Is there actually a healthiest food in the world? What the science really says

Everyone wants a shortcut. We want that one "superfood" that fixes the late-night pizza regrets and the years of sitting at a desk. If you search for what is the healthiest food in the world, you’ll get a million different answers. One blog screams kale. Another swears by wild blueberries. Some guy on TikTok is probably eating raw liver right now and calling it the "ultimate" nutrient bomb.

But here is the truth that most wellness influencers won't tell you: the "healthiest" food doesn't exist in a vacuum. Context is everything.

If you’re stranded on a desert island, the healthiest food is whatever has enough calories to keep you from starving. If you have scurvy, it’s an orange. If you’re a high-performance athlete, it might be a massive bowl of white rice for glycogen replenishment. However, if we look at nutrient density—the sheer amount of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients packed into a single calorie—we can actually start to rank things.

The Nutrient Density Powerhouse

Back in 2014, a researcher named Jennifer Di Noia from William Paterson University published a study in the CDC journal Preventing Chronic Disease. She looked at "powerhouse" fruits and vegetables. She ranked them based on their content of 17 essential nutrients.

Most people expect kale to be number one. It’s not.

Watercress actually took the top spot with a perfect score of 100. It’s a peppery, leafy green that most of us just use as a garnish or ignore entirely at the grocery store. It’s loaded with Vitamin K, Vitamin A, and glucosinolates, which are compounds that might help protect against cancer. It’s basically nature’s multivitamin.

But does that make it the "healthiest"? Honestly, probably not if you only eat a tiny sprig of it once a month.

Why your "Superfood" might be overrated

Blueberries are great. Seriously, they are packed with anthocyanins. But if you're eating conventional blueberries sprayed with heavy pesticides and ignoring the rest of your diet, that "superfood" status is doing a lot of heavy lifting.

We’ve become obsessed with "silver bullet" foods. We think if we add chia seeds to a diet of processed junk, we’re suddenly healthy. Nutrition doesn't work like that. It’s an additive and subtractive game. It’s about the synergy of what’s on your plate. For example, did you know that eating fat with your greens helps you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K? If you eat a "healthy" plain salad with no dressing, you’re literally flushing some of those nutrients away.

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The Mediterranean context and the "Blue Zones"

If we stop looking at individual ingredients and look at how people actually live, the conversation about what is the healthiest food in the world changes. We have to talk about the Mediterranean diet. It’s not a "diet" in the restrictive sense. It’s a pattern.

Dan Buettner, who spent years studying "Blue Zones" (places where people live the longest), found that it wasn't just one food. It was a combination.

1. Legumes. This is the big one. Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are arguably the most underrated health foods on the planet. They have protein, they have fiber, and they are incredibly cheap.
2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It’s liquid gold. The oleocanthal in olive oil has anti-inflammatory effects similar to ibuprofen.
3. Small oily fish. Sardines and mackerel. They are low on the food chain (so, less mercury) and high in Omega-3s.

The nuance here is that these people aren't eating "superfoods" because they saw them on Instagram. They eat them because they are local, seasonal, and traditional.

The dark horse: Organ meats and fermented foods

If we’re being intellectually honest, we have to talk about the things that gross people out.

Beef liver is arguably the most nutrient-dense meat on Earth. It is exceptionally high in B12, Vitamin A, and copper. In terms of "bang for your buck," a small serving of liver outperforms almost any vegetable. But we don't like the taste. We don't like the texture. So we ignore it.

Then there’s the gut microbiome.

Your health isn't just about what you eat; it's about what the trillions of bacteria in your gut eat. Fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, and kefir are essential. They provide probiotics that regulate everything from your immune system to your mental health. A diet of "pure" clean food that is totally sterile might actually be less healthy than a diet that includes some "funky" fermented stuff.

What about the "anti-nutrients"?

You might hear people—usually in the keto or carnivore circles—talking about lectins or oxalates in plants. They’ll tell you spinach is "poison" because it has oxalates.

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Let's clear this up: For 99% of people, the benefits of the fiber and phytonutrients in these plants vastly outweigh any risk from "anti-nutrients." Unless you have specific kidney issues or a very rare sensitivity, don't stop eating your spinach.

Defining "Healthy" for yourself

The search for what is the healthiest food in the world often stems from a place of anxiety. We want to be sure we're doing the "right" thing.

But health is bio-individual.

If you are lactose intolerant, Greek yogurt isn't healthy for you, even though it’s a "superfood" for someone else. If you have hemopchromatosis (too much iron), eating liver could actually be dangerous.

The best approach isn't to find the one single food to rule them all. It's to build a "portfolio" of high-nutrient hitters. Think of your diet like a stock market portfolio. You want some high-growth assets (leafy greens), some stable bonds (beans and grains), and maybe some "alternative" investments (fermented foods and organ meats).

The "Satiety" factor

We also need to talk about eggs.

For years, eggs were the villain. Then they were the hero. Now, people are confused. Eggs are incredible because they contain choline—which is vital for brain health—and they are highly satiating.

The healthiest food is often the one that keeps you full so you don't reach for a bag of chips an hour later. Protein and fiber are the kings of satiety. If a food has both (like lentils), it’s a top-tier contender for the healthiest food title.

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Practical steps for a nutrient-dense life

Instead of hunting for a unicorn food, follow these three specific shifts. They are backed by actual nutritional science rather than marketing hype.

Stop eating "naked" carbs. Whenever you eat a carbohydrate (fruit, bread, pasta), pair it with a protein or a healthy fat. This blunts the insulin spike. High blood sugar spikes are the enemy of longevity. Even a "healthy" apple is better for you if you eat it with a few walnuts.

Prioritize the "Unsexy" Greens. Swap some of your romaine or iceberg for watercress, arugula, or bok choy. These cruciferous and peppery greens contain isothiocyanates, which help your liver detoxify at a cellular level.

Eat the Rainbow (Literally). Different colors in plants represent different antioxidants.

• Purple/Blue: Anthocyanins (heart and brain health).
• Orange/Yellow: Carotenoids (eye health and skin).
• Red: Lycopene (prostate health and sun protection).
• Green: Chlorophyll and Vitamin K (blood and bone health).

If your plate looks beige, you’re missing out.

The final word on the "Best" food

If you forced a nutritionist to pick just one, they’d probably struggle. But if you look at the intersection of longevity, nutrient density, and disease prevention, the answer is likely Small Oily Fish or Legumes.

But honestly? The healthiest food in the world is the one that you actually enjoy eating, that doesn't cause you digestive distress, and that replaces a processed alternative.

You don't need to eat watercress every day to be healthy. You just need to stop looking for a miracle and start looking at your grocery cart as a whole. Diversity is the only real "superfood."

Actionable Next Steps:

1. The 30-Plant Challenge: Try to eat 30 different types of plant foods in a single week. This includes spices, nuts, seeds, fruits, and veggies. This is the single best way to diversify your gut microbiome.
2. Switch your Oil: Replace vegetable oils (soybean, corn, canola) with high-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil for cold uses and Avocado Oil for high-heat cooking.
3. Audit your Fiber: Most adults get about 15g of fiber a day. Aim for 30g. Start by adding a half-cup of black beans or lentils to your lunch.
4. Go Small with Fish: Try incorporating sardines or anchovies once a week. If the taste is too strong, mash them into a sauce or have them on toast with lots of lemon and red pepper flakes.