How To Get More Vitamins and Minerals Through Diet

The importance of vitamins and minerals cannot be emphasized enough. They are integral to your health and the proper intake of vitamins and minerals is crucial for a strong immune system, which can prevent any illnesses and reduce chronic diseases. Now that you know this, let’s move to step 2: how can you make sure you’re taking enough vitamins and minerals? Don’t worry, as most of foods familiar to you are rich in vitamins and minerals, but you definitely need to pay attention to what you’re eating and substitute any unhealthy options for healthier ones. Take a look at the most useful tips just to be sure you’re taking enough vitamins.

Fruit and vegetables

Obviously, the easiest way to have a proper intake of vitamins and minerals is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. First of all, try to statistically see what percentage of your diet consists of vegetables. Try to cut down on anything that’s unhealthy – such as fast food and sweets, and substitute them for healthier options. You should consume at least 2 cups of brightly coloured fresh fruit (which can be the substitution for chocolate) and 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Not only will you obtain just enough vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for good health, but most of these foods are natural anti-aging foods for your skin. You can always add more vegetables to your lunch or dinner as side dishes and have some healthy options such as berries in your breakfast cereal.

Try other options

If you’re not satisfied with your diet and you think that you cannot change it that easily, think again. However, if you’re still in doubt, don’t worry, as you can always try other options. Bear in mind that you still need to pay attention to what you’re eating, but you can always use the perks of different dietary supplements that will help you keep track of the intake of vitamins and minerals. For example, opting for magnesium tablets is an excellent option if you know that you’re not taking enough magnesium through vegetables. Apart from that, you can find tablets and supplements for other important elements as well, but it would be a good idea to check everything with your nutritionist first.

Refined grains to whole grains

What you can also do is switch from refined grains to whole grains. Whole grains contain more vitamins and minerals than the ones that are processed, so try to avoid white rice and white bread. Nowadays, it’s very simple to make this transition as most products are available in whole-grain versions. Always choose whole-wheat bread instead of white bread, brown instead of white rice and whole-wheat pasta instead of the regular one. You can also opt for bulgur, barley, popcorn, quinoa and whole-grain tortillas and crackers.

Animal products

Apart from vegetables and fruit, meat and animal products are a great source of vitamins and minerals that you need. First of all, you should drink your milk and other dairy products. You can include low-fat dairy products in your diet, though. Milk is rich in vitamin D and calcium, two very important nutrients and elements for our body. The first one is very difficult to get through diet alone, so make sure to have your daily cup of milk. Other dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and even ice cream provide other vitamins such as vitamin B, which is also important. Furthermore, consuming meat and other animal products is crucial for the intake of vitamin B12, a key nutrient. It’s mainly available naturally in animal-based foods. However, if you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, you can include b12-fortified breakfast cereals in your diet.

You need to bear in mind that these are not just pieces of advice, but something that you must try and incorporate into your diet. Not getting enough nutrients and minerals can have serious consequences for your health. This is why you need to make sure to drink a smoothie a day and eat as many vegetables as you can. It’s even more important if you’re pregnant or have any other conditions.