I think it’s remarkable just how many times liver of some type of animal liver appears on this list! I am sheepish to admit this, but we really don’t eat liver in our house, not because I wouldn’t try it, but because I am intimidated about preparing it. I’m still very much a novice cook, and although we do have a variety of foods in our house, this is one that still hasn’t made it to our kitchen or plates. I guess I need to go and review all the good recipes available for preparing liver. I’m also lacking various kitchen devices that might make preparation of not only this but several other nutrient-dense foods easier. Those will have to be on my list in the coming year! Thanks for the list and all the hard work, it’s evident you spent a lot of time on this!
There is something missing here:
The most strong person is who eat simple stuff but capable of absorbing it and even turning it into all beneficial to one’s own health benefit, physically as well as spiritually.
While the weak persons eat stuff containing all nourish elements, yet unable to absorb them, even harmed by the dishes.
The funny thing is people who drink milk, supposed to have a lot of calcium, tends to lose calcium already inside their bodies.
There are a lot delicate mechanisms in the Creation’s design, eating something doesn’t mean your body will get all elements in it.
In my own experience, quiting animal products, choosing vegan diets, does make me healthier, and happier. Even the liver is full of vitamins, the main concern is that can human bodies get benefits by eating it eventually?
Concerns about nutrition and health? “The China Study” is a book you may not want to miss.
Wow!! What a great resource you have just provided, along with the link for the daily recommended needs of each vitamin or mineral. I am so thankful!! I am wondering if dessicated liver tablets would do the trick at all , in place of liver. I still haven’t wrapped my brain around eating liver! (a little bit chicken I guess, although it is very affordable
)
Ahimculture –
You bring up very valid points – namely, that it’s more than what you choose to consume, but also how well your body absorbs it; however, you’re headed in the wrong direction with your data. There, indeed, are many delicate mechanisms involved in nutrient metabolism; however, veganism is not the answer.
For example, greens may contain calcium; however, they also contain oxalates which bind minerals together preventing their full absorption in the intestinal tract, and while healthy intestinal flora will help to metabolize those oxalates most people suffer from some degree of gut dysbiosis thanks to lack of breastfeeding, medicalized birth, lack of probiotic foods and an oversanitized society – meaning that most people don’t have a healthy enough intestinal tract to work around those mineral-binding oxalates.
Moreover, many plant-food sources of vitamins and minerals simply aren’t well metabolized. Take beta carotene for example: beta carotene can be metabolized into a usable form of vitamin A; however, the human body is notoriously inefficient at converting beta carotene into a usable form of vitamin A. Indeed recent studies indicate that, under optimal conditions, the human body needs 21 units of beta carotene to make 1 unit of vitamin A; however, retinol (the vitamin A found in animal foods) is readily absorbed. Another example is DHA/EPA which are only found naturally in animal foods (namely, oily fish). The human body is poorly adapted to converting omega-3 fatty acids into DHA and EPA that means vegans can consume all the flaxseed and hemp seed they want, but their bodies still won’t adequately metabolize those omega-3 fats into DHA and EPA. Vitamin D is yet another example: you’d have to eat 3 pounds of mushrooms to come close to the vitamin D levels found in 1 3.5-ounce portion of oysters. Then there’s the challenge of iron. Iron from animal foods is heme iron and numerous studies indicate that heme iron is better absorbed than non-heme iron from plants. And I haven’t even touched vitamin B12 which is lacking in plant foods altogether.
So while you’re on the right track in keeping a mindful eye as to how well the human body absorbs nutrients; you’re on the wrong track in thinking that plant foods offer better nutrient absorption than animal foods.
Regarding the China Study, I have read it and it was undoubtedly one of the most poorly researched books on nutrition I have ever examined. Much of the book focused on using isolated compounds of animal foods (i.e. casein and only casein) which is problematic because if making a broad statement about food, one must study broad foods. All China Study did was indicate massive quantities of casein (without other foods)is unhealthy. Moreover, despite China Study’s title, the author spent little time analyzing the native diet of isolated Chinese populations, nor did he address confounding factors.
