Food Facts
Several studies have suggested that the best benefits of vitamins and minerals come when they’re taken from food rather than at a supplement. Here is how you can get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals:
Vitamin
Food Sources

Vitamin A
Meat, dairy products

Beta Carotene
Green leafy vegetables; yellow and orange
fruit and vegetables (carrot,
papaya, pumpkin)

B1
Cereal Vegetables

B2
Meat, beans, peanuts, leafy greens

B3
Cereals

B6
Meat, pulses, wheat

B12
Liver, meat, eggs

Folic Acid
Fermented foods containing yeast
(bread, idly, etc); fruit; leafy vegetables

Pantothenic acid
Liver, yeast, egg yolk, milk, soya

Biotin
Egg, peanuts, cheese, chicken

Vitamin C
Citrus fruit, potatoes, green vegetables

Vitamin D
Sunlight

Vitamin E
Almonds, vegetable oils, cereals, leafy greens

Minerals
Good Sources

Calcium
Dairy products, bony fish, leafy greens

Phosphorus
Supplied by normal eating

Iodine
Iodised salt

Magnesium
Fruits, vegetables, pulses and whole grains

Zinc
Seeds, e.g. til (sesame)

Potassium
Cereals, pulses and legumes, leafy greens

Copper, Selenium
and Chromium
Most people get these enough from their diet