I took a nutrition class this semester, and besides being bored out of my mind and mostly online shopping the whole class (my classmates can attest to this), I did learn how essential vitamins are and how much healthier we would be if we implemented them into our diet. So this post is about what to eat in between meals in order to get some vitamins and minerals in. They also require very little prep work. AND all are gluten free and vegan woooooo (except for the cheese stick, sorry)
Apple and peanut butter (vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E)
Roasted chickpeas (folate, iron, magnesium)
Carrots/Celery/Cucumbers/Pepper and Hummus (vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, iron, magnesium)
Popcorn (my fave is Skinnygirl Popcorn) (fiber, iron)
Oatmeal with banana, strawberries, brown sugar (vitamin C, potassium, fiber, phosphorus, magnesium)
Avocado on brown rice cakes (vitamin E, folate, iron, magnesium)
Peanut butter and jelly or nutella on brown rice cakes (folate, vitamin E, magnesium)
Almonds (vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorus)
Homemade kale chips (vitamin K, folate, vitamin E)
Mozzarella cheese stick (vitamin D, phosphorus)
Some of the many roles that each vitamin or mineral plays in our body:
Vitamin A – help eyesight, healthy immune system, reproduction
Vitamin C – antioxidant that may reduce risk for chronic disease, boosts immunity, helps produce collagen
Vitamin D – maintains healthy bones, immune system
Vitamin E – antioxidant, promotes healthy blood, brain, and skin, improves heart health
Vitamin K – promotes blood clotting (good), promotes strong bones
Folate – needed to make red and white blood cells in the bone marrow, needed most in women of childbearing age!
Iron – boosts immunity, helps with fatigue, improves concentration
Phosphorus – builds strong bones and teeth, filters waste out of kidneys, muscle recovery
Magnesium – maintains bone health, cardiovascular health, may relieve migraines
Hopefully these give you ideas of snacks that are tasty and good for your body!