Vitamin C

I've heard countless numbers of people pushing the importance of eating cheese and drinking milk when talking about vitamin C. Yes, it's important to have vitamin C in your diet, and yes, cheese and milk both contain vitamin C. But did you know that many fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, too?

Vitamin C should definitely be an essential part of one's diet. It's an antioxidant, is important for helping your body absorb iron, and assists in warding off colds (among other benefits).

Before rationalizing how good a big, cheesy pizza is for iron absorption, keep these fruits and veggies in mind as other sources of vitamin C:

• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cantaloupe
• Cauliflower
• Citrus fruits (and their juices), such as grapefruits, lemons, and oranges
• Green and red bell peppers
• Honeydew
• Kiwi
• Papaya
• Potatoes
• Strawberries
• Avocado
• Raspberries
• Watermelon
• Grapes
• Tomatoes

Of course, multivitamins are another good-ole reliable, but try for yourself to get all the essential nutrients your body needs from your diet, and not pills alone.

Thanks to Being Vegetarian for Dummies for the list of vitamin C-rich foods.