How to Diet Without Losing Essential Minerals
Eat more calcium-rich foods., Incorporate more magnesium., Add more phosphorus., Find good sources of potassium., Include chloride in your diet., Get enough trace elements in your diet., Make sure to eat iron-rich foods.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Eat more calcium-rich foods.
Calcium is an essential mineral that is important for bone health.
If you cut out dairy foods while dieting, your calcium intake may decrease; however, dairy is not the only way you can get calcium while on a diet.Try dairy sources like low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, part skim cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, and low-fat milk.
Leafy green vegetables, like collards, kale, turnip greens and spinach contain calcium.
Other vegetables with calcium include soybeans, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels spouts, fennel, cabbage, summer squash and green beans.
Blackberries and oranges are fruit sources with calcium.
Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, and black-eyed peas also contain calcium.
Eat protein sources that contain calcium.
These include sardines, tofu, salmon, trout, and eggs.
Nuts and seeds have calcium.
Try almonds, peanuts, or sesame seeds. -
Step 2: Incorporate more magnesium.
Magnesium is important for your heart, muscles, and immune system.
More than half of Americans don't get enough magnesium in their diets.
Try these foods for a magnesium boost:
Almonds Sesame seeds Sunflower seeds Bananas Cashews Tofu Pumpkin seeds Flaxseed Milk Oatmeal, quinoa, millet, and brown rice Broccoli Sweet corn Peas Leafy greensDark chocolate Mackerel Beans Avocado , Phosphorus helps maintain bone health by keeping them strong.
It also helps with muscle movement and provide energy to the body.
You can look at the label for phosphorus levels, with anything above 15% of your daily value being high.Try low-fat dairy, such as cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt.
Seafood, like oysters, sardines, and fish, are high in phosphorus.
Try avocado, lentils, chick peas, mushrooms, corn, peas, black beans, pinto beans, broccoli, and spinach.
Dried fruits have higher levels of phosphorus than fresh fruits.
Try whole grains, like oatmeal, barley, quinoa, and millet.
Other sources include nuts, peanut butter, milk, soy milk, and sesame seeds. , Potassium helps with nerve and muscle function.
It helps with heart health by regulating heartbeat.
Potassium also helps lower blood pressure.
Foods with high levels of potassium are:
Bananas Almonds Ground beef Beets Blackberries Broccoli Sweet potatoes Tomato sauce with no added salt Orange juice Fresh or frozen tuna Low-fat yogurt Low-fat milk , Chloride is important for digestive help.
It helps keep the body's fluids in balance.
Chloride is most commonly found in table salt, but many people reduce salt while dieting.
There are many food sources of chloride, too.Try vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, and celery.
Olives, seaweed, cheese, and rye also contain chloride. , Trace elements are important to any balanced diet.
They include iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, manganese, fluoride, chromium, and molybdenum.
You should eat foods rich in these trace minerals, too.
Foods high in zinc include oysters, lobster, crab, lean beef, lamb, spinach, pumpkin seeds, nuts, cocoa powder, chicken, pork, beans, and mushrooms.Iodine can be found in sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori, sea lettuce, etc.); dairy products; seafood; meat; eggs; and iodized salt.Eggs, seafood, meat, poultry, dairy products, and grains have selenium.Copper is found in organ meats like liver, seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat-bran cereals, and whole grains.Manganese can be included into your diet through nuts, seeds, whole grains like bulgur wheat and oats, pineapple, and legumes., When you go on a diet, you probably cut out foods that contain iron.
Iron is contained in red meat and fortified breads and cereals.
To help increase your iron, eat low-fat, grass fed beef; fish; and shellfish.
You can also get plant-based iron through leafy greens and beans.Plant-based iron is harder for your body to absorb than meat-based iron.
To help increase your body’s absorption, eat a source of vitamin C with your plant-based iron.
For example, you can pair iron-fortified bread or leafy greens with an orange or strawberries. -
Step 3: Add more phosphorus.
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Step 4: Find good sources of potassium.
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Step 5: Include chloride in your diet.
