nutritious

American  

[noo-trish-uhs, nyoo-] / nuˈtrɪʃ əs, nyu- /

adjective

1. providing nourishment, especially to a high degree; nourishing; healthful.

   a good, nutritious meal.

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nutritious British  

/ njuːˈtrɪʃəs /

adjective

1. nourishing, sometimes to a high degree

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Other Word Forms

• nonnutritious adjective
• nonnutritiously adverb
• nonnutritiousness noun
• nutritiously adverb
• nutritiousness noun
• subnutritious adjective
• subnutritiously adverb
• subnutritiousness noun
• unnutritious adjective
• unnutritiously adverb

Etymology

Origin of nutritious

1655–65; < Latin nūtrītius that suckles, nourishes, variant of nūtrīcius, equivalent to nūtrīci- (stem of nūtrīx ) nurse ( nurse ) + -us adj. suffix ( -ous )

Explanation

Nutritious describes food that's good for you. Brown rice and kale are nutritious, but jelly beans, sadly, are not. Something that provides nutrients — vitamins, minerals, and protein, for example — is nutritious. Our bodies need nutritious food to grow, heal, and stay healthy, however much we might crave tasty, non-nutritious snacks. The adjective nutritious comes from the Latin word nutritius, "that nourishes," which in turn comes from the root nutrix, "nurse."

Example Sentences

Labeling a food as ultraprocessed doesn’t always indicate whether or not it’s nutritious, and that could cause confusion.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Electronic tchotchkes are ubiquitous but many people have little or no access to nutritious food or health care as our environment is run through a meat grinder and set on fire.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

Koh said his overseas posting afforded him luxuries nearly impossible to find at home: steady electricity, nutritious meals and internet access.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

"Wherever you get areas of deprivation, or areas of poverty, something like this supports the community, and you're getting good, nutritious food," he said.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

But her glance was nutritious; the spot became, if anything, more pronounced as the years passed.

From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison