Although fruits and vegetables can be a relatively expensive source of dietary energy, they provide key nutrients at a reasonable cost, according to researchers at the University of Washington.

A scoring system was used to estimate the nutritional adequacy of vegetables and fruits on a per weight, per calorie and per unit cost basis. Results confirmed the widely accepted belief that energy-dense foods tend to contain fewer nutrients.

Fruits and vegetables scored highest on nutrient density because they were nutrient-rich in relation to their low energy content and also had a relatively high nutrient-to-price ratio. This illustrates that fruits and vegetables provide nutrients at a reasonable cost when compared with other foods.

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American Dietetic Association
1-Dec-2005