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What does your body need?
Pick a nutrient to see why it matters, how much you need, the best food sources, and every recipe on the site that’s rich in it.
- DV 18 mg
Iron
Iron is the core of hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to every tissue in your body. It also supports energy metabolism, immune function and cognitive performance. Because your body can't make iron, you need a steady supply from food, and vitamin C eaten in the same meal significantly improves absorption of plant-based (non-heme) iron.
31 recipes - DV 50 g
Protein
Protein provides the amino acids your body uses to build and repair muscle, skin, enzymes, hormones and immune cells. Eating enough protein (spread across the day rather than in one giant dinner) supports fullness, preserves muscle during weight loss, and helps you recover from training. Most adults do fine at 0.8 g per kg of body weight, while active people and older adults benefit from more.
45 recipes - DV 28 g
Fiber
Fiber is the part of plant foods your body can't digest, and that's the point. It feeds your gut microbiome, slows sugar absorption, helps lower LDL cholesterol, and keeps you full. Most people get barely half the 28 g daily target. Beans, lentils, whole grains, fruits and vegetables are the best sources; increase intake gradually and drink water, or you'll feel it.
35 recipes - DV 90 mg
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an antioxidant that supports immune function, skin health and wound healing; it's required to make collagen. Its most underrated job: it dramatically increases absorption of non-heme iron from plant foods, which is why squeezing lemon over lentils isn't just flavor, it's nutrition strategy. Your body doesn't store it, so you need some every day; heat and long storage degrade it, so fresh and lightly cooked is best.
17 recipes - DV 1300 mg
Calcium
Calcium builds and maintains bones and teeth, and it also runs muscle contractions, nerve signaling and blood clotting. You lose a little every day, so intake has to keep up, especially for teenagers building peak bone mass and adults over 50 slowing bone loss. Vitamin D is calcium's partner: without enough D, you absorb far less of the calcium you eat.
17 recipes - DV 420 mg
Magnesium
Magnesium is a cofactor in over 300 enzyme reactions: energy production, muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control and blood pressure regulation all depend on it. It's abundant in nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains, yet surveys consistently show large parts of the population don't hit the 420 mg daily target. Food sources are preferable to pills for most people.
13 recipes - DV 15 mcg
Vitamin D
Vitamin D regulates calcium absorption (without it, strong bones are impossible) and supports immune function and muscle strength. It's nicknamed the sunshine vitamin because skin makes it from UVB light, which is also why deficiency spikes in winter and in people who work indoors. Very few foods contain meaningful amounts, so diet alone rarely covers the 15 mcg daily target.
11 recipes - DV 2.4 mcg
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 keeps your nerves insulated and your red blood cells forming properly, and it works with folate in DNA synthesis. It's made by bacteria and concentrated in animal foods (meat, fish, dairy and eggs), which makes it the one supplement nearly every vegan needs. Your liver stores a multi-year supply, so deficiency creeps up slowly and can be mistaken for ordinary aging or stress.
15 recipes - DV 11 mg
Zinc
Zinc powers immune cell function, wound healing, taste and smell, and the activity of over 300 enzymes. Your body has no dedicated zinc store, so regular intake matters. Oysters are in a league of their own, but meat, legumes, nuts and whole grains cover most people. Plant zinc is less absorbable (phytates bind it), so vegetarians need a bit more total zinc from food.
11 recipes - DV 400 mcg
Folate
Folate (vitamin B9) is essential for DNA synthesis and cell division, which is why needs skyrocket in pregnancy, when it prevents neural tube defects. It's abundant in lentils, beans, leafy greens and asparagus. Note the terminology: folate is the natural form in food; folic acid is the synthetic form in supplements and fortified foods, and the 400 mcg daily value refers to dietary folate equivalents.
15 recipes - DV 4700 mg
Potassium
Potassium balances fluids, keeps your heartbeat steady, and helps blunt the blood-pressure-raising effect of sodium, which is why the potassium-to-sodium ratio of your diet matters more than either alone. Fruits, vegetables, beans and potatoes are the best sources. Almost everyone eats too little (average intake is roughly half the 4700 mg target) and too much sodium at the same time.
19 recipes - DV 1.6 g (AI)
Omega-3
Omega-3s are polyunsaturated fats your body can't make efficiently. EPA and DHA (from fatty fish) are the forms most strongly linked to heart and brain health; ALA (from flax, chia and walnuts) converts to EPA/DHA only partially. There's no official daily value (1.6 g/day is the adequate intake for adult men, 1.1 g for women), but most dietary guidelines converge on two servings of fatty fish per week.
12 recipes
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