你听说过 “nutrient density（营养素密度）” 这个概念吗？它的意思是 “食物中每单位热量能够提供的其他营养物含量”。借助这个概念，科学家能够辨别出生活中哪些食物对我们的健康更有益处。比如，多吃新鲜水果和蔬菜，少吃高热量的食物，并丰富饮食的种类。本期节目介绍在日常饮食中改善营养的好方法。

词汇：nutrition 营养

A can of soft drink and two large eggs may have a similar number of calories, but the eggs will provide us with protein, vitamins and other nutrients, and satisfy our hunger, while a fizzy drink provides little more than tooth decay and calories. The important concept here is nutrient density. This is the number of nutrients we take in for each calorie consumed. No one would suggest replacing sweet drinks with eggs, but what can we do to increase nutrient density in our diet?

"Have you had your five a day?" that's the message on British supermarket shelves, and it's asking about fruit and vegetables. Many countries have launched similar campaigns to encourage people to eat more healthily. Fresh, natural produce is usually very dense in nutrients. Eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables is important, so some advice focuses on including different colours of food in our diets. 'Eating a rainbow' could be one way to get more nutrients.

Other advice recommends that we are more adventurous in what we eat. Cooking food that we haven't eaten before can lead us to use ingredients that we don't usually consume. This can give us a wider range of nutrients. It's not just about fruit and vegetables. Even using different seasoning can offer health benefits. Nutrition academic Hazel Flight highlights that flavourings such as garlic, ginger or turmeric can have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while also leading people to use less salt. Dairy products such as milk and cheese, are high in calcium, while in limited amounts, meat can be a good source of protein.

If you're not feeling that adventurous, then swapping individual food items can be beneficial. Choosing wholegrain bread or rice instead of white bread or rice can increase fibre intake. Unsalted nuts provide more nutrients than snacks such as crisps. Possibly surprisingly, popcorn is a wholegrain snack that is high in fibre.

So, fresh fruit and vegetables, swapping the worst things, and just a little bit more adventure could be the secret to a more nutritious diet.

词汇表

calorie 卡路里
protein 蛋白质
vitamin 维生素
nutrient 营养物，养分
nutrient density 营养素密度
consume 吃，食用
diet 日常饮食
fruit 水果
vegetable 蔬菜
fresh 新鲜的
natural 天然的
produce 农产品
dense in 富含
ingredient 食材
seasoning 调味品，作料
antioxidant 抗氧化的
anti-inflammatory 抗炎症的
dairy 乳制品的
calcium 钙
beneficial 有益的
wholegrain 全麦的
white （用于食品名称中）白的
fibre 纤维
unsalted 未加盐的

测验与练习

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What has a similar number of calories to two large eggs?

2. What does the 'Have you had your five a day' refer to?

3. Why can being more adventurous be healthy?

4. What benefits for garlic, ginger and turmeric are mentioned?

5. What is given as an example of a snack that is high in fibre?

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Meat can be a good source of _______.

ingredient anti-inflammatory protein diet

2. _______ products, like milk and cheese provide calcium.

Diet Wholegrain Vegetable Dairy

3. _______ bread is not as healthy as wholemeal.

Beneficial Protein White Vitamin

4. Adding different _______ can improve flavour and reduce the need for salt.

vitamins seasoning fibre unsalted

5. Sweet foods have low _______.

nutrient density fresh natural hunger

答案

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. What has a similar number of calories to two large eggs?

A can of soft drink and two large eggs may have a similar number of calories.

2. What does the 'Have you had your five a day' refer to?

'Have you had your five a day?' refers to fruit and vegetables.

3. Why can being more adventurous be healthy?

Cooking food that we have eaten before can lead us to use ingredients that we don't usually consume, which gives us a wider range of nutrients.

4. What benefits for garlic, ginger and turmeric are mentioned?

Garlic, ginger and turmeric are described as having antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and can lead to people using less salt.

5. What is given as an example of a snack that is high in fibre?

Popcorn is a wholegrain snack that is high in fibre.

2. 选择意思恰当的单词或词组来完成下列句子。

1. Meat can be a good source of protein.

2. Dairy products, like milk and cheese provide calcium.

3. White bread is not as healthy as wholemeal.

4. Adding different seasoning can improve flavour and reduce the need for salt.

5. Sweet foods have low nutrient density.