# 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:** 2
**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, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/21 "2005-08-03T12:50:44Z")
Tuna contains comparatively high levels of heavy metals (and not just from pollution, although that’s kind of irrelevant); not an attribute I’d consider positive in our search for the perfect food. ---
**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, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/22 "2005-08-03T12:52:16Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > 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. Like I said, humans. Not sure about the slow-roasting thing - you’ll destroy some of the trace nutrients that way. ---
**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, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/23 "2005-08-03T12:57:30Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > So, **focus on an animal** , and consider slow roasting the whole thing, with treats such as muscle meat, liver, brains, etc. No dietary fiber = cranky colon. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/24 "2005-08-03T14:22:15Z")
Human Chow! People Kibble! ::d&r:: ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/25 "2005-08-03T14:25:55Z")
Discussion about [People Kibble](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=156949) . ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/26 "2005-08-03T14:47:13Z")
Soylent Green. ---
**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, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/27 "2005-08-03T15:02:40Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > No dietary fiber = cranky colon. Cartlidge would help. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/28 "2005-08-03T15:02:48Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Like I said, humans. > > Not sure about the slow-roasting thing - you’ll destroy some of the trace nutrients that way. Yeah, Marvin Harris’ book _Good To Eat_ suggests the same thing. Mind, not absolutely perfect - there are nutrients hard to find in human flesh - but any single food will be the same way. Human comes pretty close. After all, you’re trying to turn your food into more human. Wouldn’t human be a pretty ideal starting point? Anyone know if human liver provides vitamin C? Raw livers of many animals do, but I’m wondering if the fact that humans can’t synthesize it means that it’s not present in the liver. ---
**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, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/29 "2005-08-03T15:05:06Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Cartlidge would help. How does cartilage substitute for fiber? Or am I being whooshed _again_? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/30 "2005-08-03T15:09:54Z")
I thought I heard it was the (chicken) egg, but I bet that was from an ad from the egg council or some other extremely biased source. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/31 "2005-08-03T15:18:49Z")
One problem to keep in mind is that no plant product will contain all of the amino acids required for health. Rice is close, beans are close, but they need to be eatten together (not neccessaryly at the same time) in order to be complete. My opinion is that having sufficient protein and nutrients is slightly more important than fibre. Quinoa is an ancient grain that’s become popular as one of those weird foods. In theory its supposed to be a complete protein, but I haven’t been able to find a site to back that up. If I had to guess I’d say liver. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/32 "2005-08-03T15:26:51Z")
I read in an Army survival manual that you can live a long time with no ill effects on Almonds and water. Per 2 cups: 2000 calories 66g protein 33g dietary fiber 1060mg Sodium 2200mg Potassium –US RDAs— Calcium :91% Iron: 64% Vitamin E 184% Thiamin 14% Riboflavin 123% Niacin 58% Folate 21% Vit B-6 19% Phosphorus 146% Magnesium 215% Zinc 64% Copper 150% So I’m gonna say Almonds ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/33 "2005-08-03T16:02:28Z")
from [University of Minnesota](http://www.wholegrain.umn.edu/grains/quinoa.cfm): > [@](#): > > Quinoa’s protein content, about 16 percent, is higher than that of any other grain. Wheat also has a high protein content, about 14 percent, but the protein in wheat and most other grains is lacking in the amino acid lysine, which quinoa has in abundance. In fact, the amino acid composition in quinoa is almost perfect—the World Health Organization has judged the protein in quinoa to be as complete as that in milk. In addition, quinoa contains more iron than most grains, and is a good source of calcium, phosphorus, folate, and many B vitamins. It’s tasty, too. I wouldn’t tout it at the perfect food, because while it kicks ass in the iron and mineral department, it’s fairly low in vitamins, expecially A, C & E. Then again, I don’t think there _is_ a single perfect food for humans. We’re _omnivores_, and one of the traits that has allowed us to spread like vermin across the face of the Earth is that we can thrive on a wide variety of different diets. I guess the flipside of that is that, unlike critters with more specialized critters, whatever we eat we really need a variety of different foods. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/34 "2005-08-03T16:04:10Z")
Uh, that would be “critters with more specialized diets.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/35 "2005-08-03T16:09:40Z")
Pizza. Protein, carbs, Vitamin C, fat, salt. Forget almonds. I think that if you ate just pizza and drank just water, you’d probably have no change in your expected lifespan. ---
**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, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/36 "2005-08-03T16:37:29Z")
> [@Hello Again](#): > > I read in an Army survival manual that you can live a long time with no ill effects on Almonds and water. > . > . > . > So I’m gonna say Almonds Again, while good, no vitamin C. You NEED vitamin C to live. I think the best thing mentioned so far might be a banana. It has a very good amount of protein for a fruit, even has some fiber for the ol’ colon! It seems to be lacking in fat, as well as a couple vitamins and minerals. However, one of those is Vitamin D, so just go sit in the sun for a while and you’re all set for that, and vitamin E and K? Are those really needed? But almost no calcium and sodium, Both of those are very essential. But, as said, there is no one perfect food for humans, aside from milk as an infant and then probably other humans as an adult, but I think a banana (or maybe brown rice) is the closest. But were I stuck on an island with no way to cook anything, I’d much rather have to eat nothing but raw bananas than raw rice. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/37 "2005-08-03T17:12:52Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > However, one of those is Vitamin D, so just go sit in the sun for a while and you’re all set for that, and vitamin E and K? Are those really needed? Vitamin K is produced by bacteria in your intestine. Vitamin E you have to get from your diet. ---
**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, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/38 "2005-08-03T17:30:24Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I think the best thing mentioned so far might be a banana. It has a very good amount of protein for a fruit, even has some fiber for the ol’ colon! I just looked at a fat sheet that shows a banana with 1g. That is not what I would call alot. not to mention the fact that that measly 1g is not made up of a complete chain of amino acids. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoneyKingofNowhere)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2005, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/39 "2005-08-03T17:36:53Z")
How about the [SWEET POTATO?](http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-3-71-108-2754-1,00.html) ---
**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, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404/40 "2005-08-03T17:49:45Z")
> [@TheBoneyKingofNowhere](#): > > How about the [SWEET POTATO?](http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-3-71-108-2754-1,00.html) [Hey that looks pretty good](http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s0223.html), surprisingly high in protein, for a root vegetable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-nutritionally-perfect-food/315404.md?page=3)