Are Vitamin Supplements Just as Good as Food?

By
Emily H
-
Photo by Louis Hansel on Unsplash

A lot of times people wonder if they should take supplements if their diets are lacking from foods that give the body all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Also, supplements aren’t bad for you, they are also not as strong as the vitamins and minerals you find in real food, so even if you’re taking a pill, you are not getting all the strength from it as you would from real food. There are some good things about supplements though, so let’s dive in.

Vegans and Vegetarians

If you live a meat-free or animal-free diet, you can be lacking in a really important vitamin which is vitamin B-12. This vitamin is really hard to find in non-animal diets, so unless you eat food that is fortified with it, it’s recommended that vegans and vegetarians take a supplemetn.

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Rainbow bowl tonight because I always want to inspire you all towards variety. It’s not that eating the same or similar foods every day is bad especially if you are hitting your targets, but often times without a lot of variety we miss out on the very different antioxidants and immeasurable components of food that give us our vitality. Often a challenge or activity I give some of my clients is to either try one new food or one new dish each week. This alone gives you the opportunity to be exposed to these nutrients and benefit from it. 🌈 . For dinner tonight I paired some quinoa with some sautéed red cabbage, fire roasted corn, broccoli and mushrooms along with some red kidney beans. I prepped my kidney beans by using one can of red kidney beans (do not drain), a tbsp of tomato paste, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp mushroom umami seasoning, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp adobo seasoning, 1 tsp sweetener of choice and 1/2 cup veggie broth. Combine all ingredients together in a sauce pan and heat through until it simmers. Reduce heat and allow to cook for 15-20 minutes. If beans get too thick, loosen them up with a few splashes of water or veggie broth. 🥣

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Vitamin D

Depending on where you live and how much sunlight you have to access to, you might find you need to take a vitamin D supplement during darker parts of the year. There are foods that have vitamin D in them and fortified foods as well, but if you’re still not getting enough, a supplement is fine.

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Hello, sunshine! Good morning, my ig friends!

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Whole Foods

If you feel like you’re not getting all the minerals and vitamins you need, try changing your diet before turning towards supplements. Not only will whole foods increase your vitamin and mineral intake, it’s a healthier lifestyle choice.