Thanks for reading –
Jenny
Lydia -
Thank you so much for your warm comments. It’s my understanding that dessicated liver tablets are an acceptable way to get in this vital and sacred food if you can’t tolerate it on the plate. If you can; however, eating liver weekly is ideal. At the recent Wise Traditions conference, Sally Fallon Morrell – in discussing B12 – explained that eating liver once a month is the equivalent of eating red meat every day for a month. Pretty powerful stuff, you know?
Take Care -
Jenny
Awesome post, I’m glad people are finally starting to take notice of what proper human nutrition is.
I guess you’ve never heard of Vilhjalmur Stefansson? Google him and and the word “meat”.
So after enlightening us on the nutritional value of animals, why wouldn’t you recommend eating an all meat diet? The nutrients are there, right?
Thank you so much for the comment. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, the Iniut and others – present an excellent case for the consumption of animal foods (even a diet comprised exclusively of animal foods). Moreover, studies conducted early in the 20th century indicated than study participants thrived on a diet comprised exclusively of meat. It’s quite fascinating, especially given that meat (nose-to-tail eating, that is) can provide every vitamin, mineral, fat and amino acid humans need for survival.
While I strongly feel that a diet comprised exclusively of meat is infinitely more nourishing than one comprised exclusively of plant foods; I don’t recommend it for two reasons: practicality and culinary enjoyment. Practically speaking, such a diet would be quite difficult to maintain (though not impossible, and certainly a devoted adherent could do it). Personally, I recommend an omnivorous diet not only because it can be nutrient-dense, but also because the flavors, colors and even sounds of various foods bring so much to the table. Life without a ripe mandarin in winter or a fresh strawberry in spring would lack the inherent value and beauty of variety. Nourished Kitchen is more than a site about nutrition and wellness; it’s a site about enjoying and celebrating real food.
Take care and thanks for commenting -
Jenny
How would you suggest helping the body be able to absorb these nutrients if there is an absorption issue such as leaky gut?
This is very wonderful. Thank you Jenny. I’d love to see some liver recipes. I bought some yesterday after reading your post and now I have to decide what to fashion out of it.
I used to feed my dairy goat raw soaked barley for vitamin B12, and I took it myself for a while to try and help the eczema I had, although the stuff tastes pretty ordinary! I have a cold-press juicer now so I may try juicing raw soaked barley in the near future. I would be interested to find out if the vit B12 is actually absorbable from that raw grain source, for humans. As I realise goats are herbivorous ruminants, and we are not. But, the milk of a goat who receives enough B12 will have B12 in their milk which is available to humans. The source for feeding the raw soaked barley to the dairy animal is Pat Coleby’s handbooks on dairy goats, horses, and dairy cattle. Thanks for the great article. Will have to go and find liver recipes now.
Wow what a wonderful list! Can’t imagine the time it took to write this post. Thank you
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I do have a request though…is it possible you could add iodine?
This is a great rundown, very thorough but perhaps missing is data on the fact that cooking and I assume you are cooking these meats and livers is that some vitamins are often destroyed in the cooking process. Others are destroyed in water. I have read numerous times that you can lose anywhere from 50% or more of the nutritional content of any given food when you cook it. Eating meat also requires more energy and resources to digest and extract the usable nutrients, so your body has to work twice as hard to get the nutrition in the first place. You are also getting MUCH more calories from meat versus veggies so calorie for calorie meat and liver are not quite the winners they first appear.
Tiffany -
Thanks for your comment. I wish to clarify a few things. Namely, the animal foods listed in this post (except where noted) are cooked, and even when cooked they are still higher in nutrients on a gram-by-gram basis than the raw and cooked vegetables listed. While raw liver may be marginally higher in nutrients than pan-fried liver, few people will eat liver in its raw state making the point irrelavent.
And while cooking does often destroy micronutrients in both plant and animal foods, it also renders other micronutrients more bio-available. Lycopene in tomatoes, for example, is enhanced by cooking. Cooking also increases the antioxidant power of carrots. What cooking does do is damage heat-sensitive food enzymes to a greater degree than the marginal loss of some, not all, vitamins. That is why, in our home, we consume fermented foods regularly which are teeming with food enzymes and beneficial bacteria. Moreover, cooking renders many plant and animal foods more digestible and improving their energetic value. Indeed, researchers in the field of evolutionary biology pinpoint the cooking of our foods as of substantial evolutionary significance.
