Vitamins help our bodies grow and develop normally. The best way to get enough vitamins is to eat a balanced diet with a variety of foods. Knowing about different vitamins and what they do can help you to make sure you get enough of the vitamins that you need. There are a wide variety of foods that contain vitamins and we’ve listed the main ones below.

Water-soluable vitamins

 

B Vitamins

Oats, whole wheat, rye, buckwheat, brown rice, Brewer’s yeast, peanuts, mushrooms, soybean flour and soybeans, split peas, pecans, sunflower seeds, lentils, cashews, chickpeas, broccoli, hazelnuts, peppers

 

B12

Oysters, mussels, scallops, liver, mackerel, tuna, salmon, sardines, crab, beef, eggs, yogurt, Swiss cheese, fortified products

 

Vitamin C

Red peppers, guavas, kale, kiwi, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, oranges, tomatoes, peas, mange tout, papaya, mango, pineapple, melon

 

Fat-soluable vitamins

 

Vitamin A (Retinol)

Liver, beef, lamb, cod liver oil, mackerel, salmon, tuna, paté, goat’s cheese, eggs, cheddar, cream cheese, butter, goat’s cheese

 

Beta Carotene (Precursor to vitamin A)

Sweet potato, carrots, kale, spinach, collards, Swiss chard, pak choi, butternut squash, pumpkin, cos lettuce, romaine lettuce, mango, dried apricots, prunes, peaches, melon, red peppers, tuna fish, mackerel, butter

 

Vitamin D

Salmon, trout, swordfish, mackerel, tuna, buttermilk, some yogurt, mushrooms, eggs, fortified products

 

Vitamin E

Spinach, kale, broccoli, Swiss chard, turnip greens, collards, avocado, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, sunflowers seeds, prawn/shrimp, crayfish, salmon, smoked salmon, swordfish, herring, trout, olive oil, sunflower oil, sweet potato, squashes, kiwi, mango, peach, nectarines, apricots, guava, raspberries, blackberries

 

Vitamin K

Kale, spinach, mustard greens, spring onions, cress, basil, thyme, coriander, sage, parsley, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, chilli powder, paprika, fennel, leeks

 



Written by Bev Walton, BSc Nutritional Science

I achieved a First-Class Honours degree in BSc Nutritional Science, Nutrition Sciences from the University of Reading and now have over 35 years experience in all types of cuisine, dietary plans, recipe development, health and nutrition. I have been writing for over 10 years for magazines and websites as well as ghostwriting for ebooks, Kindle and fully published books. I’m also a proud member of the Guild of Food writers.

Bev Walton | University of Reading BSc Nutritional Science, Nutrition Sciences