Best Foods for Every Vitamin and Mineral Vitamin A to zinc To keep itself running smoothly your body

requires an array of essential nutrients, ranging from disease-fighting antioxidants to bone-building heavy metals. Although you can get many of these nutrients in a daily supplement, nearly all of them can also be found in the foods you eator should be eatingevery day. Want to get your vitamins and minerals the natural way? Our guide breaks down the best foods for 20 of the most important nutrients (and the accompanying recipes offer healthy and tasty ways to enjoy them). Vitamin A Why you need it: The vitamin A family plays a key role in immunity, reproductive behaviors, and especially vision. The A vitamins, which include beta-carotene, help the retina, cornea, and membranes of the eye to function properly. Where to get it: The highest concentration of vitamin A is found in sweet potatoes; just one medium-sized baked sweet potato contains more than 28,000 international units (IU) of vitamin A, or 561% of your recommended daily value (DV). Beef liver, spinach, fish, milk, eggs, and carrots also are good sources. Vitamin B6 Why you need it: Vitamin B6 is an umbrella term for six different compounds that have similar effects on the body. These compounds metabolize foods, help form hemoglobin (part of your red blood cells), stabilize blood sugar, and make antibodies that fight disease. Where to get it: Fish, beef liver, and poultry are all good sources of B6, but the food richest in this vitamingood news for vegetariansis the chickpea, or garbanzo bean. One cup of canned chickpeas contains 1.1 milligrams (mg) of vitamin B6, or 55% of your DV. Vitamin B12 Why you need it: Vitamin B12 is vital for healthy nervous-system function and for the formation of DNA and red blood cells. It helps guard against anemia, a blood condition that causes fatigue and weakness. Where to get it: Animal products are your best bet for B12. Cooked clams have the highest concentration of any food, with 84 micrograms (mcg)a whopping 1,402% of your DVin just 3 ounces. (One milligram equals 1,000 micrograms.) Vitamin B12 also occurs naturally in beef liver, trout, salmon, and tuna, and is added to many breakfast cereals. Vitamin C Why you need it: Vitamin C is an important antioxidant, and it's also a necessary ingredient in several key bodily processes, such as protein metabolism and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Where to get it: Most people think citrus when they think of vitamin C, but sweet red peppers actually contain more of the vitamin than any other food: 95 mg per serving (well ahead of oranges and just edging out orange juice, at 93 mg per serving). Other good sources include kiwi fruit, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cantaloupe. Calcium Why you need it: Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. More than 99% is stored inand helps fortifyteeth and bones, while the remainder goes toward blood vessel and muscle function, cell communication, and hormone secretion. Where to get it: Dairy products contain the highest amounts of naturally occurring calcium; plain low-fat yogurt leads the pack with 415 mg (42% DV) per serving. Dark,

leafy greens (such as kale and Chinese cabbage) are another natural source of calcium, which can also be found in fortified fruit juices and cereals. Vitamin D Why you need it: Vitamin D, which our body generates on its own when our skin is exposed to sunlight, helps spur calcium absorption and bone growth. It's also important for cell growth, immunity, and the reduction of inflammation. Where to get it: Fatty fishesincluding swordfish, salmon, and mackerelare among the few naturally occurring dietary sources of vitamin D. (Cod liver oil is tops, with 1,360 IU per tablespoon, while swordfish is second with 566 IU, or 142% DV.) Most people tend to consume vitamin D via fortified foods such as milk, breakfast cereals, yogurt, and orange juice. Vitamin E Why you need it: Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects cells from the harmful molecules known as free radicals. It's important for immunity, and for healthy blood vessel function and clotting (such as occurs when you cut yourself). Where to get it: While wheat germ oil packs more vitamin E than any other food source (20.3 mg per serving, or 100% DV), most people will find it easier to get their vitamin E from sunflower seeds (7.4 mg per ounce, 37% DV) or almonds (6.8 mg per ounce, 34% DV). Folate Why you need it: For pregnant women, folatea type of B vitamincan help prevent birth defects. For everyone else, it helps new tissues and proteins form. Where to get it: Folate is found in a wide variety of foods, including dark leafy green vegetables, fruit, nuts, and dairy products. Beef liver has the highest concentration, but if liver's not to your taste, spinach also has plenty: 131 mcg per half cup (boiled), or 33% of your DV. Folic acid, a man-made form of folate, is also added to many breads, cereals, and grains. Iron Why you need it: Proteins in our body use this metal to transport oxygen and grow cells. Most of the body's iron is found in hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues all over the body. Where to get it: There are two forms of dietary iron: heme iron (found in animal foods such as red meat, fish, and poultry) and nonheme iron (found in plant sources like lentils and beans). Chicken liver contains the most heme iron of any food, with 11 mg per serving, or 61% of your DV. Vitamin K Why you need it: Vitamin K is a crucial ingredient in coagulation, or blood clotting. Without it, your body would not be able to stop bleeding when you bruise or cut yourself. Where to get it: Green, leafy vegetables are the best source of this vitamin, also known as phylloquinone. Kale leads the pack with 1.1 mg per cup, followed by collard greens and spinach (about 1 mg per cup), and more exotic varieties like turnip, mustard, and beet greens. Lycopene Why you need it: This chemical pigment, found in red fruits and vegetables, appears to have antioxidant properties. Some studies suggest that lycopene may help guard against a range of ailments, including heart disease and several different types of cancer. Where to get it: Tomatoes are the best-known source of lycopene, and sure enough, tomato productssuch as sauces, pastes, and pureescontain up to 75 mg per cup. Raw,

