The researchers looked at so-called powerhouse fruits and vegetables, defining them as foods that “provide, on average, 10% or more daily value per 100 kcal of 17 qualifying nutrients”—including potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K. For the sake of analysis, the scientists set a cap of 100% of the Daily Value on individual nutrients so that one piece of produce that had an excess of, say, vitamin C didn’t tip the scales too far in the nutrient-dense direction. With this criteria, the scientists studied 47 fruits and vegetables and found that all but raspberry, tangerine, cranberry, garlic, onion, and blueberry earned the powerhouse belt. (Yep, that means blueberries, long prized for their antioxidant content, didn’t stand up to the CDC’s testing.) Four foods—apples, bananas, corn, and potatoes—were predetermined low nutrient but tested anyway. Of course, there is a huge caveat, obvious to most who know their produce and even copped to by the CDC: “Because it was not possible to include phytochemical data in the calculation of nutrient density scores, the scores do not reflect all of the constituents that may confer health benefits.” So don’t cry too hard for your blessed blueberries yet. There’s still hope.
