WELCOME TO SADEDIJI2GIST ™: Food Sources for Vitamins and Minerals

Whenitcomes to vitamins and minerals,
you're probably looking for the bottom line:
How much do you need, and what foods
have them? The list below will help you out.
It covers all the vitamins and minerals you
should get, preferably from food.
Calcium
Foods that have it: Milk, fortified nondairy
alternatives like soy milk, yogurt, hard
cheeses, fortified cereals, kale
How much you need:
Adults ages 19-50: 1,000 milligrams per
day
Women age 51 and older: 1,200
milligrams per day
Men age 51 - 70: 1,000 milligrams per
day
Men 71 and older: 1,200 milligrams per
day
What it does: Needed for bone growth and
strength, blood clotting, muscle contraction,
and more
Don't get more than this a day: 2,500
milligrams per day for adults age 50 and
younger, 2,000 mg per day for those 51 and
older
Choline
Foods that have it: Milk, liver, eggs,
peanuts
How much you need:
Men: 550 milligrams per day
Women: 425 milligrams per day
Pregnant women: 450 milligrams per day
Breastfeeding women: 550 milligrams per
day
What it does: Helps make cells
Don't get more than this much: 3,500
milligrams per day
Chromium
Foods that have it: Broccoli, potatoes,
meats, poultry, fish, some cereals
How much you need:
Men ages 19-50: 35 micrograms per day
Women ages 19-50: 25 micrograms per
day, unless pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 30 micrograms per day
Breastfeeding women: 45 micrograms
per day
Men age 51 and up: 30 micrograms per
day
Women age 51 and up: 20 micrograms
per day
What it does: Helps control blood sugar
levels
Don't get more than this much: No upper
limit known for adults
Copper
Foods that have it: Seafood, nuts, seeds,
wheat bran cereals, whole grains
How much you need:
Adults: 900 micrograms per day, unless
pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 1,000 micrograms per
day
Breastfeeding women: 1,300 micrograms
per day
What it does: Helps your body process iron
Don't get more than this much: 8,000
micrograms per day for adults
Fiber
Foods that have it: Plant foods, including
oatmeal, lentils, peas, beans, fruits, and
vegetables
How much you need:
Men ages 19-50: 38 grams per day
Women ages 19-50: 25 grams per day,
unless pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 25 to 30 grams per day
Men age 51 and up: 30 grams per day
Women age 51 and up: 21 grams per
day
What it does: Helps with digestion, lowers
LDL ("bad") cholesterol, helps you feel full,
and helps maintain blood sugar levels
Don't get more than this much: No upper
limit from foods for adults
Fluoride
Foods that have it: Fluoridated water, some
sea fish
How much you need:
Men: 4 milligrams per day
Women: 3 milligrams per day. This
includes pregnant or breastfeeding
women.
What it does: Prevents cavities in teeth ,
helps with bone growth
Don't get more than this much: 10
milligrams per day for adults
Folic acid (folate)
Foods that have it: Dark, leafy vegetables;
enriched and whole grain breads; fortified
cereals
How much you need:
Adults: 400 micrograms per day, unless
pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 600 micrograms per
day
Breastfeeding women: 500 micrograms
per day
What it does: Helps prevent birth defects ,
important for heart health and for cell
development
Don't get more than this much: 1,000
micrograms per day for adults
Iodine
Foods that have it: Seaweed, seafood, dairy
products, processed foods, iodized salt
How much you need:
Adults: 150 micrograms per day, unless
pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 209 micrograms per
day
Breastfeeding women: 290 micrograms
per day
What it does: Helps make thyroid hormones
Don't get more than this much: 1,100
micrograms per day for adults
Iron
Foods that have it: Fortified cereals, beans,
lentils, beef, turkey (dark meat), soy beans,
spinach
How much you need:
Men age 19 and up: 8 milligrams per day
Women ages 19-50: 18 milligrams per
day, unless pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 27 milligrams per day
Breastfeeding women: 10 milligrams per
day
Women age 51 and up: 8 milligrams per
day
What it does: Needed for red blood cells
and many enzymes
Don't get more than this much: 45
milligrams per day for adults
Magnesium
Foods that have it: Green leafy vegetables,
nuts, dairy, soybeans, potatoes, whole
wheat, quinoa
How much you need:
Men ages 19-30: 400 milligrams per day
Men age 31 and up: 420 milligrams per
day
Women ages 19-30: 310 milligrams per
day, unless pregnant or breastfeeding
Women age 31 and up: 320 milligrams
per day, unless pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 350-360 milligrams per
day
Breastfeeding women: 310-320
milligrams per day
What it does: Helps with heart rhythm,
muscle and nerve function, bone strength
Don't get more than this much: For the
magnesium that’s naturally in food and
water, there is no upper limit.