unprocessed tomatoes aren't as lycopene-rich, however, and watermelon actually contains more per serving: about 12 mg per wedge, versus about 3 mg per tomato. Lysine Why you need it: Lysine, also known as l-lysine, is an amino acid that helps the body absorb calcium and form collagen for bones and connective tissue. It also plays a role in the production of carnitine, a nutrient that helps regulate cholesterol levels. Where to get it: Protein-rich animal foods, especially red meat, are good sources of lysine, as are nuts, legumes, and soybeans. Magnesium Why you need it: The body uses magnesium in more than 300 biochemical reactions. These include maintaining muscle and nerve function, keeping heart rhythm steady, and keeping bones strong. Where to get it: Wheat bran has the highest amount of magnesium per serving (89 mg per quarter-cup, or 22% of your DV), but you have to eat unrefined grains to get the benefit; when the germ and bran are removed from wheat (as is the case with white and refined breads), the magnesium is also lost. Other good sources of the mineral include almonds, cashews, and green vegetables such as spinach. Niacin Why you need it: Niacin, like its fellow B vitamins, is important for converting food into energy. It also helps the digestive system, skin, and nerves to function properly. Where to get it: Dried yeast is a top source of niacin, but for something more appetizing, try peanuts or peanut butter; one cup of raw peanuts contains 17.6 mg, more than 100% of your DV. Beef and chicken liver are particularly niacin-rich, as well. Omega-3 fatty acids Why you need it: Fats get a bad rap, but certain types of fatsincluding omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fatare actually very healthy in moderation. Omega-3s contribute to brain health and may help reduce inflammation. Where to get it: There are two categories of omega-3 fatty acids: Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is found in plant sources such as vegetable oil, green vegetables, nuts, and seeds, while eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)the second categoryare found in fatty fish. One cup of tuna salad contains about 8.5 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Potassium Why you need it: Potassium is an essential electrolyte, needed to control the electrical activity of the heart. It is also used to build proteins and muscle, and to break down carbohydrates into energy. Where to get it: One medium-sized baked sweet potato contains nearly 700 mg of potassium. Tomato paste, beet greens, and regular potatoes are also good sources, as are red meat, chicken, and fish. Riboflavin Why you need it: Riboflavinyet another B vitaminis an antioxidant that helps the body fight disease, create energy, and produce red blood cells. Where to get it: At nearly 3 milligrams per 3-ounce serving, beef liver is the richest source of naturally occurring riboflavin. Not in the mood for liver? Luckily, fortified cereals (like Total or Kellogg's All-Bran) provide nearly as much of the vitamin in a far more convenient (and palatable) package. Selenium