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Step 6: Get enough trace elements in your diet.
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Step 7: Make sure to eat iron-rich foods.
Detailed Guide
Calcium is an essential mineral that is important for bone health.
If you cut out dairy foods while dieting, your calcium intake may decrease; however, dairy is not the only way you can get calcium while on a diet.Try dairy sources like low-fat yogurt, Greek yogurt, part skim cheese, low-fat cottage cheese, and low-fat milk.
Leafy green vegetables, like collards, kale, turnip greens and spinach contain calcium.
Other vegetables with calcium include soybeans, broccoli, asparagus, Brussels spouts, fennel, cabbage, summer squash and green beans.
Blackberries and oranges are fruit sources with calcium.
Black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white beans, and black-eyed peas also contain calcium.
Eat protein sources that contain calcium.
These include sardines, tofu, salmon, trout, and eggs.
Nuts and seeds have calcium.
Try almonds, peanuts, or sesame seeds.
Magnesium is important for your heart, muscles, and immune system.
More than half of Americans don't get enough magnesium in their diets.
Try these foods for a magnesium boost:
Almonds Sesame seeds Sunflower seeds Bananas Cashews Tofu Pumpkin seeds Flaxseed Milk Oatmeal, quinoa, millet, and brown rice Broccoli Sweet corn Peas Leafy greensDark chocolate Mackerel Beans Avocado , Phosphorus helps maintain bone health by keeping them strong.
It also helps with muscle movement and provide energy to the body.
You can look at the label for phosphorus levels, with anything above 15% of your daily value being high.Try low-fat dairy, such as cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt.
Seafood, like oysters, sardines, and fish, are high in phosphorus.
Try avocado, lentils, chick peas, mushrooms, corn, peas, black beans, pinto beans, broccoli, and spinach.
Dried fruits have higher levels of phosphorus than fresh fruits.
Try whole grains, like oatmeal, barley, quinoa, and millet.
Other sources include nuts, peanut butter, milk, soy milk, and sesame seeds. , Potassium helps with nerve and muscle function.
It helps with heart health by regulating heartbeat.
Potassium also helps lower blood pressure.
Foods with high levels of potassium are:
Bananas Almonds Ground beef Beets Blackberries Broccoli Sweet potatoes Tomato sauce with no added salt Orange juice Fresh or frozen tuna Low-fat yogurt Low-fat milk , Chloride is important for digestive help.
It helps keep the body's fluids in balance.
Chloride is most commonly found in table salt, but many people reduce salt while dieting.
There are many food sources of chloride, too.Try vegetables like tomatoes, lettuce, and celery.
Olives, seaweed, cheese, and rye also contain chloride. , Trace elements are important to any balanced diet.
They include iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, manganese, fluoride, chromium, and molybdenum.
You should eat foods rich in these trace minerals, too.
Foods high in zinc include oysters, lobster, crab, lean beef, lamb, spinach, pumpkin seeds, nuts, cocoa powder, chicken, pork, beans, and mushrooms.Iodine can be found in sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori, sea lettuce, etc.); dairy products; seafood; meat; eggs; and iodized salt.Eggs, seafood, meat, poultry, dairy products, and grains have selenium.Copper is found in organ meats like liver, seafood, nuts, seeds, wheat-bran cereals, and whole grains.Manganese can be included into your diet through nuts, seeds, whole grains like bulgur wheat and oats, pineapple, and legumes., When you go on a diet, you probably cut out foods that contain iron.
Iron is contained in red meat and fortified breads and cereals.
To help increase your iron, eat low-fat, grass fed beef; fish; and shellfish.
You can also get plant-based iron through leafy greens and beans.Plant-based iron is harder for your body to absorb than meat-based iron.
To help increase your body’s absorption, eat a source of vitamin C with your plant-based iron.
For example, you can pair iron-fortified bread or leafy greens with an orange or strawberries.
About the Author
Emma Brown
With a background in education and learning, Emma Brown brings 12 years of hands-on experience to every article. Emma believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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