Eating a healthy diet is the best way to make sure you're getting all the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes, low-fat proteins, and dairy products can help you meet your daily requirements. Many common foods contain multiple sources of minerals and vitamins, so it's easy to get all the essential nutrients your body needs. Meat (especially liver), fish (especially salmon), dark green leafy vegetables, milk, nuts, and whole grains are all great sources of vitamins and minerals. For a delicious way to get your daily dose of essential nutrients, try this slow cooker recipe with chicken and leek with tarragon.
Whole, healthy foods also contain fiber, macronutrients such as healthy proteins and fats, and phytonutrients from plants that can benefit the body even more. In general, however, vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients are found in some of the most nutrient-dense foods that aren't on the list. Most people don't need to increase their sodium intake and should limit sodium-rich foods if they tend to eat more than the recommended daily amount of 2300 milligrams. For a lighter version of one of the favorite comfort foods, check out this healthy recipe for spinach and artichoke sauce. Most of the body's iron is found in hemoglobin and myoglobin, two substances essential for the transport and transfer of oxygen throughout the body. Eating high-fiber foods helps lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol, improves blood sugar control and prevents constipation.
They all fall into a class of vitamins because they have similar properties and are found in many of the same foods. The best source of vitamin D is sunlight, but many foods contain small amounts of vitamin D to support a complete diet. Most foods contain trace amounts of cobalt, but foods high in vitamin B-12 are particularly high in cobalt. Below, you'll find that I've compiled the shortest possible shopping lists that contain foods from which you can get all 13 essential vitamins by eating. You probably already eat a lot of high-sodium foods, such as bread, pasta, soup, cold meats, sauces and dressings, broths, canned foods, canned foods, frozen foods, and snacks. To function optimally, the body needs a variety of essential nutrients, from disease-fighting antioxidants to heavy metals that form bones.
Brazil nuts are the most powerful food source of selenium, and in fact, they can cause selenium toxicity if consumed too frequently. Many plant foods contain phosphorus, but most plants store the mineral in the form of phytic acid, which humans cannot digest or absorb. If you're an adult and you take niacin supplements or get it from fortified foods, don't consume more than 35 milligrams per day. Eating a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables is the best way to ensure that you're getting all the essential vitamins your body needs.
