What Is The Difference Between Nutrient-Rich and Energy-Rich Foods?

High-calorie foods can be metabolized in our cells to provide us with a large amount of energy.

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Nutrient-rich foods aren’t the same as energy-rich foods although these two terms sound very similar. It’s not nutrients per se that give us energy; from the standpoint of nutrition, the term “energy” is actually synonymous with “calories.” High-calorie foods can be metabolized in our cells to provide us with a large amount of energy. Low-calorie foods cannot provide us with much energy in terms of calories. They help support our metabolism in an infinite number of ways, but they cannot provide our muscles and organs with the “get up and go” they need to get us through our day.

As in all health-related matters, it’s a question of balance here. We need enough energy-rich foods to give us the caloric energy for our “get up and go,” and we need enough nutrient-rich foods to support our metabolism while we’re on the move.

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