WO2024018421A1

WO2024018421A1 - Dietetic food product and method for the production thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2024018421A1
Application number: PCT/IB2023/057417
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessandro Maria LABADINI; Arian KOLA; Filippo COSTANTI; Daniela VALENSIN
Original assignee: Biosfera Nature S.R.L.
Priority date: 2022-07-21
Filing date: 2023-07-20
Publication date: 2024-01-25

Abstract

A plant dietetic food product is disclosed, comprising a matrix of plant foods selected based on a nutrient density index that takes into account the content in macronutrients and calories of single plant foods. A method is also disclosed for transforming the single foods into a final dietetic food product, which allows to preserve the features of the initial fresh foods, as well as a method for identifying a food matrix suitable for the production of a dietetic food product.

Description

DIETETIC FOOD PRODUCT AND METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION

THEREOF

DESCRIPTION

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of dietetic food products and methods for the production thereof. Specifically, embodiments described herein relate to dietetic food products designed for giving a balanced intake of micronutrients and macronutrients.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

[0002] When characterizing and defining a dietetic regimen, it is necessary to perform nutritional evaluations of the foods to be used according to the specific case. This process offers the opportunity to find a better balance between the consumer's needs and the suitability of food. Foods differ from one another in chemical and nutritional characteristics. For this reason, it is difficult for a person following a dietetic regimen to identify the suitable foods and the respective quantity. To make it easier, within dietetic regimens some parameters are usually used that take into account specific aspects of the food or diet to get an adequacy index of a food and the doses thereof.

[0003] Calorie density is typically used: people who need to lose weight or maintain their weight tend to base their choices by considering the calorie profile of the diet and the individual food. The calorie density (or energy density) of a food or beverage corresponds to the amount of energy the body obtains by processing the energy macronutrients contained per unit of weight (or volume).

[0004] This index is useful, as it allows a very rapid approach for selecting foods in dietetic regimens. However, it has some limits in enhancing balanced ratios of macronutrients. In fact, a food may have low calorie content but, at the same time, imbalance, i.e. absence or excess, of macronutrients and, consequently, of micronutrients.

[0005] To remedy this, the scoring system ANDLAggregate Nutrient Density Index has been developed, that rates food on a scale from 1 to 1,000 based on nutrient content. 1,000 corresponds to the most nutrient-dense food, 1 corresponds to the least nutrient-dense food. The ANDI score given to each food is based on an equation called “Health”, which is the ratio of nutrients (N) to calories (C) of the food.

[0006] The ANDI index has been developed by Dr. Joel Fuhrman based on thirty-four nutritional parameters, never disclosed. Several foods were selected belonging to macrocategories such as: vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, grains, seafood, meat, dairy products. The list also includes typical American foods like fast food and snack foods. In practice, each food has a specific ANDI score comprised between 1 and 1,000. The complexity of calculating this index and the static nature of the nutritional values, as they are reference, make it poorly versatile and nonspecific in many fields, including the production of food matrices.

[0007] There is therefore the need to provide a more immediate, specific index that can be correlated with experimental analytical data in order to achieve an efficient, specific indexing system, modifiable depending on the selected foods. A more efficient indexing brings advantages also in the food matrix productivity and can be sued, at the same time, as a quality reference for both raw materials and the final product. Based on such an index, a food product can be manufactured with an appropriate matrix of plant compounds that supplies an adequate and balanced nutritional intake.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] According to a first aspect, a dietetic food product with broad-spectrum nutrients is disclosed herein and defined in claim 1. The dependent claims relate to preferred embodiments and particularly advantageous characteristics of the product according to the invention.

[0009] According to a further aspect, a method for the production of a dietetic food product is disclosed herein and defined in claim 9. The dependent claims define particularly advantageous characteristics and embodiments of the method according to the invention.

