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

Vella said the previous holiday voucher scheme meant families had "consistent access to nutritious meals" outside term time.

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026

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

Founder Melissa Ben-Ishay has gained a following on social media by sharing recipes for nutritious, easy-to-make meals.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2026

She knew my parents cooked nutritious food at home anyway.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles