Required Nutrition Through Diet Alone

Is it possible to get all the required vitamins and minerals through diet alone?  Depending on who you ask that question to, the jury is still out.  Nutritionists believe it is possible to obtain all the necessary vitamins (with the exception of vitamin D) and minerals through food items.  Naturalists, however, feel that due to over-farming the soil and over-processing foods it is NOT possible.

Since percent daily values (as seen on food labels) are typically based on 2,000 and 2,500 calorie diets, some people feel it is almost impossible to consume nutrient-dense foods on a reduced calorie diet.  According to an article in the July 2009 issue of the Harvard Women's Health Watch journal, the question was raised if it was possible to meet nutritional needs based on diet alone, even on a reduced-calorie diet.  In this ARTICLE,  two nutritional experts (a clinical dietician and a nutritional educator) were called into action.  They looked at a reduced-calorie diet of 1,200 calories for women in the age group 51-70 (i.e., post-menopausal women) and found that by consuming nutrient-dense foods, such as nuts/seeds, salmon, and dark green, leafy vegetables, it was possible to consume all required amounts of vitamins (with the exception of vitamin D) and minerals on a daily basis.

Many nutritional experts believe multivitamins are only necessary in certain situations, such as those battling diseases like cancer or those with malabsorption problems.  Too often we default to supplementation with non-food items (i.e., multivitamins) when we should be taking a closer look at our daily diet.  We should be choosing nutrient-dense foods, which are packed with vitamins and minerals and contain relatively low calories.  Here is a short-list of nutrient-dense foods:

• Avocados
  
• Chard, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach
  
• Bell peppers
  
• Brussels sprouts
  
• Mushrooms (crimini and shiitake)
  
• Baked potatoes
  
• Sweet potatoes
  
• Cantaloupe, papaya, raspberries, strawberries
  
• Low-fat yogurt
  
• Eggs
  
• Seeds (flax, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower)
  
• Dried beans (garbanzo, kidney, navy, pinto)
  
• Lentils, peas
  
• Almonds, cashews, peanuts
  
• Barley, oats, quinoa, brown rice
  
• Salmon, halibut, cod, scallops, shrimp, tuna
  
• Lean beef, lamb, venison
  
• Chicken, turkey
  

With a little patience and planning, you can have healthy, well-rounded meals that won't break your wallet at the grocery store.  Some of the items listed above are inexpensive when compared to the cost of a drive-thru meal.  Many of the items can be purchased in bulk quantities also.  Remember, it's not all about the quantity of food you eat, but more about the quality of food.

Not sure where to start?  Utilize the internet for tools to estimate your caloric need based on age, gender and activity levels.  Then seek out reputable sources of calorie contents of different food items.  There are also plenty of tools to track your daily calorie intake.  Still need more help?  Make an appointment with our nutritional specialist here at PROMATx Health Club and learn more about your current diet and how you can obtain the required nutrients through diet alone.

"Our food should be our medicine and our medicine should be our food."  --Hippocrates