Must Know: Food Sources Flashcards
Vitamin A: Food Sources
Pro-vitamin A are produced by plants, algae, fungi and bacteria.
Rich Food sources:
Dark green, yellow/orange vegetables and fruit,
Preformed Vitamine A
e.g. liver, fish, liver oils, egg yolk, mackerel, salmon
Vitamin E: Food Sources
• Fresh, raw food sources are best:
Sunflower seeds, almonds, pine nuts, olive oil, avocado, sweet potato, spinach.
Vitamin K: Food Sources
• Natto and dark green leafy vegetables.
Best absorbed with some dietary fat, e.g. steamed broccoli and kale with extra virgin olive oil.
Vitamin B1 - Food Sources
• Yeast extract, peas, oranges, nuts (e.g. macadamia), pulses, sunflower seeds, wholegrains, meat / fish.
Vitamin B2: Food Sources
Food sources: Yeast extract, spinach, wild salmon, mushrooms, almonds, quinoa, lentils, kidney beans, organic eggs, meat.
VItamin B3 - Food Sources
• Food sources: Mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, yeast extracts, sunflower seeds, salmon, sardines, peanuts, avocado, meat and poultry.
Cooking reduces B3 in foods. Tryptophan rich foods, e.g. bananas, turkey.
Vitamin B5- Food Sources
• Richest food sources include shiitake mushrooms, avocados, nuts, seeds, fish and meat.
However, it is found widely distributed in almost all foods hence the name.
• Synthesised by intestinal bacteria, but to as yet unknown level of absorption. Theoretically, antibiotics may reduce synthesis
Vitamin B6 - Food Sources
• Widely distributed: wholegrains, green vegetables, sunflower seeds, pistachios, walnuts, bananas, lentils, avocados, meat & fish.
Vitamin B7/B8/H Biotin - Food Sources
Egg yolk, yeast, wholegrains, cauliflower, sweet potato, nuts, meat, oily fish.
Vitamin B9 - Folate: Food Sources
Leafy greens, asparagus, avocado, Brussel sprouts, legumes, citrus fruit (especially oranges) and liver.
Vitamin B12 - Food Sources
Vegan B12 Food Sources:
• Chlorella pyrenoidosa (e.g. 9g per day)
• A substantial amount (133.8 μg /100 g) of vitamin B12 has also been found in dried Korean purple laver Porphyra sp.).
• Nutritional yeast, nori and kombu sea vegetables (nori, kombu, kelp and dulse), shiitake & Lions mane mushrooms.
Animal B12 Food Sources:
• Meat, liver, milk, cottage and feta cheese, organic eggs, fish (esp. sardines, mackerel and wild salmon).<p></p>
Vitamin C: Food Sources
- All fresh raw fruit and vegetables, particularly peppers, kiwi fruit, papaya, currants, berries, citrus, crucifers, mangoes and tomatoes.
- Very significant losses occur as vegetables wilt, or when they are cut as a result of the release of ascorbate oxidase from the plant tissue.
- Ascorbate oxidase is why lemon or lime juice can prevent the browning (oxidising) of other foods (e.g. sliced apple) the vitamin C creates an antioxidant barrier from oxygen until it is all used up.
Vitamin D: Food Sources
• Vitamin D is not strictly a vitamin since it can be synthesised in the skin in response to sunlight.
• Dietary sources are only required in the absence of adequate sunlight (UVB), and include 2 types of vitamin
- Plant source: vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol D2) found in mushrooms (fungi), but these require good sun
- Animal source: vitamin D3 is 7 dehydroxycholesterol (cholecalciferol D3) found in cod liver oil, oily fish (herring, mackerel, sardines, wild caught salmon - SMASH) and organic egg yolks.
Calcium: Food Sources
• Calcium is found mostly in plant and dairy foods.
• Vegetable sources have the highest bioavailability e.g. Ca from cruciferous vegetables is absorbed 2x as efficiently as Ca from dairy.
Sage, sesame, sardines (incl bones), kale, cows mik, edamame
Magnesium: Food Sources
• Magnesium is found mostly in plants (especially seeds, nuts, wholegrains, legumes and dark green leafy vegetables). Cacao Powder 599mg Pumpkin seeds 535mg Amaranth 266mg Soybeans 86mg Swiss Chard 86mg
Zinc: Food Sources
• The highest food source of Zinc is oysters. With seeds, nuts, wholegrains, meat and other shellfish also containing good amounts.
• Vegetables vary in Zn content depending on the soil quality
Oysters 33.24mg
Sesame 10.25mg
Rye Flour 5.62mg
Calf’s liver 5.45mg
Phosphorus: Food Sources
• Phosphate is an essential constituent of all plant and animal tissues and thus is widely distributed in all foods, especially:
- Seeds, nuts, beans, legumes. (pumpkin, sunflower, poppy)
- Meat, poultry, fish, dairy.
