The ABC's of Eating Well...

Many of us have no clue where we can find the vitamins that our bodies need to be healthy and fight off illness! Here is a great overview I found in Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, who worked with a nutritionist on the book! Scroll down for journal question!

Vitamin A- important for healthy eyes and night vision. It helps in the growth of healthy bones and teeth, and in the development of healthy skin. (It's best to get your Vitamin A in the form of Beta Carotene- a nutrient found in bright orange and green vegetables wich our body converts to Vitamin A as needed.)

Good Sources of Vitamin A are:

• Orange Vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, butternut squask, pumpkin and apricot
• Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

Vitamin B6 is important for making hormones, enzymes, and hemoglobin (red blood cells) in the blood. It also helps to make antibodies and insulin, and helps to maintain normal brain function.

Good Sources are:

• Fortified Cereals
• Legumes
• Vegetables
• Bananas
• Eggs
• Meat

Vitamin B12 helps to make hemoglobin and helps maintain healthy nerve cells. It is also needed to make DNA, the genetic material found in all cells. Good sources are:

• Fish
• Shellfish
• Meats
• Dairy Products

Folic Acid is necessary for the normal growth and maintenance of all cells. It also helps to make red blood cells and DNA. Folic Acid is found in:

• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Avocados
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Orange Juice
• Strawberries

Vitamin C helps children resist infections by supporting immune cell functions. It also helps make collagen and maintain body tissues, and helps cute and wounds heal. Good sources of Vitamin C are:

• Red, gree, and yellow bell peppers
• Strawberries
• Oranges and grapefruits
• Broccoli
• Brussel Sprouts

Vitamin D helps absorb calcium and is needed for strong bones and teeth. Good sources are:

• Milk
• Wild Salmon
• Egg Yolks
• Vitamin-D Fortified foods

Vitamin K is best known for helping blood clot properly after an injury. Good sources of Vitamin K are:

• Turnip greens
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Spinach
• Cabbage
• Asparagus
• Dark green lettuce

With our busy lifestyles we don’t always get the nutrition from our food that we should & we aren't always able to feed our kids what they need. Even when we do have a healthy diet there are some nutrients that our bodies need that require us to eat large amounts of foods to supply the proper amount. That is when we need to look into supplements & fill in the nutritional gaps. Just start with a basic multivitamin for you & your kids!

Journal Question: If you had to choose only 3 of your favorite foods to eat for the rest of your life, which ones would you choose?