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We’ve heard over and over that a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes guards against many health problems including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, to name only a few.

These foods provide important vitamins and minerals and offer plenty of natural compounds, such as fibre and phytochemicals, which help our bodies fend off disease.

Yet, despite the wealth of science that supports the benefits of a healthy, nutrient-packed diet, many Canadians continue to shortchange themselves when it comes to vitamins and minerals.

According to the 2004 Canadian Community Healthy Survey, many Canadians are not meeting daily requirements for calcium, magnesium, folate, potassium, iron and zinc, while consuming too much sodium.

March is National Nutrition Month, a time when dietitians across the country will be encouraging Canadians to adopt the healthiest diet possible. The following guide will help you choose foods rich in key vitamins and minerals.

Vitamin A

It supports cell growth and development, healthy skin, nails, bones and teeth, and maintains immunity. It’s also needed for healthy vision. Vitamin A is found in certain animal foods and is also made in the body from plant foods that contain beta-carotene.

Best food sources: oily fish, milk, cheese, and eggs. Beta-carotene is found in orange and dark green produce including carrots, sweet potato, winter squash, broccoli, kale, spinach, apricots, cantaloupe, peaches, nectarines, mangos and papaya.

Folate

This B vitamin supports cell growth and division and helps keep our DNA, the genetic material of cells, in good repair. Consuming adequate folate has been linked with a lower risk of colon and breast cancers.

Best food sources: asparagus, broccoli, cooked spinach, lentils, avocado, artichokes and orange juice.

Vitamin B6

It helps nerve cells to communicate effectively and the immune system to function properly. B6 is also needed for the production of red blood cells, and plays a role in blood-sugar control.

Best food sources: beef, pork, poultry, fish, whole grain breakfast cereals, avocado, bananas and potatoes.

Vitamin B12

It’s used to maintain healthy nerve function, make red blood cells and manufacture DNA in cells.

Best food sources: all animal foods such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt and cheese. It’s also found in fortified foods such as soy, rice and almond beverages, as well as soy products.

Vitamin C

It supports collagen synthesis and wound healing, strengthens blood vessels, supports immunity and helps the body absorb iron from plant foods. Its antioxidant action may help guard against heart disease, stroke, cataracts and macular degeneration.

Best food sources: oranges, grapefruit, kiwi fruit, cantaloupe, mangos, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, red pepper and tomato juice.

Calcium

It builds strong bones and teeth, helps muscles contract and relax, and supports nerve function. An adequate intake of calcium is thought to reduce the risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure, calcium-oxalate kidney stones, and colorectal cancer.

Best food sources: milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified soy beverages and juice, baked beans, black beans, soybeans, firm tofu, canned salmon and sardines (with bones), bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, dried figs and almonds.

When it comes to calcium, you’re better off eating your vegetables cooked. High levels of a natural compound called oxalic acid binds to calcium, reducing its availability for absorption. Cooking releases some of the calcium that’s bound to oxalic acid.

Iron

It helps transport oxygen to cells and tissues, supports metabolism, and is used to make brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) that aid in concentration. It’s also needed to manufacture many proteins and enzymes in the body.

There are two forms of iron in foods: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is found in all animal foods and is easily absorbed. Iron in plant foods such and legumes and green vegetables, is called non-heme iron and is less efficiently absorbed. (Adding a vitamin-C-rich food to a plant-based meal will improve the absorption of non-heme iron.

Best food sources for heme iron: beef, oysters, clams, turkey, chicken, tuna, pork loin and halibut.

For non-heme iron: Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, instant oatmeal, soybeans, lentils, baked beans, black beans, firm tofu, cooked spinach, raisins and prune juice.

Magnesium

This under-appreciated mineral maintains normal muscle and nerve function, helps preserve healthy blood pressure, keeps heart rhythm steady, and supports immunity and strong bones. It also helps regulate blood-sugar levels by influencing the activity of insulin, the hormone that clears sugar from the bloodstream.

Studies suggest that a magnesium-rich diet can help lower elevated blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Best food sources: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, navy beans, soybeans, firm tofu, spinach, Swiss card, halibut, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, yogurt and wheat germ.

Potassium

It maintains normal fluid balance and nerve function, promotes muscle function, and supports cell structure. An adequate intake of potassium may help treat and prevent high blood pressure and lower the risk of stroke, osteoporosis and kidney stones.

Best food sources: milk, yogurt, apricots, bananas, cantaloupe, nectarines, oranges, prunes, raisins, spinach, Swiss chard, tomato juice, artichokes, baked potato (with skin), legumes and nuts.

Zinc

It’s used for growth and reproduction, supports immunity and wound healing and helps the body transport vitamin A.

Best food sources: beef, chicken, turkey, crab, oysters, milk, yogurt, lentils, chickpeas, black beans, baked beans, cashews, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Need supplements?

While I always encourage my clients to fill the majority of their daily nutrient requirements through healthy foods, some people also need a supplement to ensure they are covered.

The following people should take a daily multivitamin and mineral:

• Women of childbearing age require 0.4 milligrams of supplemental folic acid to help prevent birth defects should they become pregnant. Pre-menopausal females also have high daily iron requirements (18 milligrams) due to menstruation.

• Vegetarians require almost twice as much iron as non-vegetarians.

• Vegans, who avoid all animal foods, need supplemental B12

• Adults over 50 may not be absorbing enough vitamin B12 from foods due to reduced stomach acid.

• Low-calorie dieters.

The Canadian Cancer Society advises all Canadian adults to take 1,000 international units of vitamin D3 in the fall and winter, and all year round if you’re over 50, have dark-coloured skin, or avoid sun exposure in the summer months.

Speak to your health-care practitioner to determine if you require additional supplements.

Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based dietitian at the Medcan Clinic, is on CTV’s Canada AM every Wednesday. Her website is lesliebeck.com.