Is the Food Enough?
Often, when one reflects on daily eating habits, there is always doubt as to what we eat and the nutrients we receive for the proper functioning of the body:
“Is the food enough to meet my needs for certain vitamins and minerals?”
Usually the answer is yes! Food is sufficient to meet the needs. There are some exceptions where the body does not have the absorption capacity to meet adequate levels. These situations are included in some clinical conditions and, when this is not the case, they should be duly noted and referred to, and therefore do not reflect the majority of the population.
So let’s look at some examples and understand that good eating habits are enough to meet the body’s daily needs.
An adult over the age of 19 years has a daily requirement of 75 mg of vitamin C for women and 90 mg for men. The table below shows the foods that are rich sources of this vitamin (per 100 g of food), as well as their measurements (weight per unit/portion).
| Food | Vitamin C (100 g) * |
| Potato, boiled (1 medium unit – 90 g) | 11 mg |
| Sweet potato, baked (1 serving spoon – 60 g) | 25 mg |
| Beetroot (1 unit – 120 g) | 12 mg |
| Broccoli, boiled (1/2 plate – 130 g) | 18 mg |
| Red cabbage, raw (1/2 plate – 50 g) | 57 mg |
| Spinach, raw (1/2 plate – 40 g) | 35 mg |
| Pepper, raw (1 medium unit – 200 g) | 90 mg |
| Tomato, raw (1 medium unit – 135 g) | 20 mg |
| Pineapple (1 slice – 70 g) | 16 mg |
| Blackberry (1 cup – 150 g) | 16.5 mg |
| Clementine (1 unit – 100 g) | 40 mg |
| Orange (1 small unit – 100 g) | 57 mg |
| Melon (1 slice – 100 g) | 26 mg |
| Nectarine (1 unit – 130 g) | 37 mg |
| Strawberries (1 cup – 125 g) | 47 mg |
| Kiwi (1 small unit – 80 g) | 72 mg |
| Tangerine (1 unit – 80 g) | 32 mg |
| Grapefruit (1 unit – 300 g) | 43 mg |
* Values of Vitamin C per 100 g of edible part, referenced by the Food Composition Table of the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge.
By analysing the table, we can see that by consuming only some of the foods on a daily basis, we can meet our Vitamin C needs.
Example 1: 1 grapefruit (300 g) daily provides 129 mg of Vitamin C;
Example 2: ½ plate of red cabbage (50 g) + ½ pepper (100 g) provides around 119 mg of Vitamin C.
Considering that there are some losses of Vitamin C, either by cutting/peeling or by exposure of the food to light and oxidation, it would still be possible to meet the daily consumption needs of this micronutrient. It is important to note that only one meal was taken into account, and by increasing the consumption of the food presented, the Vitamin C content provided to the organism is much higher than that indicated in the examples.
In the case of Vitamin D, in addition to eating, there is also the variable of sun exposure which contributes to a better synthesis of this vitamin. However, eating does influence the levels of this nutrient in the body. For an adult under 50 years, the recommended intake is between 10 and 15 μg. Let’s take a look at the food with the highest Vitamin D content:
| Food | Vitamin D (100 g)* |
| Fresh tuna, grilled (1 fillet – 200 g) 9.4 | 4.7 μg |
| Salmon, cooked (1 fillet – 135 g) 14.85 | 11 μg |
| Plaice, grilled (1 fillet- 100 g) 11 | 11 μg |
| Sea bass, grilled (1 unit– 160 g) 10.72 | 6.7 μg |
| Seam bream, grilled (1 unit– 150 g) 11.85 | 7.9 μg |
| Medium-fat sardine in olive oil (1 drained can – 80 g) 7.04 | 8.8 μg |
| Medium-fat Sardine, grilled (2 units – 120 g) 13.2 | 11 μg |
| Rainbow trout (1 unit – 200 g) 44 | 22 μg |
* Values of Vitamin D per 100 g of edible part, referenced by the Food Composition Table of the National Institute of Health Doutor Ricardo Jorge.
In this case, as an example, if we eat an average of 6 meals which include fish (varied – within the examples given) as one of the main constituents, we have an intake per meal of 15,26 μg (on average), which means we get approximately 13 μg of vitamin D as a daily average, in addition to what is synthesised through sun exposure, mentioned above.
Therefore, we should eat plant-origin food such as vegetables and various fruits to meet the vitamin C needs, and eat fish frequently, as it is the food group with the highest vitamin D content, to ensure that the daily values are met.
Nutritionist, Jacinta Mendes
3341N
Stop using paper in your Gym! 
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Stop using paper in your Gym!
Innovate your Reservations method!
Optimise your Team's productivity!
Simplify Nutrition Monitoring!
Increase Retention Rate!
Stop using paper in your Gym!
Innovate your Reservations method!
Optimise your Team's productivity!
Simplify Nutrition Monitoring!
Increase Retention Rate!