Food Nutrition FactsFood Nutrition Facts And at the same time in Australia: Australia's Organic Federation wants that farmers to urgently cut down their use of pesticides and fertilizers. Knowing all this it would be good to protect yourself from all this by buying organic food. Nutrition Facts About Food - Here in this section of the website we will study the nutrition facts of a few of the healthy foods and a few of the harmful foods. Even though this website is centered mainly around fruits and vegetables, I think it is important we go over some of the other less healthy foods too - like fast food and junk food, for you to be able to see the difference. But of course I will not be able to tell you how many chemicals each food contains... Chemicals should not be part of the food nutrition facts anyway, even though they are many times present in the food we eat. But it is difficult to measure the amount of chemicals in food, unless of course you are a scientist. The easiest is to just remember that you are on the safe side if you buy organic. To go to any food category, click on the links below. You can also just continue reading about fruits and vegetables below the list of links. Healthy Foods Vitamins in Fruits and Vegetables Harmful Foods
Below we will go through the nutrition facts in fruits and vegetables. You will find all the important nutrients with their fruit and vegetable sources below. I have included nuts and seeds here too. Make sure you eat one food out of each group ever day :) If you instead would like to see the nutrition facts of a specific fruit, go to the fruit list in the navigation menu to the left.
We start with the vitamins and their vegetable/fruit/nuts & seed sources, then we continue with the most common minerals. On the next page we will continue with the phytochemicals! Vitamins help many essential functions of our body, including proper growth and development. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables gives you all the types of vitamins needed. Deficiency of even one vitamin can lead to serious problems. Food Nutrition Facts - Vitamins in Fruits & Vegetables Vitamin A (retinol) – carrots, apricots, melon (for example cantaloupe), green leafy vegetables, mango. vitamin A is essential for eyes, skin, hair and bones. Vitamin B complex - a group of vitamins, which although not chemically related, are often found together in same foods. B vitamins are for example important for our nervous system. B1 (thiamine) – avocado, artichokes, sunflower seeds, nuts, peas B2 (riboflavin) – spinach, beat greens, almonds, sweet potatoes B3 (niacin) - avocados, peanuts, sunflower seeds, potatoes B6 – bananas, avocados, prune juice, artichokes, sweet potatoes, sunflower seeds (and if you are not a raw foodist, chickpeas are also a good source of B6) B12 – this vitamin is not present in fruits or vegetables or plants of any kind. Deficiency can be quite unpleasant with nerve damage and anemia, but it takes years to develop an deficiency though, because the liver stores B12 for long periods of time. If you are a vegetarian supplementation is wise. Animal sources: seafood, meat, eggs Vitamin C or ascorbic acid – can be found in most fruits and in all citrus fruits. Some examples of other fruits high in vitamin C are guava, papaya, strawberries, cantaloupe and kiwi. Red, yellow and green peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C. Even broccoli contains a good amount of this vitamin. Vitamin C it is essential for the formation of collagen. Vitamin C is a very important vitamin, but also easily found in most fruits. Food Nutrition Facts - We continue with an important vitamin... Vitamin E – avocados, peaches, almonds, sunflower seeds. Vitamin E prevents cell damage and is a good anti-aging vitamin. Vitamin K – Kale, green leafy vegetables, cabbage, lettuce, onions, broccoli, spinach. Vitamin K is extremely helpful in diminishing blood clotting. Vitamin F (folic acid) – Asparagus, spinach, artichokes, avocados. If you are not a raw foodist, good sources of folic acid could also be lentils and chickpeas. Folic Acid is a vitamin that is very important for women in childbearing age, and should preferably be taken as a supplement even years before planning to have a baby. Alternatively you could eat LOADS of fresh spinach, artichokes and asparagus and have an avocado once a day - or 1/2 an avocado if you are on a diet. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Now lets take a look at the most common minerals found in vegetables sources: Calcium – Calcium is present in for example oranges, papaya and many other tropical fruits. An other good source of calcium is kale. Calcium is needed for bones and teeth. Calcium also provides signaling ions. Magnesium – spinach, broccoli and most green vegetables, banana, dates, peanuts and seeds. Magnesium builds bones and increases flexibility and alkalinity. Phosphorous – guava, kiwi, passion fruit, pomegranate, avocados, dates. Phosphorous is an important component for bones and is also utilized for energy production. Potassium – found in many fruits and vegetables, for example in amaranth leaves, potatoes, pumpkin, cherries, lychee, papaya, watermelon, banana, avocado. This mineral is good for the heart and for nerve health. Sodium – most vegetables contain sodium, even if it is in low quantities. Passion fruit has a good amount of sodium, should you be looking for it. So does celery. The body does need sodium but too much can be very harmful. Sodium maintains the blood pressure of the body. Sulfur – sulfur is mostly found in animal products and legumes, but it is also found in kale, brussels sprouts, garlic, lettuce, seaweed and in nuts. sulfur in the form of amino acids is required for the production and maintenance of skin, hair, liver, pancreas, nails etc. Sulfur also seems to have some anti-aging properties, as it is very good for our skin. Food Nutrition Facts - Trace Minerals in Fruits & Vegetables Now lets go over some of the trace minerals – these are the catalysts that play a very important role but are required in small quantities. Copper – artichoke, cherries, kale, potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, banana, avocado, lychee, mango, spirulina. Copper helps your body absorb iron. Copper is required by many "redox" enzymes and helps growth and the eyes and hair. Iodine – fruits, vegetables and nuts grown in soil thats rich in iodine. Many organs, for example the stomach and the saliva glands need iodine. Iron – present in for example artichokes, apricots, kale and spirulina (a nutritious sea vegetable or seaweed, available as a supplement). We need iron to maintain good hemoglobin levels. Manganese – present in most fruits, for example, avocado, banana, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, strawberries, kale, squash, leeks, potato, pine nuts, pecans. Manganese helps in processing oxygen. Molybdenum – found in dark green leafy vegetables, peas, sunflower seeds. It is required for many oxidation reactions. Selenium – Brazil nuts are the best source. But selenium can also be found in many vegetables and fruits, if they are grown in selenium rich soil. Selenium is required by antioxidant proteins, decreases the risk of developing diabetes and helps the thyroid gland to function normally. Zinc – avocados, raspberries, blackberries, dates. Zinc helps in healing wounds and strengthens the immune system. PAGE 2 -------------------------------------------------------------- Continue to the next page (PAGE 2) of Food Nutrition Facts for phytochemicals...
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