[0010] According to a further aspect, a method is disclosed herein, for identifying the plant foods constituting a dietetic food product and the percentage amount of the single foods. The method is based on the calculation of the total nutrient density of a matrix of plant foods and is defined in claim 15. The dependent claims relate to particularly advantageous embodiments of the method. [0011] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0012] In more detail, for better evaluating and selecting individual food components, i.e. individual foods that, when combined together, result in a dietetic food product capable of providing an optimal nutritional and calorie intake, an index has been used to calculate a limited and balanced content of calorie-bearing macronutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates and fats. The contribution of fiber and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, microelements, and trace elements) has been also taken into account. This new index, called the Nutritional Density Index (NDI), relates the mass of fiber and micronutrients to the calorie content of each individual food. Essentially, the NDI results from the ratio of the sum of the grams of fiber and micronutrients (vitamins, trace elements and minerals) contained in 100 grams of fresh food to the calories (kcal) contained in 100 grams of fresh food.

[0013] Vitamins and other trace elements, while very important from a nutritional point of view, are usually present in very small amounts (one to three orders of magnitude less than fiber), therefore have a relatively little effect on the NDI value. In some cases, the NDI can be approximately calculated as the ratio of fiber weight to the calorie content (kcal) of the food.

[0014] Once the index has been defined, a preliminary literature screening was initiated on multiple foods, conditioned by several discrepancies in the data obtained. This is due to the fact that natural foods cannot always have the same nutritional values. The reasons therefor lie in the varieties of the species, the different places and conditions of cultivation, and the different treatments undergone. From the point of view of the chemi cal -nutritional profile, everything derived from nature is unique and unrepeatable.

[0015] The NDI was calculated for foods having the entire set of macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, lipids, fiber). The collected data were statistically processed to reduce discrepancies and derive average values with reference to macronutrients and micronutrients.

[0016] The NDI values obtained for each food were always less than 1. The factors that positively affect the nutritional density values are the high fiber content and the low calorie content. Therefore, it has been found that, among the studied foods, those characterized by high NDI values mainly belong to the class of plants, with some exceptions as regards seaweeds. Table 1 below shows, just by way of example, the NDI values for some plants.

Table 1

[0017] That said, a dietetic food product cannot only provide an adequate macronutrient ratio and have a suitable, limited calorie content, as it shall also have an adequate vitamin content.

[0018] The investigation to identify the correct composition of the dietetic food product was then continued by further narrowing down and focusing on the intake of micronutrients, which are present in smaller amounts in the considered foods but are essential for the proper functioning of the human body.

[0019] In fact, in nutrition it is important not to neglect the intake of micronutrients such as minerals, antioxidants, free amino acids, and above all vitamins. It is precisely these "vital amines", albeit in small amounts, that are essential in regulating a multitude of metabolic reactions, often acting as coenzymes. Namely, vitamin deficiency (hypovitaminosis) is correlated with diseases, depending on the type(s) of vitamins absent or deficient. This deficiency can be found already at the plant production stage, if cultivation is conducted on soils or under conditions not suitable for the synthesis thereof. [0020] In addition, most vitamins are sensitive to heat, light and air. This means that manipulation of the food for production purposes leads to a drastic decrease in the intrinsic vitamin content. This finally results in a diet that may be even good from the point of view of macronutrients but is deficient in vitamin content.

[0021] In order to identify a proper and balanced composition of the dietetic food product of the present invention, it was necessary to carry out a study on the vitamin profiles of both fresh and stored plants and, then, to identify a production process adapted to preserve the vitamin content of fresh foods as much as possible. This resulted in a food that is complete in terms of both energy and fiber content, as well as total nutritional density index, and bioavailable micronutrient content, especially vitamin content.

[0022] The term “bioavailable” refers to the content of micronutrients, especially of vitamins, derived solely from the plant products constituting the food product, without artificial additions or subsequent manipulation.

[0023] Stating that vitamins D and B12 are absent in plants (the category of foods selected on the basis of NDI, as mentioned above), it was necessary to understand the types and amounts of vitamins contained in the individual foods. At the same time, the daily needs and the recommended dietary allowances (RD As) of the vitamin families (A, E, K, C, B9, B7, B6, B5, B3, B2, Bl) contained in vegetables were studied and evaluated.

