What Is and Isn't In Your Food Dan Kittredge

In this "What Is and Isn't In Your Food: Defining Nutrient Density" episode, we sit down with Dan Kittredge, a regenerative organic farmer and founder of the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA), to unpack a concept that’s changing the way we think about food: nutrient density.

Dan coined the term nutrient density back in 2007, and since then has dedicated his life to helping farmers and consumers understand what makes food truly nourishing. It’s not just about calories or labels—it’s about the flavor, aroma, and nutritive value of the food we grow and eat.

🔬 What You’ll Learn:

• What nutrient density really means, and why it matters for both human and planetary health.

• How nutrient-dense foods are:

• More flavorful and aromatic 🍓

• Healthier for consumers 💪

• More resilient to pests and diseases 🌾

• Cheaper to produce and better for farmers’ bottom lines 💰

• Linked to improved soil health, shelf life, and long-term sustainability 🌎

• Why enlightened self-interest from consumers can shift purchasing habits—and how a hand-held spectrometer (yes, a Bionutrient Meter!) could soon be integrated into your phone’s camera to measure nutrient density at the store.

• Holistic, systemic solutions emerge when we manage for nutrient-rich crops.

🧪 The Research:

Since 2016-17, Dan and his team at the Bionutrient Institute have been partnering with open-source science innovators like Our-Sci and FarmOS to:

• Measure nutrient density across diverse crops

• Understand the drivers of nutrient variation

• Build and deploy consumer-facing tech that can measure food quality on the spot

Their long-term vision? A food system where quality is transparent, regenerative practices are rewarded, and agriculture contributes to reversing both chronic disease and climate change.

🌍 About Dan Kittredge:

Dan grew up farming at Many Hands Organic Farm in Massachusetts and has spent over 30 years working on food and seed sovereignty globally. Through the BFA, he leads educational workshops, global speaking engagements, the annual Soil & Nutrition Conference, and is developing an online course to further spread knowledge about biological systems and nutrient-dense growing.

📲 Connect with BFA:

• Facebook: Bionutrient Food Association

• Instagram: @bionutrientfoodassociation

• YouTube: Bionutrient Channel

• LinkedIn: Bionutrient on LinkedIn

🔔 Subscribe to Modern Farming for more conversations that are shaping the future of food.

Have thoughts or questions about nutrient density? Tag us and Dan on social with #ModernFarmingPodcast!