What is the world’s most-nutritious food? I wondered, so I Googled it. The answers convinced me that isn’t the right question. Here are results from just the first page of Google search: wolfberry, milk, spirulina, prunes, prunes (2 listings, different sources) and idly.
Noticeably absent from this list are avocados, bananas and chia seeds. (Of course, there are reasons a webpage receives top ranking in Google that may have little to do with the content on that page, but the ranking does show popularity of the site for the phrase “most nutritious food”.)
One of the holistic health writers I followed as a young person said “Apples are the best food.” I questioned that. Looking into it further, I discovered the context involved availability and storability–both key factors when she wrote in the early 20th century, and much less so today. But this does make the point that convinced me searching for the “most nutritious food” is misguided.
What is best for you to eat is something that is:
- nutritionally dense (enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, etc.)
- available to you, both by location and price
- appealing to you, so you’ll eat it!
Where you live seems to be the first consideration when considering a “world’s best food.” If goji berries grow outside your front door, eat them! Some countries, like the United States, have access to exotic foods from all over the world. Myriad companies are selling fruits, both dried and juiced, that were unknown in the West 15 years ago. Supermarket cashiers are no longer expected to know what kind of pear or squash is rolling across their scanner–the varieties are so great, each item has a code number.
What is the most-nutritious food you currently eat? I’d like to hear about it in the comments below and get some discussion going. Or is there something you aspire to add to your diet but you haven’t yet?