Why you need it: Selenium is a mineral with antioxidant properties. The body only requires small amounts of it, but it plays a large role in preventing chronic diseases. It also helps regulate thyroid function and the immune system. Where to get it: Just six to eight Brazil nuts provide 544 mcg of seleniumthat's 777% of your DV. Too much selenium can actually be harmful, however, so stick with the mineral's number-two food sourcecanned tuna (68 mg per 3 ounces, or 97% DV) except on special occasions. Thiamin Why you need it: Thiamin, also known as vitamin B1, helps the body turn carbohydrates into energy. It's also an important nutrient for keeping the brain and nervous system running properly. Where to get it: As with riboflavin, dried yeast is the best food source for thiamin, containing 11 mg per 100-gram serving. However, you may find it easier to get your fill of thiamin with runners-up pine nuts (1.2 mg per serving) and soybeans (1.1 mg). Zinc Why you need it: Zinc has been shown to play a role in immune function (you've probably seen it in cold remedies), and it's also important for your senses of taste and smell. Where to get it: Oysters contain more zinc per serving than any other food (74 mg per serving, or nearly 500% of DV), but people more often consume zinc in red meat and poultry. Three ounces of beef chuck roast, for example, contains 7 mg. Alaska King crab is a good source of the mineral, as well.

The 9 Foods Never to Eat

Whether they're chock-full of trans fat, or processed beyond recognition, these staples may be sabotaging your health. Ditch them from your diet now, says Clean Plates founder Jared Koch. Canned tomatoes The red veggie is known as the best source of lycopene, an essential nutrient, but beware of the canned variety. All canned food contains the harmful chemical BPA, but it's especially concerning in tomatoes, whose acidity causes the BPA to cling on. "It's not the tomatoes that are bad," says Koch. "It's the way they're stored." If fresh isn't an option, look for tomatoes in glass jars or BPA-free cardboard containers. Deli meats Rethink tomorrow's low-calorie turkey and cheese sandwich. Salami, ham, roast beef and other deli meats are poor quality, packed with sodium, made from animals raised on hormones and antibiotics, and filled with nitrates. They may also contain chemical flavoring and dyes, so opt for fresh meat - like roast turkey or chicken - or wild-caught tuna-fish salad in your lunchbox. Margarine Unlike butter, which is made from animal products, margarine is created from vegetable oil. Its manufacturing process fills the spreadable stuff with trans fat, which increases inflammation by damaging the cells lining your blood vessels, upping your risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, degenerative diseases, weight gain, and too-high bad cholesterol. "In my mind, it's one of the worst foods in the food supply," says Koch. "There's a common myth that healthy eating is equated with being vegetarian, and that's not necessarily true." Vegetable oils "You want your ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids to be about one-to-one," says Koch. "It's closer to 15-to-one in the American population." Today's highly refined vegetable oils, most often found in baked goods, are very high in omega-6 fatty acids, and are largely responsible for that unhealthy proportion. A lack of balance can lead to inflammation, so choose oils high in omega-3 fatty acids instead, like coconut, grapeseed and olive.

Microwave popcorn Before you sit down for family movie night, pop a bowl of kernels on the stove, not in the microwave. The bag's liner contains PFOA, a proven toxicant and carcinogen in animals. When microwaved, PFOA clings on to popcorn, and preliminary human studies have linked the chemical to infertility, liver and testicular cancer. Non-organic potatoes It's unrealistic to purchase everything organic, but if you can swing buying a few foods that way, make spuds one of them. Although you're not told to eat organic potatoes after often as you are say, apples, it's just as important. "They're heavily sprayed and they're root vegetables, so they take up a lot of the pesticides and fungicides," says Koch. "They've been shown to have a high concentration of everything." Table salt No, a little salt sprinkled on your dinner won't do much harm, but when you choose table salt, you're missing out on healthy minerals found in sea, Himalayan and crystal salt. "Table salt is a refined product, so there aren't any nutrients in it," says Koch. "Our bodies need a lot of those trace minerals." Swapping in highquality salt is an easy change to make, and from a cooking standpoint, significantly increases foods' flavor. Soy protein isolate There are two types of soy: whole soy - found in protein-packed edamame and soy nuts - and soy protein isolate, which is which is the highly refined, nutrient-stripped product found in foods like tofu, soy "meats" such as tofurkey, and soy milk. With soy consumption already unhealthily high in America, it's best to choose alternatives like coconut or almond milk and tempeh. Artificial sweeteners If you can't find it in nature, it's probably better to avoid it, which is why a half-teaspoon of sugar in your coffee, a dash of honey, or stevia are better options than a packet of Splenda. "Artificial sweeteners are so much sweeter - sometimes 200 times more so than table sugar - so the brain starts to crave sweeter foods," says Koch. Research is still out on whether artificial sweeteners, many of which contain aspartame, cause cancer and neurological programs, but science has confirmed that they spur weight gain and increase appetite.