[0024] It was found that none of the plants with high NDI (see Table 1) separately provided the full spectrum of the eleven vitamins in amounts consistent with the RD As. Consequently, it was not possible to use a single vegetable to produce a balanced dietetic food product, and also plants with low NDI should be therefore adequately combined in the same dietetic food product. In fact, foods with low NDI are characterized by a high calorie content, which in itself is a negative factor in terms of nutritional density index, but the use of these foods in combination with other plants can allow a good vitamin balance to be achieved, as they contribute to the intake of fat-soluble vitamins, which are insufficiently present relative to the RD A, in foods with a higher nutritional density index. In this way, the specific characteristics of micronutrient of various plants can be used and enhanced in order to create synergistic mixture and to achieve the RDA of the various micronutrients, specifically of vitamins. [0025] Therefore, to ensure a broad and adequate spectrum of micronutrients, it was necessary to combine different plants together and to obtain a matrix containing them. In order to obtain a plant composition that met the criteria of an appropriate nutritional density index (ND I) as defined above, given the need to combine different plants, a total nutritional density index (NDItot) was considered, given by combining the individual NDIs of the various selected plants, taking into account the percentage content by weight of each food.

[0026] Essentially, a group of plants were identified that, combined with one another in appropriate weight ratios, provided an adequate total nutritional density index (NDItot) and a proper vitamin intake, i.e. containing a broad spectrum of vitamins, each of which in an amount adapted to meet the corresponding RDA.

[0027] Table 2 below shows in the first column the list of vitamins found in plant foods, in the second column the RDA for each vitamin, and in the third column the weight allowances of vitamins per 100 g of fresh plant food for an advantageous combination of four vegetables selected on the basis of the above criteria, namely: spinach, almonds, peas, and wheat bran. In the column of plants there are listed the plants that have, per 100 g raw, the amounts of vitamins most similar to the respective RD As. This table shows that the four selected plants, combined together, can ensure a balanced vitamin intake containing the entire set of vitamins contained in plant foods, i.e. excluding vitamins D and B12 that are of animal origin.

Table 2

[0028] Several constraints arise when selecting the plant matrix suitable for producing the dietetic food product. Firstly, at least one of the selected plants should have an NDI value equal to, or higher than, 0.12. Consequently, at least one plant shall be selected that is characterized by a balanced fiber and calorie content.

[0029] Moreover, the final food product should have an adequate vitamin spectrum, containing overall amounts of the individual vitamins close to the corresponding RDAs. Each individual vitamin can be supplied by one or more of the components of plant origin combined together. In the example given in Table 2, two combined components (spinach and peas) ensure the RDA of vitamin C. Analogously, one single food can supply different vitamins. In the example in Table 2, spinach supply vitamin C, folate (vitamin B9), and vitamin A.

[0030] An additional constraint in selecting the individual foods to be combined for producing the dietetic food product is that the total nutritional density index (NDItot) should preferably be comprised between 0.10 and 0.14. This range ensures that the composite food is high in fiber and low in calories.

[0031] In addition, after having identified the plants that are most adapted to achieve the daily vitamin intake, it is necessary to assess whether some of them are excessively high in fiber or micronutrients. In the case of plants too high in fiber and/or specific micronutrients (e.g., vitamins or minerals), it is appropriate to set a maximum dosage constraint and then redefine the best quantitative ratio in terms of both NDItot and vitamin intake.

[0032] As already apparent from Table 2 above, in the research aiming at identifying a suitable plant matrix, four types of plants were identified that fully meet both an adequate vitamin and micronutrient intake and a correct NDItot. According to an embodiment, the selected plants are spinach, peas, almonds, and wheat bran that, together, meet in the best way the needs in term of high total nutritional density (NDItot) and broad vitamin spectrum, consistent with the corresponding RD As.