Regarding meat and digestibility, there is no evidence of which I am aware that indicates the human body must work twice as hard to absorb the nutrients in animal foods rather than plant foods. If you can direct me to a peer-reviewed study indicating such, I’d really like to see it as I’m working on a post covering the subject. On the contrary, multiple studies indicate that many nutrients are better absorbed from animal foods: namely EPA and DHA which are difficult to metabolize from plant-based omega-3 fatty acids and of course vitamin A which is difficult to metabolize from beta carotene (though not impossible).
What’s ultimately important is to eat a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet based on whole foods and that includes the consumption of both plant and animal foods, cooked and uncooked.
Thanks so much for your visit and comment!
- Jenny
I recommend the Live Food Factor (book) it has over 80 studies listed that reflect how cooked food is inferior to raw in terms of nutritional value. It even addresses the fact that cooking can chemically alter the foods we eat making them toxic and even carcinogenic (especially meat). One such study that I recall showed that our immune system will actually attack various cooked foods. I do agree that not all veggies should be eaten raw though. As far as energy consumed digesting meat I know I have read blurbs from various studies but nothing is more significant to me than personal experience. Meat can stay in our bodies for days being digested which will require large amounts of energy. Most meat eaters in the wild eat and then slumber for long hours due to the energy required to digest their meal. Why do we want to sleep after a big turkey dinner?
I know how lethargic and blah I feel after eating a steak versus eating a green smoothie jam packed with Kale, collard greens, goji berries, hemp seeds, algae powder,(which has DHA), and wheat grass. Blending it all in a high speed bender breaks open the cellulose walls making the nutrients available from the first sip.
I don’t debate any details of your chart I just think there are other variables to consider that require deeper digging and perhaps don’t put meat out in front of the pack. I tend to allow my body to guide me and I have gone from a meat/dairy based diet, to junk food vegan, to a nourishing traditions type diet, to raw vegan, and then ultimately to macro vegetarian – high raw… got colon cancer somewhere in between the first two diets and finally I found what works for me.
Tiffany said on 28 December 2009 at 10:47 am: “I know how lethargic and blah I feel after eating a steak versus eating a green smoothie jam packed with Kale, collard greens, goji berries, hemp seeds, algae powder,(which has DHA), and wheat grass. Blending it all in a high speed bender breaks open the cellulose walls making the nutrients available from the first sip.”
That is really bad advice: To eat kale or collard greens raw. Those foods need to be cooked, and cooked down considerably, otherwise they will wreck your thyroid (slow it down = hypothyroid). Kale, collard greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage are goitrogenic foods and need to have their toxins broken down, and the only way to do that is to cook them. The cuisine of the southern United States, for example, the folks eat their collard greens cooked down with a piece of pork (usually a hock) thrown into the pot for flavour.
redcatbicycliste,
It wasn’t advice. Everything I have read only alludes to the “possibility” and then mentions that this would be applicable in excessive cases (in theory). I haven’t seen any conclusive studies. Peaches and strawberries are also goitrogenic foods and yet we often eat them raw.
What a wonderful chart, I’m so glad you’ve put this up! This is an excellent blog.
Tiffany-
There is no way that blending on high speed will break down cellulose walls. These walls are microscopic. Anyone with a compromised gut will have difficulty digesting raw food because the human body contains no cellulase enzyme to break it down.
No doubt cooking food will remove some of the nutrients, that is why it is recommended to slow cook everything or cook slowly over low heat, even meat, to keep the proteins subtle. High heat cooking is what is damaging.
I have been eating 60-80grams of protein mostly from meat sources for over a month and my health has improved, my energy most dramatically.
Maybe the meat eaters in the wild are slumbering because they’ve spent the past day hunting and cooking their prey! lol
This is wonderful! Thank you for putting this information all together. I realize this is a late comment, but this is so valuable that I had to comment. Also, I had a giant plate of raw oysters last night, so I’m happy to see them appearing on the list a couple of times. Yum!