Food Sources of Essential Vitamins

The most reliable way to get the vitamins you need is from a varied diet. Foods provide vitamins alongside fiber, minerals and other beneficial compounds that supplements do not replicate. This guide lists the main food sources for each vitamin so you can see where your own diet is strong and where it may need attention.

Fat-soluble vitamins

Vitamin A

• Preformed vitamin A: liver, fish, eggs and dairy products
• Provitamin A carotenoids: carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, kale, cantaloupe and mangoes

The body converts beta-carotene from plants into vitamin A as needed.

Vitamin D

• Fatty fish such as salmon, trout, tuna and mackerel
• Fish liver oils
• Egg yolks
• Fortified milk, plant-based drinks and cereals

Sunlight on the skin is the other natural source.

Vitamin E

• Vegetable oils such as sunflower and safflower oil
• Almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Spinach and broccoli

Vitamin K

• Green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collards and broccoli
• Vegetable oils
• Smaller amounts in meat, cheese and eggs

Water-soluble vitamins

Vitamin C

• Citrus fruit, kiwifruit and strawberries
• Red and green peppers
• Broccoli, Brussels sprouts and tomatoes

Thiamin (B1)

Whole grains, fortified bread and cereals, pork, fish, beans and lentils.

Riboflavin (B2)

Milk and yogurt, eggs, lean meats, organ meats, fortified cereals and green vegetables.

Niacin (B3)

Poultry, beef, fish, nuts, legumes and fortified grains.

Vitamin B6

Poultry, fish, organ meats, potatoes and other starchy vegetables, chickpeas and bananas.

Folate (B9)

Dark green leafy vegetables, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, beans, peas, oranges, nuts and fortified grain products.

Vitamin B12

Fish, meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products, as well as fortified breakfast cereals and fortified nutritional yeast.

Biotin and pantothenic acid

Widely distributed: eggs, meat, fish, seeds, nuts, whole grains and many vegetables.

Building a vitamin-rich plate

Public health guidance, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, centers on whole, minimally processed foods from every food group:

• vegetables of all types: dark green, red and orange, beans and peas, starchy and others;
• fruit, especially whole fruit;
• fiber-rich whole grains in place of refined grains;
• dairy foods, or fortified alternatives if you do not eat dairy;
• protein foods including seafood, meat, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds;
• healthy fats from foods such as nuts, seeds, olives, avocados and oily fish.

Eating across these groups each week covers all 13 vitamins for most people.

Keeping vitamins in your food

• Store produce properly and eat it while fresh; vitamin C declines with storage.
• Steam, microwave or stir-fry instead of boiling; water-soluble vitamins leach into cooking water.
• Use cooking liquid in soups and sauces.
• Cut just before cooking to limit exposure to air.
• Frozen vegetables are processed soon after harvest and retain vitamins well.

Where diets commonly fall short

• Vitamin D: few natural food sources.
• Vitamin B12: absent from unfortified plant foods.
• Folate: higher needs before and during pregnancy.

In these situations, fortified foods or a supplement can help. Our Daily Multivitamin provides a broad range of vitamins to complement a balanced diet.

The bottom line

Eat a wide range of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, protein foods and dairy or fortified alternatives, and cook them gently. Supplements fill specific gaps. Explore options in our vitamins and nutrition department.

Sources

1. MedlinePlus. Vitamins.
2. NHS. Vitamins and minerals.
3. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
4. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin A and Carotenoids.