[0033] In order to obtain a food product that can also be used by gluten-intolerant individuals, wheat bran can be replaced with oat bran. It is also possible to add additional plants to the four plants already identified, selected for example from the group including: asparagus, spirulina seaweed, broccoli, avocado, Brussels sprouts, and artichokes.

[0034] Combined together, the four selected foods have a broad nutritional spectrum in terms of both macronutrients and micronutrients. In particular, as it is clearly apparent, spinach and wheat bran (or alternatively oat bran) have an excellent nutritional density profile, whilst peas and almonds, even if supplying other nutrients and thus contributing to a greater nutritional spectrum, affect the calorie content. Table 3 below summarizes calories, NDI, and macronutrient and micronutrient content per 100 g of fresh food for each of the four selected plant foods.

Table 3

[0035] For facilitating the selection of the four plants mentioned above, a mathematical function was used, determining the total nutritional density index NDItot for a given set of plants as a function of the weight percentage of each of them. The use of this function makes it possible to identify sets of plants that, in adequate amount and combination, have a NDItot comprised in a predetermined range, for example comprised between 0.10 and 0.14. Without this function, the search would have had to be done manually through several attempts. This allowed to accelerate the search for the best stoichiometry for the purpose of high NDItot with positive effects also on the respective amounts of micronutrients, taking into account the quantitative constraints imposed on bran and almonds. The function is:

wherein ft is the mass in grams of the fibers of the i'^th fresh food

Ci is the mass in grams of the micronutrients of the i^_th fresh food

Ei is the energy in kcal of the i'^th fresh food c corresponds to the dehydration factor specific to each i'^th fresh food and is defined as follows:

wherein mi is the mass in grams of the i'^th fresh food; m_d. is the mass in grams of the i^_th fresh food net of any water content; k_t is an experimentally determined constant corresponding to the actual dehydration degree of the i^_th food

[0036] Note that the total NDI (NDItot) is an extension of the NDI of the single food, where the concept of dehydration (different from food to food) has been incorporated. Thus, in the above formula masses and energy always refer to fresh food. In addition, the dehydration factor included in the formula allows to obtain the quantities of fresh mass to be used in the lyophilization stage. Since the dehydration factor is dependent on the type of food, it is also possible to say that NDItot refers to lyophilized foods, when it is possible to dehydrate them, or "fresh" foods, as in the case of bran that cannot be lyophilized.

[0037] In the function (1) there are the masses in grams of the fibers fi and the masses in grams of the micronutrients a for a given food i. The index i can take values from 1 to n, where n is the maximum number of foods considered. In the specific case of the four selected foods - spinach, peas, almonds, and bran - n=4 and and a are the values of the fiber and micronutrient of each food considered, where i is from 1 to n.

[0038] Note that the formula contains the dehydration factor a_L and the dehydration constant fa.. As it is clear from the equation (2), the dehydration factor and the dehydration constant are correlated with each other. Practically, c indicates the amount by which to weigh the masses of ft and a and depends on the capacity and the degree of dehydration of the food. To model the different water-loss capacity of each food, the dehydration constant fa was included. This is a value that increases^/ ! ) or leaves unchanged (fa = 1) the dehydrated mass, as can be seen in the denominator of (2). The fa values are obtained experimentally from the lyophilization process of each of the considered plants and takes into account the fact that there can be total (k=l) or partial (k>l) dehydration depending on the considered type of food. The resulting function allows to model the NDItot of the combination of n plants. This function has neither maximum nor minimum and is characterized by the presence of a saddle point at unacceptable values of the masses of the foods. In this way, the problem of choosing the quantities of plants becomes a constrained optimization problem, where the constraints are derived from the type of food and the taste thereof. Using the formula (1) and the formula (2), it is possible to rewrite the function by making the dependence on the masses rm explicit as follows:

[0039] Essentially, the following shall be done to choose the plants that will be part of the final dietetic food product and the weight percentages thereof by using the above formula.

