Spices & herbs

Spices and herbs sit at the top of our database for a simple reason: our Nutrient Density Score measures nutrients relative to calories, and fresh herbs carry almost no calories to divide by. A small handful of leaves delivers concentrated vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, and manganese against a near-zero energy cost, which pushes this category to a median score of 93 across 60 foods. Nearly every entry clears 90.

How to read these scores

A per-calorie metric rewards foods you eat in tiny amounts, so a score near 100 does not mean a teaspoon of dried basil covers a day of nutrient needs. It means that calorie for calorie, herbs are among the most nutrient-dense things you can add to a plate. To choose well, favor fresh over dried when a recipe allows, since fresh leaves also contribute vitamin C and water-soluble compounds that fade during drying, and treat herbs as everyday flavor rather than occasional garnish. Individual needs vary, and quantity still matters.

The standouts are unsurprising. Basil, fresh tops the category at 100, with Thyme, fresh and Dill weed, fresh close behind at 99, and Spearmint, fresh matching them. For a dried option that holds its density, dried coriander leaf also scores 99.