Many multivitamins promise to cover at least 100% of your daily needs for over 20 different nutrients. However, it’s usually best to prioritize food sources for your nutritional needs.
Your body has a better chance of absorbing nutrients from nutrient-dense foods rather than the concentrated supplement format, according to Melisa P. Danho, MPH, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian nutritionist and director of the dietetic internship program at UTHealth Houston.
Supplements are also not well-regulated and may not always contain the exact amount of nutrients promised on the label. Here are five nutrient-dense foods you can eat instead of taking supplements.
1. Sunflower Seeds
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With 1/4 cup of unsalted sunflower seeds, you can get 80% of the vitamin E, 25% of the magnesium, and 11% of the fiber you need in a day.
It’s easy to get stuck in food patterns and eat similar things every day. Interrupting these habits can help introduce more nutrients into your diet, Danho said.
“Just try something different. Some people never eat seeds, so what about sunflower seeds? A lot of these seeds are high in vitamin E and other nutrients,” she added.
2. Fruits and Vegetables
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Filling your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables gives you phytochemicals, plant compounds that support health. These include lycopene in tomatoes, which may help protect against certain cancers and heart disease; anthocyanins in berries, which may help slow cellular aging; and allicin in onions, which may help the body fight tumors.
“[Fruits and vegetables] provide a broad mix of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that work together – almost like taking a ‘B-complex,’ but with added fiber and water,” Debbie Petitpain, MBA, RDN, a Charleston-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Verywell in an email.
3. Fatty Fish
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Omega-3 fatty acids are important for heart and brain health, but consider eating fish instead of taking an omega-3 or fish oil supplement. A 2017 study showed that people who ate fish had lower cholesterol levels than those who took omega-3 supplements.
Fatty fish, like salmon, trout, and sardines, are rich in omega-3s and high-quality protein. Fish and other lean protein sources, like poultry, beans, tofu, and eggs, also provide iron, zinc, vitamin B12, selenium, and magnesium, Petitpain said.
4. Walnuts
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Some plant-based foods, like walnuts, are another way to get omega-3s without supplements, especially for people who don’t eat fish.
“Walnuts, chia, and flax offer omega-3s, fiber, and minerals—and they boost satiety,” Petitpain said.
Unlike most omega-3 supplements, these foods contain protein and fiber, which help keep you full. An ounce of chia seeds has 5 g of protein and 10 g of fiber, 1/4 cup of walnuts has 5 g of protein and 2 g of fiber, and a 1/4 cup of flax seeds has 8 g of protein and 11 g of fiber.
5. Brown Rice
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Eating whole grains helps you get tons of important nutrients without turning to supplements.
“Brown rice, oats, quinoa, and whole-wheat bread contribute fiber, B-vitamins, magnesium, and phytonutrients—nutrients often missing in refined grains,” Petitpain said.
You can combine brown rice or quinoa with other nutrient-dense foods such as salmon, broccoli, and sweet potatoes, for a vitamin and mineral-packed meal.
Are Multivitamins and Supplements Ever Worth It?
People who are pregnant or nursing, older adults, young children, and people following vegan, vegetarian, or other restrictive diets may need certain dietary supplements due to their unique health and nutritional needs.
However, if you already eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods, you are likely to get all the necessary nutrients from your diet. Studies have also shown that multivitamins don’t reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, or death.
If you decide to take a multivitamin, it’s almost like you are “hedging your bets.” They can help fill in nutritional gaps on days when your diet isn’t great, Matthew Landry, PhD, RDN, FAND, an assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at UC Irvine, told Verywell.
Supplements are not always risk-free. Some supplements, especially in high doses, can interact with medications or increase the risk of kidney stones or strokes.
Before starting any supplement, it’s best to consult with a healthcare provider and get a blood test to determine if you actually have a nutritional deficiency or a different health need, Landry said.
“Sometimes we take a supplement to help fix tiredness, fatigue, and things like that. But it could be something completely opposite, and if we start masking it with a supplement, we miss the real root cause,” Landry added. “That’s where supplements can get a little scary—we think we’re addressing something, and maybe that’s not even the problem at all.”