[0040] Firstly, the total number of plants to be used in combination shall be identified. In the example above (spinach, bran, almonds, and peas), the number is n=4. Then, knowing for each i-th food the masses in grams (per 100 g of food) of fiber (ft) and micronutrients (c ), the calorie content Et, and the respective dehydration factor at calculated on the basis of the mass in grams m of the fresh food and the mass in grams mat of the dehydrated food, the total nutritional density index NDItot can be calculated. The calculation is done by considering the dehydration constant of the individual food, since, as it will be explained below, the finished product is obtained from lyophiles. As mentioned above, ki is a constant derived experimentally from the ratio of the mass in grams of the fresh food to the mass in grams of the food after the lyophilization process, and allows to calculate the actual residual and intrinsic water content of the i-^th food.

[0041] The calculation can be performed iteratively for various groups of plants, selected on the basis of the micronutrient, particularly vitamin, intake, to find the best combination of plants. The function allows to find the quantities of the masses of the various foods so as to keep the NDItot high. As seen, once the amounts of fiber and micronutrients, dehydrated masses, food energy intakes, and dehydration constants are known, it is possible to find the optimal amounts of fresh food masses by using food constraints on plants, such as bran.

[0042] In the formulas above, the quantity of individual foods is given by the parameter mt. This parameter is used to balance the various masses. Increasing or decreasing these variables results in different values of the NDItot. The function with N foods is a function with N variables, corresponding to the mass of the fresh food to be used for subsequent lyophilization. These masses were used directly as the amount of food divided by the dehydrated mass to estimate the water-loss of the individual food.

[0043] After having selected the set of plants that in combination will make up the finished food product, and the percentage by weight of each plant, it is necessary to identify a production process that allows to have a final product with respective micronutrient (especially vitamin) contents and an NDN/ value that are equal to, or poorly less than, those of the individual fresh foods from which production starts.

[0044] To this end, the use of a spectroscopic method is appropriate to investigate the vitamin content of both the raw materials and the finished product. Considering that the investigation of vitamins is very complex because of their small amounts, the use of metabolomics analysis was evaluated. Food metabolomics, or "foodomics", involves the study and determination of the complete metabolic profile, that is of the "as many small metabolites as possible” in foods. It is a very complex discipline involving sophisticated analytical techniques, advanced data processing software and bioinformatics. Its application enables the simultaneous characterization of a variety of compounds and metabolites by providing a complete and detailed molecular composition of foods, which is useful for those involved in food science, food production, and for the end consumer. For these reasons, food metabolomics can be applied to several areas of nutrition, including food safety, food quality, functional foods, food microbiology, food processing and nutrition. Depending on the information to be obtained, food metabolomics analyses can be classified into targeted or non-targeted analyses. Targeted analysis focuses on a specific group of metabolites that require subsequent quantification and identification. They are therefore more detailed and require greater levels of extraction and purification before analysis. In contrast, non-targeted metabolomics analysis is broader and focuses on detecting a variety of metabolites to obtain fingerprints or patterns without quantifying or identifying specific metabolites.

[0045] Generally, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS) are the two analytical techniques mainly used for metabolomic investigations. The data obtained are then subjected to statistical and mathematical analysis through artificial intelligence models, which are essential for interpreting the huge amount of data obtained from the chemical analysis of the food products.

[0046] Then, in order to obtain a dietetic food product based on the plant foods selected according to the criteria outlined above, a process including the following steps was carried out:

[0047] lyophilizing, milling the lyophile, mixing the powders obtained from milling; adding a binder, granulating, obtaining a wet mixture, drying.

[0048] More specifically, according to an embodiment, the step of lyophilizing each plant that make up the composition of the dietetic food product can be a freeze-drying or a cryo-drying process at about -50°C in the absence of light. The lyophilization process is generally carried out on components that have a significant moisture content. In the case of a final composition containing spinach, peas, almonds, and bran, the lyophilization step can be performed on spinach, peas, and almonds, while it is not necessary for bran, which is already dehydrated.

