Health Tips A to Z

College Health Tips: Diversify Your Diet

Everyone knows it’s important to eat a variety of foods to get daily required values of vitamins and minerals. What might be surprising is how many different places you can find familiar nutrients. Here are some common foods that you might not have known are great sources of the nutrition you’re looking for:

Vitamin C

Your body uses vitamin C to build and repair tissue. It’s also an antioxidant which helps to block damage caused by free radicals. You can find vitamin C in:

• Red and yellow bell peppers,
• V8 Splash drinks,
• guavas,
• broccoli,
• kale,
• and potatoes

Protein:

Proteins are your body’s building blocks and are found in every cell of your body. Since the body can’t make all the protein it needs itself, a healthy diet must include a wide variety of proteins. You can find protein in:

• Soy products,
• seaweed (raw),
• tuna (and other kinds of fish),
• nuts,
• crab,
• cheese,
• yogurt,
• seitan,
• quinoa,
• and alfalfa sprouts

Iron:

Your body needs iron to make the molecules that transport oxygen through blood and muscles. Iron is also an important part of many proteins in the body. You can find iron in:

• Beef,
• lamb,
• wheatgrass,
• green leafy dried spices,
• shell fish (mollusks, clams, etc),
• dark greens (kale, beet greens, etc),
• apricots and
• raisins

Dietary Fiber:

Dietary fiber helps with digestion; it also makes you feel fuller faster so it helps with weight management. You can find dietary fiber in:

• Fiber cereals (i.e. those with at least 6 grams per serving),
• whole grains,
• fibrous fruit like mango and papaya,
• lentils,
• turnip greens,
• artichokes,
• and sauerkraut.

Vitamin A:

Vitamin A helps form and maintains healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, and skin. It is particularly important in vision. You can find vitamin A in:

• Broccoli leaves,
• squash,
• eggs,
• liver,
• spinach,
• carrots,
• kale,
• red leaf lettuce,
• and sweet potatoes

In general, the greater the diversity of your diet, the more likely you are to get all of the essential nutrients that keep you healthy, so get creative!