With so many Vitamins and Minerals in our food sources that we need to consume, how do we know if we are consuming a balanced diet? What do these vitamins and minerals actually do for us? If I'm vegetarian or vegan, how do I know if I'm eating the right foods to obtain the right nutrition?
Vitamins & Minerals from Food Sources
Common Vitamins and Minerals are shown in the graphic below, while a full table is listed underneath the graphic.
If you want to drill down on what you're eating to see if you're getting a balanced diet, the following table lists the Vitamins and Minerals we can obtain from food sources.
Vitamins | Food sources of Vitamins |
Vitamin A | ​Liver and organ meats, cod liver oil, liver sausage, pate, poultry, cream, cheese, egg yolk |
Biotin | Brown rice, soybeans, liver, kidney |
Beta-carotene | ​Pumpkin, carrots, sweet potato, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, red capsicum, mango, apricots |
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) | ​Bran, pork, wholegrains, trail-mix snacks, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, soya milk, sesame seeds, raw peanuts, pistachio nuts, buckwheat, wheat bran, rolled oats, wholemeal pastas, whey powder, lima beans, pinto beans, mung beans, peas, egg yolk, cornmeal, Brazil nuts, lentils, broad beans |
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | Liver, beef, poultry, wild rice, dairy, soy milk, brewer's yeast, whey powder, fresh wheatgerm, almonds, mushrooms, egg yolk, Swiss and Cheddar cheese, millet, soy beans, parsley, cashew nuts, rice bran, lentils, sesame and sunflower seeds, rye, broccoli, mung beans, avocados, asparagus, dark leafy greens |
​Vitamin B3 (niacin) | ​Liver, red meat, salmon, tuna, chicken, milk, wheatgerm, peanuts, legumes, liver, beef, organ meats, peanuts, white fish, veal, mushrooms, brown rice, bulgur wheat, sesame and sunflower seeds, wholemeal pasta, buckwheat, dried peaches |
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) | Peanuts, liver, kidney, avocado, hazelnuts, mushrooms, sunflower seeds |
​Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | ​Muesli, wholegrains, liver, sunflower seeds, lentils, kidney beans, avocado, peas, nuts, chicken, beef, kidney, fish, legumes, bananas, kale, spinach, turnip greens, sweet red capsicum, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, leek |
​Vitamin B9 (folate) | ​Liver, wheatgerm, asparagus, lettuce, dark-green leafy vegetables, enriched cereals, lentils, legumes, orange juice, broccoli, nuts |
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) | ​Liver, kidney, molasses, poultry, crustaceans, fish, eggs, dairy, soymilk, tofu, tempeh, nutritional yeast, Shiitake mushrooms |
Bioflavanoids | ​Citrus fruits, berries, apricots, grapes, papaya, green tea, capsicum, tomatoes, fresh fruits and vegetables, buckwheat, cherries, blackcurrants, prunes |
Vitamin C | ​Red chilli, guava, red capsicum, Brussels sprouts, citrus juice concentrate, papayas, kale, parsley, collards, kiwi fruit, blackcurrants, mango, cabbage, broccoli, strawberries, lychees, oranges, sprouts, lemons, tangerines, honeydew melon, spinach, tomatoes |
Choline | ​Lecithin, fresh wheatgerm, egg yolk, liver, green leafy vegetables, legumes |
​Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) | ​Mackerel, herring, kipper, tinned salmon and sardines, eggs, butter, fortified milks, cod liver oil |
​Vitamin E (tocopherols and tocotrienols) | Wheatgerm and wheatgerm oil, soybean oil, almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, avocado, brown rice |
Inositol | ​Fresh wheatgerm, lecithin, wholegrains, oatmeal, corn, unsalted nuts, milk, molasses, citrus fruits, liver |
​Vitamin K2 (phylloquione) | ​Cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, liver, tomato, spinach, green beans, soybeans, broccoli, pork liver, healthy, intestinal microflora |
Minerals | Food Sources of Minerals |
Calcium | ​Whitebait, cheese, tinned salmon, tinned sardines, yoghurt and milk, tofu, legumes, dark-green leafy vegetables, tahini, almonds, parsley, sesame seeds, globe artichokes, sprouts, wholegrain wheat |
Chromium | ​Wholegrains, liver, beef, molasses, mushrooms, legumes |
Copper | ​Liver, shellfish and oysters, tomato paste, chestnuts, almonds, cashews, olives, walnuts, beef, mushrooms, chocolate, legumes |
Fluoride | ​Sunflower seeds, milk and cheese, goat's milk, carrots, garlic, almonds, green vegetables, beet tops |
​Iodine | ​Haddock, mackerel, cod, yoghurt, seaweed (dried kelp is richest), ocean fish, shellfish, spinach, garlic, watercress, pineapples, egg yolk, citrus fruits, artichokes |
Iron | ​Liver and organ meats, red meats, oysters, mussels, enriched cereals, molasses, green leafy vegetables, tomato paste, dhal, dried apricots, prune juice, baked beans, Jerusalem artichokes, sardines, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, pecans, lentils |
Manganese | Oatbran, wheatgerm, wholegrain flour, raisins, bulgur wheat, brown rice, pineapple, barley, buckwheat, blackberries, raspberries, lima beans, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, raw egg yolk, kelp, apricots, grapefruit, peas |
Magnesium | ​Millet, wholegrains, lima beans, green leafy vegetables, muesli, almonds, cashews, all legumes, buckwheat, corn, avocado, potato with skin, garlic, blackberries, eggplant, tomato, cabbage, grapes, pineapple, mushrooms |
Molybdenum | ​Kidney, pork, wheatgerm, green vegetables, strawberries |
Phosphorus | ​Tuna, fresh wheatgerm, soybeans, Brazil nuts, beef, skim milk, processed cheese, fish, dried fruits, corn |
Potassium | ​Vegetables, fruits, legumes, raisins, dried apricots, dates, kidney beans, parsley, dry split peas, lentils, sesame seeds, fennel, almonds, buckwheat, spinach, garlic |
Selenium | ​Brazil nuts, poultry, wholegrains, shellfish and fish, molasses, cashews, eggs, organic onion, garlic, broccoli, apple cider vinegar, scallops, brown rice, turnips, barley, mushrooms, turkey, chicken, radish, pecans, hazelnuts |
Silica | ​Nettles, young green plants, alfalfa, kelp, flaxseed, apples, oats, strawberries, grapes, onions, parsnips, almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds |
Sulphur | ​Radish, turnip, onion, garlic, celery, horseradish, string beans, kale |
Zinc | ​Oysters, shellfish and fish, red meat, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), walnuts, almonds, muesli, dhal, wheatgerm, tomato sauce and paste, ginger root, pecans, wholegrains, sardines, split peas |
CoQ10 | ​Salmon, Tuna, Liver, Wholegrains |
Table highlight food sources of our Vitamins and Minerals adapted from Leah Hechtman, (2018), Clinical Naturopathic Medicine, 2nd Ed
If you would like to discuss how to incorporate foods into your diet to ensure your vitamin and mineral needs are met, please make a booking via the button below.
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References:
Healthy Eating Plate, Harvard University, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/wp-content/uploads/sites/30/2012/09/HEPJan2015.jpg
Leah Hechtman, (2018), Clinical Naturopathic Medicine, 2nd Ed
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-nutrition-facts#TOC_TITLE_HDR_6
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