[0049] The lyophile obtained in the lyophilization step can be pulverized, and a milling step (milling the lyophile and the already dehydrated components, such as bran) is carried out on each dehydrated component. [0050] Milling is performed so as to obtain a fine powder to promote better homogeneity of the subsequent mixture.

[0051] In a possible embodiment of the production method of the invention, the powder mixing step can be carried out by taking the corresponding quantities of pulverized foods, in stoichiometric ratios determined by the above-mentioned mathematical function in order to obtain the desired NDItot. The powders are put into a container and mixed at low speed without generating frictional heat, until to have a homogeneous powder mixture.

[0052] The next step of the production process provides for adding a binder.

[0053] According to some embodiments, the binder may consist of an aqueous solution including a binding substance and distilled water. In advantageous embodiments, the binding substance is of plant origin. In advantageous embodiments, the binding substance is a paste of ripe avocado. Preferably, the calorie content of the binder should not exceed 20% of the calorie content of the plant matrix, consisting of the combination of the individual dehydrated and pulverized plants.

[0054] The powders and binder are mixed until a moist and homogeneous mixture is obtained.

[0055] Once the desired homogeneity has been achieved, the mixture is placed in a mold and compacted to form a solid agglomerate.

[0056] In advantageous embodiments, in order to preserve the nutritional properties, the solid agglomerate is dried at room temperature by using nitrogen gas flow and suction. Suction aims at lowering the system pressure, thus promoting the dehydration process that is also supported by the nitrogen flow that is simultaneously administered and acts as a carrier for oxygen and water vapor. The use of suction and nitrogen flow at the same time allows the agglomerate to be kept within a temperature range advantageously comprised between 18°C and 25°C, so that at the end of the process there is no condensation on the dehydrated food due to thermal shock.

[0057] The final product has a low water content, preferably 30% or less by weight with respect to the total mass of the finished product. Residual water corresponds to the sum of the intrinsic moisture content of the lyophilized foods, i.e. the moisture trapped in the plant cell walls, and of the residual moisture of the used binder.

[0058] The finished product is packaged in such a way as to ensure preservation of flavors, resistance to temperature changes and light to preserve the content in vitamin and other trace elements, as well as the NDItot.

[0059] In other embodiments, instead of using a binding substance in aqueous solution to transform the powdered product into an agglomerate, such as a bar or the like, the powders of the lyophiles, previously mixed dry, are partially hydrated, forming a very wet mixture by simply adding water, preferably distilled water. Next, the mixture can be processed into an agglomerate and the final partial dehydration can be carried out. If no binding substance is used, dehydration shall be milder than that carried out when a binder is used, thus obtaining wet products that take advantage of hydrogen bonds with water added during agglomeration. Hydrogen bonds make it possible to achieve and maintain the necessary powder compaction and agglomerate shape.

[0060] In these cases, the moisture content of the finished product, achieved in the step of agglomeration of powders mixed with water and subsequent partial drying of the agglomerate, should be kept constant. To this end, the finished product can be packaged in an airtight package to prevent evaporation of water and thus loss of residual moisture. Indicative values of moisture content can be comprised between 10% and 40%, depending on the raw material used and the environmental conditions. The variability of these two factors strongly influences the minimum percentage of water necessary to keep the wet product compact.

Claims

1. A dietetic food product comprising a combination of plant foods containing micronutrients and fibers, wherein the combination of plant foods has a total nutrient density index comprised between 0.08 and 0.18, preferably between 0.10 and 0.14.

2. The dietetic food product of claim 1, wherein the combination comprises at least: spinach, almonds, peas and bran.

3. The product of claim 2, wherein the bran is oat bran or wheat bran.

4. The dietetic food product of claim 1 or 2 or 3, wherein at least some of the plant foods are lyophilized.

5. The product of one or more of the previous claims, wherein the micronutrients include vitamin A, vitamin C, and B vitamins from these plant foods; they preferably include the following vitamins: B9, B7, B6, B5, B3, B2, Bl, from these plant foods constituting the product.

