# What is the most nutritionally perfect food? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 3, 2005, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404 "2005-08-03T10:17:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Thin\_Lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/1 "2005-08-03T10:17:18Z")
What food is the most nutritionally perfect, ie has the best ratios of vitamins and macronutrients? I don’t mean a concotion or combination of foods, but something in its natural state. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/2 "2005-08-03T10:21:22Z")
[Bananas.](http://www.diablocyclists.com/FitnessHealth/InterestingFactsBanana.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/3 "2005-08-03T10:21:36Z")
Humans. I think you could probably derive all the nutrients that your body needs by eating raw humans. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/4 "2005-08-03T10:26:48Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > [Bananas.](http://www.diablocyclists.com/FitnessHealth/InterestingFactsBanana.htm) A good food no doubt-but not sure about nutritionally perfect, they have almost no protein ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/5 "2005-08-03T10:28:45Z")
Cakes, no doubt about it. They contain all the vitamins A through Z, as well as being chock full of protein and slow-burning carbohydrates. A word of caution though, you can only get the benefits of this nutritional goodness if the cake is eaten **in its natural state**. Remember that. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/6 "2005-08-03T10:33:39Z")
> [@Myler Keogh](#): > > Cakes, no doubt about it. They contain all the vitamins A through Z, as well as being chock full of protein and slow-burning carbohydrates. A word of caution though, you can only get the benefits of this nutritional goodness if the cake is eaten **in its natural state**. Remember that. 😕 what kind of cakes? rice cakes, pancakes, 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/7 "2005-08-03T10:35:13Z")
> [@Thin Lizzy](#): > > A good food no doubt-but not sure about nutritionally perfect, they have almost no protein ☹ Au contrare! [225 grams of bananas provide 5% of your daily protein requirement](http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s01fa.html). Not sirloin steak, certainly, but not protein free by any means. The status of “perfect food” must surely be a relative one; can you propose another food which is more complete? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/8 "2005-08-03T10:39:38Z")
I heard a couple of years ago that rice and beans would fit the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Thin\_Lizzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Thin\_Lizzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thin_Lizzy)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/9 "2005-08-03T10:41:24Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I heard a couple of years ago that rice and beans would fit the bill. Yeah, because separately they don’t have a complete amino acid chain but they do when combined. ---
**Author:** ![Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/46a35a/32.png) [@Walker\_in\_Eternity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walker_in_Eternity)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/10 "2005-08-03T10:56:48Z")
What about avocados? I heard they were pretty much an ideal food, other than being slightly too high in saturated fat. Any truth to this? ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/11 "2005-08-03T11:15:07Z")
And avocados make one mighty fine cream pie. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/12 "2005-08-03T11:41:33Z")
I’ve heard it said that brown rice was the best overall. I think it has all the amino acids, but is light in one of them, lysine maybe. Given that we are omnivores, it is doubtful that any one food will be nutritionally perfect. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/13 "2005-08-03T11:50:26Z")
How about [potatoes?](http://www.westernpotatoes.com.au/nutrition/index.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/14 "2005-08-03T12:13:45Z")
Hmm, if you’re looking for **one** food that is nutritionally complete in itself and provides a complete healthy diet for humans, I’d say it would have to be human breast milk. Of course, it probably satisfies those conditions only for infants; I doubt it would be the closest thing to “nutritionally perfect” for older children or adults. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/15 "2005-08-03T12:20:25Z")
I had a consultation with a nutritionist once; she talked a lot about how milk was “the perfect food.” ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/16 "2005-08-03T12:34:32Z")
Tuna. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/17 "2005-08-03T12:41:28Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Tuna. Is there much Vitamin C in tuna? Scurvy is not the least bit fun to go through, I would imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/18 "2005-08-03T12:45:49Z")
Basically, the best food would be much of certain animals - wherein you’d consume a mammal’s muscles and some key organs, like liver and muscle and other parts. Protein in animals is easy to come by, but munching on organs - such as the liver - is where you’ll get alot of other essential nutrients. So, **focus on an animal** , and consider slow roasting the whole thing, with treats such as muscle meat, liver, brains, etc. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/19 "2005-08-03T12:48:38Z")
> [@Thin Lizzy](#): > > 😕 what kind of cakes? rice cakes, pancakes, 😕 Angelfood cakes. If it is good for angels, it must be good! ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/20 "2005-08-03T12:50:16Z")
Purina Monkey Chow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404.md?page=2)