Are Your Kids Getting All Their Vitamins?

Vitamins are an absolutely essential part of anyone’s diet. Not getting enough can lead to a whole laundry list of effects on your health. The good news is that it is possible to get these vitamins in your diet, but it can be hard if you don’t know specifically what it is you’re supposed to be eating. 

This post will list some of the many natural sources of different types of vitamins in your diet. Your vitamins are out there! You just have to know where they’re hiding ;)   

Vitamin A: Help See the World Around You

Your eyes are incredible! They’re camera lenses built right into your body! But they wouldn’t work right without vitamin A. Vitamin A is a component of the proteins which your retinal receptors use to absorb light. 

One potential indicator of low vitamin A is discomfort when seeing in low light. 

Sources: 

• Fish oils
• Milk 
• Eggs
• Most comes from leafy green vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables
• Tomato 
• Fruits
• Some vegetable oils
• Fortified cereals 

Unlock the Power of Vitamin B

Vitamin B is actually a class of eight vitamins, each with their own unique properties and benefits. It’s a family of vitamins! Here, we’ll focus on a few of the most common vitamin B varieties: B3, B6, and B12. 

Vitamin B3

Vitamin B3 is also known by its scientific name, Niacin. Your body often absorbs B3 in its active form, NAD+ which is essential to the creation of energy and the regulation of pivotal cellular processes. 

Sources: 

• Chicken breast
• Marinara sauce
• Turkey breast
• Salmon 
• Tuna 
• Pork
• Beef
• Brown Rice
• Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is an extremely versatile coenzyme (or helper enzyme!) involved in more than 100 enzyme reactions in your body. Most of these reactions concern the creation of proteins which form the building blocks of your body. 

Sources: 

• Chickpeas
• Tuna
• Salmon
• Chicken breast
• Fortified cereals
• Potatoes
• Cottage cheese 

Vitamin B12

Did you know that your DNA is constantly wearing down? Like old clothes, DNA strands begin to fray and break apart with time. To fix this, your body makes new DNA to replace the old, and B12 is required for this process. It is also a key player in the development and function of your central nervous system. 

Sources: 

• Clams 
• Tuna 
• Salmon 
• Beef
• Milk 
• Yogurt 
• Cheese 
• Breakfast cereals
• Egg

Vitamin C: For Immunity and Strength 

Vitamin C is a super important antioxidant! It helps deal with harmful free radicals while also contributing to the synthesis of collagen in your body. Getting enough vitamin C can promote immunity, gum health, iron absorption, and stronger blood vessels for less frequent bruising. 

Sources: 

• Red pepper (most!) 
• Orange juice
• Orange
• Grapefruit
• Kiwi
• Green pepper
• Broccoli 
• Strawberry 

Vitamin D: The Sunlight Vitamin

You’ve probably heard of vitamin D as the “sunshine vitamin!” This is because our body produces vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption in the gut (very important for your muscles!). A deficiency in vitamin D can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. 

Sources: 

• Cod liver oil 
• Trout 
• Salmon 
• Mushrooms
• Milk 2% 
• Soy 

Vitamin E: For Better Health

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant which neutralizes free radicals in the body. It also has moisturizing properties which make it a popular ingredient in skin care products. When obtained from natural sources, there’s no such thing as having too much vitamin E!

Sources: 

• Wheat germ oil
• Sunflower seeds
• Almonds
• Sunflower oil 
• Safflower oil 
• Hazelnuts
• Peanut Butter 

Wrapping Up 

Modern diets are filled with processed foods. Because of this, much of what we eat has actually been stripped of much of its nutritional value. It’s ironic that humans were once vitamin deficient because they didn’t have enough to eat, and now we lack vitamins because we’re eating too much of the wrong things! 

With so many people lacking in the necessary vitamins and minerals to maintain an optimal state of health, it is wise to keep an eye on what you and your family are eating. Hopefully, the list we’ve provided proves a quick and easy resource for you!