6. The product of one or more of the previous claims, comprising a number

(n) of plant foods, wherein the total nutrient density index is defined by the formula (1)

wherein fi is the mass in grams of the fibers of the i'^th fresh food

Ci is the mass in grams of the micronutrients of the i^_th fresh food

wherein mi is the mass in grams of the i^_th fresh food; m_d. is the mass in grams of the i^_th fresh food net of any water content; ki is an experimentally determined constant corresponding to the actual dehydration degree of the i^_th fresh food wherein n is preferably comprised between 2 and 50, preferably between 4 and 20, more preferably between 4 and 10, and even more preferably between 4 and 8.

7. The product of one or more of the previous claims, wherein at least one of the plant foods constituting the product has a nutrient density index equal to at least 0.12, the nutrient density index being defined by the ratio between the sum of the grams of the fibers and of the micronutrients (vitamins, trace elements and mineral salts) contained in a mass of fresh food and the calories contained in the mass of fresh food.

8. The product of one or more of the previous claims, wherein the plant foods comprise at least one fruit.

9. The product of claim 8, comprising: a minimum quantity by weight of vegetables equal to at least 60% of the total weight; a minimum quantity by weight of fruit equal to at least 1% of the total weight; and a minimum quantity by weight of cereals equal to at least 5% of the total weight; and wherein the dietetic food product preferably comprises: a maximum quantity by weight of vegetables equal to 90% of the total weight; a maximum quantity by weight of fruit equal to 20% of the total weight; and a maximum quantity by weight of cereals equal to 15% of the total weight.

10. The product of one or more of the previous claims, comprising 50-75% by weight of spinach, l%-7% by weight of almonds, 10%-35% by weight of peas, and 5%- 10% by weight of bran.

11. The product of claim 10, further comprising one or more of the following vegetables: asparagus, Brussels sprouts, avocado, broccoli, spirulina seaweed, artichokes.

12. The product of one or more of the previous claims, having a moisture content comprised between 10% and 40% by weight of the product total weight.

13. The product of one or more of the previous claims, containing a plantbased binder.

14. A method for producing a dietetic food product based on plant foods according to one or more of the previous claims, the method comprising the following steps preserving the content of micronutrients in the plants: - individually lyophilizing non-dried plants by means of a freeze-drying process in the absence of light;

- pulverizing the dried plants;

- dosing each dried pulverized plant in the desired percentages by weight;

- mixing the powders and obtaining a mixture of powders of dried plants.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising a step of transforming the mixture of powders of dried plants into a solid agglomeration.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of transforming the mixture of powders of dried plants into a solid agglomeration comprises the steps of:

- adding a water-based liquid phase to the mixture of powders;

- forming a mix with the water-based liquid phase and the mixture of powders;

- forming an agglomeration with the mix;

- reducing the water content from the agglomeration.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the water-based liquid phase contains a plant binder, or consists of water.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein the step of reducing the water content from the agglomeration comprises the step of removing moisture by suction and nitrogen flow.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the moisture content of the agglomeration is brought from 10% to 40% by weight with respect to the total weight of the agglomeration.

20. The method of one or more of claims 14 to 19, wherein the plant foods and their quantity by mass in the food product are selected in such a way as to obtain a total nutrient density index (IDNtot) comprised between 0.08 and 0.18, preferably between 0.10 and 0.14, the total nutrient density index being defined by the following formula:

wherein fi is the mass in grams of the fibers of the i‘^th fresh food Ci is the mass in grams of the micronutrients of the i^_th fresh food

wherein mi is the mass in grams of the i'^th fresh food; m_d. is the mass in grams of the i^_th fresh food net of any water content; k_t is an experimentally determined constant corresponding to the actual dehydration degree of the i^_th fresh food

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the number n of plant foods defining the plant matrix of the dietetic food product is comprised between 2 and 50, preferably between 4 and 20, more preferably between 4 and 10, even more preferably between 4 and 8.