For magnesium in supplements or fortified
foods: 350 milligrams per day
Manganese
Foods that have it: Nuts, beans and other
legumes, tea, whole grains
How much you need:
Men: 2.3 milligrams per day
Women: 1.8 milligrams per day, unless
pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 2.0 milligrams per day
Breastfeeding women: 2.6 milligrams per
day
What it does: Helps form bones and make
some enzymes
Don't get more than this much: 11
milligrams per day for adults
Molybdenum
Foods that have it: Legumes, leafy
vegetables, grains, nuts
How much you need:
Adults: 45 micrograms per day, unless
pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant or breastfeeding women: 50
micrograms per day
What it does: Needed to make some
enzymes
Don't get more than this much: 2,000
micrograms per day for adults
Phosphorus
Foods that have it: Milk and other dairy
products, peas, meat, eggs, some cereals
and breads
How much you need:
Adults: 700 milligrams per day
What it does: Cells need it to work normally.
Helps make energy. Needed for bone
growth.
Don't get more than this much:
Adults up to age 70: 4,000 milligrams per
day. The limit is lower if you're pregnant.
Pregnant women: 3,500 milligrams per
day
Adults age 70 and older: 3,000
milligrams per day
Potassium
Foods that have it: Potatoes, bananas,
yogurt, milk, yellowfin tuna, soybeans, and a
variety of fruits and vegetables.
How much you need:
Adults: 4,700 milligrams per day, unless
breastfeeding
Breastfeeding women: 5,100 milligrams
per day
What it does: Helps control blood pressure ,
makes kidney stones less likely
Don't get more than this much: No upper
limit known for adults. However, high doses
of potassium can be deadly.
Selenium
Foods that have it: Organ meats, seafood,
dairy, some plants (if grown in soil with
selenium), Brazil nuts
How much you need:
Adults: 55 micrograms per day, unless
pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 60 micrograms per day
Breastfeeding women: 70 micrograms per
day
What it does: Protects cells from damage.
Helps manage thyroid hormone.
Don't get more than this much: 400
micrograms per day for adults
Sodium
Foods that have it: Foods made with added
salt, such as processed and restaurant foods
How much you need:
Adults ages 19-50: up to 1,500
milligrams per day
Adults ages 51-70: up to 1,300
milligrams per day
Adults age 71 and up: up to 1,200
milligrams per day
What it does: Important for fluid balance
Don't get more than this much: 2,300
milligrams per day for adults, or as instructed
by your doctor, depending on whether you
have certain conditions, like high blood
pressure
Vitamin A
Foods that have it: Sweet potatoes, carrots,
spinach, fortified cereals
How much you need:
Men: 900 micrograms per day
Women: 700 micrograms per day
Pregnant women: 770 micrograms per
day
Breastfeeding women: 1,300 micrograms
per day
What it does: Needed for vision, the immune
system, and reproduction
Don't get more than this much: 3,000
micrograms per day for adults
Vitamin B1 (thiamine)
Foods that have it: Whole-grain, enriched,
fortified products like bread and cereals
How much you need:
Men: 1.2 milligrams per day
Women: 1.1 milligrams per day, unless
pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant or breastfeeding women: 1.4
milligram per day
What it does: Helps the body process carbs
and some protein
Don't get more than this amount: No upper
limit known for adults
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Foods that have it: Milk, bread products,
fortified cereals
How much you need:
Men: 1.3 milligrams per day
Women: 1.1 milligrams per day, unless
pregnant or breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 1.4 milligrams per day
Breastfeeding women: 1.6 milligrams per
day
What it does: Helps convert food into
energy. Also helps make red blood cells .
Don't get more than this much: No upper
limit known for adults
Vitamin B3 ( niacin )
Foods that have it: Meat, fish, poultry,
enriched and whole grain breads, fortified
cereals
How much you need:
Men: 16 milligrams per day
Women: 14 mg per day if not pregnant or
breastfeeding
Pregnant women: 18 milligrams per day
Breastfeeding women: 17 milligrams per
day
What it does: Helps with digestion and with
making cholesterol
Don't get more than this amount: No upper
limit from natural sources. If you're an adult
and are taking niacin supplements , or
getting niacin from fortified foods, don't get
more than 35 milligrams per day.
Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)
Foods that have it: Chicken, beef, potatoes,
oats, cereals, tomatoes
How much you need:
Adults: 5 milligrams per day, except for
pregnant or breastfeeding women
Pregnant women: 6 milligrams per day
Breastfeeding women: 7 milligrams per
day
What it does: Helps turn carbs, protein, and
fat into energy
Don't get more than this much: No upper
limit known for adults
Vitamin B6
Foods that have it: Fortified cereals, fortified
soy products, chickpeas, potatoes, organ
meats
How much you need:
Men and women ages 19-50: 1.3
milligrams per day, except for pregnant or
breastfeeding women
Pregnant women: 1.9 milligrams per day
Breastfeeding women: 2 milligrams per
day
Men age 51 and up: 1.7 milligrams per
day
Women age 51 and up: 1.5 milligrams
per day
What it does: Helps with metabolism , the
immune system, and babies' brain
development
Don't get more than this amount: 100
milligrams per day for adults
Vita