{"id":202721,"date":"2025-12-26T12:38:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-26T12:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/202721\/"},"modified":"2025-12-26T12:38:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-26T12:38:09","slug":"experts-agree-on-10-healthiest-foods-in-the-world-including-one-common-ingredient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/202721\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts agree on 10 ‘healthiest foods’ in the world – including one common ingredient"},"content":{"rendered":"

The top scorer isn’t a fruit or vegetableSteffan Rhys Deputy Content Hub Director, Natalie King Travel Journalist and Sara Rountree<\/a> Deputy Editor, Cork Beo<\/p>\n

07:53, 26 Dec 2025Updated 09:51, 26 Dec 2025<\/p>\n

\"Fresh(Image: (Image: Getty))<\/p>\n

Eating a broad range of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds and meat is vital for your wellbeing and can dramatically lower your risk of developing severe and long-term conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, strokes and cancer. But is there a method to determine which are the “healthiest” foods you could possibly eat?<\/p>\n

Well, absolutely there is, courtesy of a list put together by researchers. For this compilation, researchers examined over 1,000 foods, giving each one a nutritional rating.<\/p>\n

The higher the rating, the more probable each food would satisfy, but not surpass your daily nutritional requirements, when consumed alongside others, reports Surrey Live. The top-ranking food achieved 97 out of 100 – it’s not meat, fish, fruit or vegetable, yet it’s readily obtainable in every supermarket.<\/p>\n

Sitting at number one on the compilation, the food is “rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acids” and “promotes cardiovascular health and may help with diabetes”.<\/p>\n

There’s mounting agreement amongst researchers that a nutritious diet and healthy gut microbiome is essential to good wellbeing. Many have begun describing the microbiome as a “second brain” and claim it’s vital not only to physical wellbeing but to mental health and the immune system.<\/p>\n

Of course, the secret to a healthy diet<\/a> is consuming a wide range of nutritious foods and steering clear of unhealthy and ultra-processed grub as much as possible. So, despite the high nutritional scores of all the foods on this list, it wouldn’t be wise to rely solely on these 10 foods for the rest of your days.<\/p>\n

1. Almonds<\/p>\n

Score: 97\/100.<\/p>\n

The food with the highest nutritional value in the world isn’t a fruit or veg, it’s a nut. Almonds top the chart as the healthiest food you can munch on, scoring an impressive 97 out of 100 in nutritional value.<\/p>\n

These popular snacks are chock-full of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, promote heart health and can even assist with diabetes.<\/p>\n

Almonds are rich in anti-oxidants, protein and fibre, as well as vitamins and minerals including magnesium. They’re packed with nutrients that help protect the heart, including unsaturated fatty acids, phytosterols, magnesium, vitamin E, copper and manganese.<\/p>\n

2. Cherimoya<\/p>\n

Score: 96\/100<\/p>\n

Cherimoya can boast being the “world’s healthiest fruit” according to this ranking. On the outside, it’s a green, cone-shaped fruit with leathery skin, and on the inside, it has a creamy, sweet flesh which you can eat with a spoon and is sometimes served chilled, like a cold custard.<\/p>\n

Healthline states the cherimoya is “loaded with antioxidants” and “rich in fibre, vitamins, and minerals” and that “this unique fruit may support immunity, reduce inflammation, and promote eye and heart health”.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, it warns that “certain parts of cherimoya contain toxins that may damage your nervous system if consumed in high amounts”.<\/p>\n

Antioxidants combat free radicals in your body which can trigger inflammation linked to numerous chronic conditions, including cancer and heart disease.<\/p>\n

Cherimoya also serves as an excellent source of vitamin B6, which can help lift your mood.<\/p>\n

It’s equally rich in fibre and even possesses anti-cancer qualities because it contains flavonoids “which have been shown to stop the growth of cancer cells in test-tube studies”, according to Healthline.<\/p>\n

3. Ocean perch<\/p>\n

Score: 89\/100.<\/p>\n

The champion of all fish regarding nutritional value.<\/p>\n

This deep-water species is also called rockfish and contains minimal saturated fats.<\/p>\n

But that’s not all – the fish serves as a brilliant source of:<\/p>\n

4. Flatfish<\/p>\n

Score: 85\/100.<\/p>\n

Flatfish, encompassing turbot, plaice, halibut, sole, and brill, are typically mercury-free and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which can help shield against heart disease and support brain function.<\/p>\n

Flatfish also provide a valuable source of vitamin D and the crucial nutrient vitamin B1.<\/p>\n

5. Chia seeds<\/p>\n

Score: 85\/100<\/p>\n

These are tiny black seeds, that can be sprinkled on yoghurt, blended in smoothies or made into chia pudding. Despite their size, chia seeds pack a powerful punch of healthy nutrients, including fibre, protein, a-linolenic acid, phenolic acid and vitamins.<\/p>\n

They also contain caffeic acid, an antioxidant that can fight inflammation in the body.<\/p>\n

6. Pumpkin seeds<\/p>\n

Score: 84\/100.<\/p>\n

Pumpkin seeds, including the seeds of other squashes, have also made it onto the list of the world’s healthiest foods. These are one of the best plant-based sources of iron and manganese.<\/p>\n

7. Swiss chard<\/p>\n

Score: 78\/100.<\/p>\n

Swiss chard is a leafy green vegetable from the beet family, which is packed full of nutrients including betalains, which are rare. Betalains are known for their antioxidant properties.<\/p>\n

They are also a good source of:<\/p>\n

It is also a good source of vitamins A, C, K, and E, with an especially high concentration of vitamin K, good for blood clotting and maintaining strong bones. Swiss chard also contains a unique compound believed to stabilise blood sugar levels by decelerating carbohydrate digestion.<\/p>\n

8. Pork fat<\/p>\n

Score: 73\/100.<\/p>\n

Bet you weren’t expecting to see pork fat on this list. But it scores 73 out of 100 on this assessment, placing it well above countless fruit and vegetables.<\/p>\n

It contains more unsaturated fats than lamb or beef, meaning more omega-3 fatty acids. It’s also a good source of B vitamins and minerals.<\/p>\n

9. Beet greens<\/p>\n

Score: 70\/100.<\/p>\n

Beet greens, the leafy part of the beetroot vegetable, are packed with nutrients.<\/p>\n

10. Snapper<\/p>\n

Score: 69\/100.<\/p>\n

Ranking third among fish in the top 10, red snapper is the most sought-after member of the snapper family, with its throats being considered a delicacy. Despite their nutritional value, these fish can harbour harmful toxins including high levels of mercury and ciguatera toxin, a common cause of seafood poisoning from fish found in warmer waters.<\/p>\n

Red snapper contains:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The top scorer isn’t a fruit or vegetableSteffan Rhys Deputy Content Hub Director, Natalie King Travel Journalist and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":202722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[10931,134,109349,559,111,139,556,69],"class_list":{"0":"post-202721","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-food-and-drink","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-health-and-wellbeing","11":"tag-healthy-eating","12":"tag-new-zealand","13":"tag-newzealand","14":"tag-nutrition","15":"tag-nz"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=202721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}