Vitamins are ACE - Are You Getting Enough?

Vitamins are found in a wide variety of foods and have lots of different functions in the body. This page tells you more about vitamins A, C and E, which are all antioxidants and has some recipes you can try.

Who Needs Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are important for everyone because they help to protect the body's cells from damage and so may help to protect against diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Some people may need more antioxidants than others e.g. people who smoke or have diabetes.

Vitamin A

The richest sources of vitamin A are milk (including semi-skimmed), eggs, cheese and margarine. B-carotene is a substance that can be converted into vitamin A in the body.

B-carotene gives colour to orange and yellow fruits and vegetables and is found in carrots, apricots and peaches. It is also found in dark green vegetables e.g. spinach, broccoli, cabbage and okra.

Vitamin C

Nearly all the vitamin C we eat comes from fruit and vegetables. Good sources include oranges and orange juice, tomatoes, blackcurrants, peppers and kiwi fruit. Potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C.

Vitamin E

A very effective antioxidant vitamin found in lots of foods. Good sources include peanuts, almonds, seeds (e.g. sunflower seeds, sesame seeds), dark green vegetables, wholegrain cereals and vegetable oils.

Look After Vitamin C

Vitamin C is soluble in water and so can easily be lost in cooking. Follow these tips to avoid losing valuable vitamins.

• Use only a small amount of water to cook vegetables.
• Use vegetable water to make gravy or soup.
• Do not add bicarbonate of soda to vegetable water.
• Using a microwave or steamer to cook vegetables is a good idea if you have one.
• Try a variety of raw vegetables in salad e.g. carrots, courgettes, peppers, cauliflower, sweetcorn.

What about Antioxidant or Vitamin Supplements?

It's not just vitamins, which protect our health. Supplements cannot replace the variety of nutrients found naturally in food.

How to Get Enough ACE Vitamins

Eating a variety of foods is the best way to ensure you get enough of all vitamins, minerals, fibre and other beneficial nutrients. Here are some extra ideas to make sure you get enough antioxidants.

• Eat 5 portions of fruit and vegetables daily. A portion is:
  • One apple/orange/banana or a slice of melon/pineapple. A small glass of pure fruit juice.
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetables (frozen vegetables are as good as fresh. Canned contain less vitamins but are still a good source.
  • A bowl of salad.

• Use vegetable oil (just a little!) in cooking.
• Add sesame or sunflower seeds to salads.
• Try wholegrain seeded breads.
• Use peanut butter occasionally instead of margarine.

Try These ACE Recipes

Pasta with Lemon Sauce

Serves 4

300g/12oz pasta

3 medium carrots, cut into strips

3 medium leeks, cut into strips

175g/7oz green beans

3 medium courgettes, cut into strips

100g/4oz sweetcorn

1 clove garlic, crushed

Juice and grated rind of 1 lemon

4tbsp low fat natural yogurt

50g/2oz unsalted cashew nuts

4 spring onions, finely chopped

Ground black pepper

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the pasta according to instructions on the packet. Drain well and return to the pan.

Sprinkle the carrots, leeks, beans, courgettes and corn with the garlic, lemon rind and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Cook by steaming, microwaving or boiling in a small amount of water, until just tender.

Mix the cooked pasta with the remaining lemon juice, yogurt and black pepper. Mix in the vegetables and sprinkle with the cashew nuts and spring onions to serve.

Vegetable Biryiani

Serves 4

250g/10oz Basmati rice

15ml/1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

Ginger (1 inch fresh or 1 tsp ground)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

150g/6oz cauliflower florets

100g/4oz green beans, halved

1 tbsp hot curry paste

1 tbsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

150g/6oz carton low fat natural yogurt

25g/1oz raisins

50g/2oz toasted cashew nuts

2 tbsp chopped coriander

Cook the rice in boiling water for 8 minutes, drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the carrot, potato and onion over a medium heat for 10-12 minutes until softened.

Stir in the ginger, garlic, cauliflower, green beans, curry paste, turmeric and cinnamon. Cook for 1 minute, then stir in the yogurt and raisins. Pile the rice on top of the vegetables and cover the pan with a layer of foil, then the lid.

Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and mix well. Serve immediately scattered with the cashew nuts and coriander.

Spring Vegetable Casserole

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil

225g/9oz chopped onions

100g/4oz mushrooms

2 leeks, sliced

225g/9oz cauliflower, chopped

350g/14oz carrots, chopped into chunks

50g/2oz raisins

275ml / l/2 pt vegetable stock

1 tsp sunflower seeds (or seeds of your choice)

1 tbsp cornflower and 2 tbsp water

Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, raisins, stock and seeds. Stir well.

Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Blend the cornflour and water and add to the mixture, stirring until thickened. Season with black pepper to taste.

Apricot Muesli Crumble

Serves 4

400g/16oz apricot halves in juice

225g/9oz low fat soft cheese

150ml / 1/4 pt low fat natural yogurt

1 egg

2 tbsp caster sugar

Grated rind of 1 orange

50g/2oz No Added Sugar Muesli

25g/1oz chopped hazelnuts (or nuts of choice)

1/2 tsp mixed spice

Drain the apricots, reserving 2 tablespoons of juice. Place the fruit in the base of a heatproof flan dish. Beat the soft cheese, yogurt, egg, sugar and rind together until smooth. Pour over the apricots. Mix the muesli, nuts, fruit juice and spice together. Spread over the apricot base. Bake in a preheated oven at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for 20-25 minutes.