- Soft drinks (not a recommended source)!
Potassium: Food Sources
• Food Sources: Widely distributed but highest in plant sources.
Vegetables: raw spinach (558mg), baked potato with skin
Fruit: avocado (396mg), banana, kiwi, melon, papaya
Grains: quinoa (740mg), rye flour, buckwheat, oats
Nuts & seeds: pistachio (1042mg) , sunflower, pumpkin
Seafood: clams (628mg), crab, red snapper, salmon
Meat & dairy: calf’s liver (364mg), pork, cheddar (98mg)
NaCl: Food Sources
- Sodium and chloride are sufficiently present in most natural food s.
- However, approx. 70% of the sodium intake in the typical western diet comes from processed food or is added during food preparation.
Iron: Food Sources
• There are two dietary forms of iron:<br></br>- Non-haem iron (plant and animal foods) ferric form of iron.<br></br>- Haem iron (animals: meats, poultry, fish) ferrous form of iron.<p></p><p>Grains: <strong>quinoa</strong> , amaranth, rye, oats <strong>9.25mg</strong><br></br>Legumes: <strong>soybeans</strong> , lentils, chickpeas, kidney <strong>5.14mg</strong><br></br>Vegetables: <strong>spinach</strong> , swiss chard, rocket <strong>2.71mg</strong><br></br>Nuts & Seeds: <strong>pumpkin</strong> , sesame, cashew, flax <strong>14.97mg</strong><br></br>Meat & Fish: <strong>clams</strong>, calf’s liver, oysters, prawns, sardines, salmon <strong>27.96mg</strong></p>• There are two dietary forms of iron:
- Non-haem iron (plant and animal foods) ferric form of iron.
- Haem iron (animals: meats, poultry, fish) ferrous form of iron.
Grains: quinoa (9.25mg), amaranth, rye, oats
Legumes: soybeans (5.14mg), lentils, chickpeas, kidney
Vegetables: spinach (2.71mg), swiss chard, rocket
Nuts & Seeds: pumpkin (14.97mg), sesame, cashew, flax
Meat & Fish: clams (27.96mg), calf’s liver, oysters, prawns, sardines, salmon
Selenium: Food Sources
Grains: whole wheat (Durum) (89.4mcg), rye, corn
Nuts & seeds: Brazil nuts (1917mccg), sunflower
Seafood: yellowfin tuna (90.6mcg) , swordfish, clams, oysters
Vegetables: garlic (14,2mcg), mushrooms
Meat & Organs: calf’s liver (35.8mcg), pork, turkey, chicken
Copper Food Sources
Seeds & Nuts: sesame (4082mcg) , cashews, sunflower
Grains & Legumes: quinoa (802mcg), oats, chickpeas
Vegetables and fungi: shiitake (896mcg), avocado, garlic
Organ meat: calf’s liver (4466mcg)
Shellfish: oysters (2679mcg), lobster, crab, prawns
Iodine Food Sources
Sea vegetables (excellent source);
Ocean fish and shellfish such as cod and scallops;
Iodine is also in eggs & dairy foods (due to the fortification of animal feed) with small amounts in plants depending on the soil.
Manganese Food Sources
Grains: wheat germ (20g), rye (6mg), oats, amaranth
Nuts & seeds: hazelnuts (6.2mg), pine nuts, walnuts
Spices: cloves (30g), saffron, ginger, black pepper
Shellfish: blue mussels (6.8mg), other shellfish (≤1mg)
Sulphur Food Sources
• Amino acids are the main dietary source of Sulphur, but there are also many Sulphur based compounds in food.
Alliums : e.g. garlic, onions, shallots, leeks,
Cruciferous (Brassicas): broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, turnips, kale, spring greens, radish.
Legumes: especially soyabeans , black beans, kidney, split peas and white beans.
Eggs and Dairy: parmesan, gorgonzola, cheddar.<br></br>Protein foods: meat, poultry, fish and seafood.
Molybdenum: Food Sources
– Legumes (the richest source), whole grains, nuts, green leafy vegetables, beef liver and milk.
Chromium: Food Sources
Vegetables: broccoli (11mcg), green beans, potatoes
Grains: barley (8.6mcg) , oats, whole wheat
Meat and poultry: turkey (2mcg), beef
Herbs/spices: black pepper (2tsp) (1mcg), basil, garlic
Molybendum: Food Sources
Legumes (the richest source), whole grains, nuts, green leafy vegetables, beef liver and milk.
Boron: Food Sources
The richest food sources are fruit, vegetables, nuts and legumes (meat, fish and dairy are poor sources).
Silicon: Food Sources
The richest food sources are whole grains, root vegetables, dried fruit and bananas (meat, fish and dairy have low values).
