The fourth characteristic of a nutritious diet , nutrient density , promotes adequacy and kcalorie control .

To eat well without overeating , select nutrient - dense foods - that is , foods that deliver the most
nutrients for the least food energy . " Consider foods containing calcium , for example . You can get
about 300 milligrams of calcium from either 1½ ounces of cheddar cheese or 1 cup of fat - free milk , but
the cheese delivers about twice as much food energy ( kcalories ) as the milk . The fat - free milk , then ,
is twice as calcium dense as the cheddar cheese ; it offers the same amount of calcium for half the
kcalories . Both foods are excellent choices for adequacy's sake alone , but to achieve adequacy while
controlling kcalories , the fat - free milk is the better choice . ( Alternatively , a person could select a low
- fat cheddar cheese providing kcalories com parable to fat - free milk . )