Don’t decide whether to quit your multivitamin before speaking with your physician or a dietician — an expert will be better equipped to tell you whether you really require a supplement to receive the nutrients you need. But the average normal eater shouldn’t need a multivitamin, in theory, to get sufficient nutrition from their diet.
There are 2 main kinds of nutrients that the body requires: Micronutrients and macronutrients. Micronutrients are more challenging to keep track of, however, since not all foods have them.
A bag of chips, for example, has far fewer micronutrients than a vitamin-dense superfood. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, protein, and fat — all of which must come from the food you eat.
According to the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) dietary guidelines, adult Americans may not get adequate of certain micronutrients: fiber, calcium, iron, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, and vitamin E.
Most people choose to depend on a multivitamin to supply these critical micronutrients. But rather than a multivitamin, a diet rich with these nutritious foods could provide enough of these nutrients instead.
Multivitamin Foods You Should Eat
1. Almonds
This fruit — yes, they are a fruit! It can boost your health in all ways possible. Almonds make you smarter and can lower your cholesterol. Taking a serving of almonds supplies your body with vitamin E, fiber, fat, magnesium, and manganese.
Try using almond slivers in a savory recipe or sweet or spreading almond butter on some toast and munching on trail mix.
[Read: 5 Reasons to Eat Almonds]
2. Asparagus
It might make your pee smell strange, but it’s worth that little consequence of this vegetable’s exceptional nutritional benefit. It’s been known to help ease depression and anxiety — perhaps due to its enormous amounts of minerals and vitamins.
Asparagus contains folate, vitamin K, selenium, copper, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, vitamin E, vitamin C, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin B3, phosphorus, choline, potassium, zinc, vitamin A, protein, iron, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6.
[Also Read: Asparagus for Cancer]
3. Bananas
Bananas are best known for their fiber content and potassium, but that’s not all these versatile fruit offers [1]. Other nutrients in bananas, such as tryptophan and vitamin B6, can help to boost your overall health and mood.
4. Beans
From lima beans to black beans, you can’t go wrong with this nutritious powerhouse. Our digestive system will thank it for all the fiber that beans offer.
The rest of our body will gain from folate, copper, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, and potassium. Beans are wholesome ingredients to cook with, great incorporations to salad, and a yummy side for your barbecue.
5. Berries
Whether you’re baking them into a sweet summer treat or eating them fresh, berries are a healthful staple; you must always have on hand [2]. Particularly great for the flu and cold season, berries are loaded with antioxidants and vitamin C. If berries are not in season, they are absolutely worth buying frozen — and that way, they won’t go wrong!
6. Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the vegetables that really cannot be overrated — it has most of the nutrients incorporated in most multivitamins, including vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, chromium, pantothenic acid, fiber, vitamin E, vitamin B6, manganese, phosphorus, choline, vitamin B1, vitamin A, copper, and potassium.
Yeah, that’s a lot of nutrients. It also happens to be the major ingredient in many delicious recipes, ranging from cheesy soup to creamy pasta.
[Read: Benefits of Broccoli]
7. Chicken
Perfect for busy weekends, chicken is a lean protein source with over a hundred simple ways to make. Apart from the protein, chicken is an unexpectedly great source of minerals and vitamins.
The full list includes zinc, thiamin, manganese, copper, riboflavin, vitamin C, vitamin B6, niacin, vitamin B12, folate, iron, pantothenic acid, selenium, and phosphorus. Keep it simple by preparing a sumptuous meal from a supermarket rotisserie chicken or whip up something savory in your slow-cooker.
8. Eggs
There are few foods as eggs-excellent as the elegant and simple egg. Don’t skip the yolk — that’s where many of the nutrients lie. We can derive a significant source of dietary fiber, copper, vitamin C, riboflavin, selenium, vitamin B-12, phosphorus, and iron from just one egg.
The significant part about eggs is that you never have to get bored consuming them. There are hundreds of ways to cook your dozen eggs.
[Also Read: Benefits of Raw Eggs]
9. Fats
Fats are an absolutely critical part of your diet — you should try to include a dietary fat source in each meal. Part of the reason healthy fats are essential is their role in nutrient absorption for your body. Fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins D, A, E, and K, are best absorbed by the body when combined with rich-fat foods.
Some foods rich in fats are nuts, oils, butter, seeds, and avocados. Cook with oils or butter and pair other fat-rich foods like nut butter to enrich your nutrient intake.
[Read: The Truth about Fats]
10. Milk
We’re not talking cashew, almond, or whatever other kinds of plant-based milk. If you’re trying to boost up on nutrients, normal old cow’s milk is likely your best bet. Milk contains essential nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and vitamin B12.
If you don’t like drinking it, there are ways to cook with milk to ensure you get the bone-strengthening nutrients you could be missing.
11. Salmon
This powerful seafood staple of the Mediterranean diet is reputed for its omega-3 fatty acids. But the truth is that it has so much more. One 4-ounce serving of salmon has more vitamin D than your prescribed daily limit.
Moreover, if you indulge in delicious salmon, you’ll be eating selenium, vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, choline, phosphorus, biotin, and potassium.
Bottom Line
Although multivitamins may be beneficial for few people, they’re not necessary for many. In a few instances, they may even offer excessive amounts of some nutrients. If you want to load up your nutrient intake through diet alone, consider incorporating some of these whole, nutritious foods to your regimen.
