How to Maximise Nutrient Intake from Your Diet

Even a varied diet can fall short of key vitamins and minerals. Here we look at why nutrient gaps are so common today and what that means for everyday health.

Food quality has significantly decreased over the last 100 years due to decreasing soil quality, pesticide use, intensive farming, and artificial growing environments. Even organic food does not contain the nutritional quality seen over a century ago. In addition, the toxin-nutrient gap has increased. We are exposed to more toxins than ever, which need additional nutrients to detoxify effectively, leaving an even bigger nutrient deficit. In addition to the loss of nutrients in foods, modern diets include an increasing amount of ultra-processed foods, which are typically low in nutrients. Modern lifestyles often lead to poorer nutrition intake as prepared and convenience food intake increases. Stress is also a considerable contributor to nutrient loss. Stress causes the loss of nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin C and magnesium.

Dietary guidance to maximise nutrient intake

Eat a rainbow of whole foods daily:

Consume a diverse range of colourful vegetables and fruits to supply a broad spectrum of antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. Each colour often represents a different set of nutrients - e.g. orange vegetables for beta-carotene, leafy greens for folate and magnesium, and purple produce for anthocyanins.

Choose whole grains over refined carbohydrates:

Whole grains like oats, quinoa, brown rice and buckwheat provide fibre, B vitamins, and trace minerals like iron, zinc and selenium. Refined grains are stripped of these nutrients, so limit white bread, white rice and processed cereals.

Include healthy fats:

Incorporate sources of essential fatty acids such as nuts, seeds (chia, flax and hemp) and avocado. These fats support the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and contribute to brain and heart health.

Prioritise protein variety:

Include a mix of proteins (beans, lentils, tofu and tempeh) to provide essential amino acids and nutrients. Rotate sources to avoid gaps in intake.

Support gut health:

A healthy gut enhances nutrient absorption. Include prebiotic foods (onions, garlic, leeks, bananas and asparagus) and fermented foods (live yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi) to support a diverse microbiome.