Consuming nuts, legumes, leafy vegetables, and select fruits is a surefire way to up your B Vitamin intake instantly.
Essential for a healthy mind and body, as well as keeping the nervous system in top form, B Vitamins consist of B1, B2, B3, pantothenic Acid, B6, Biotin, Folic Acid, and B12. But since they can’t be stored in the body easily we need to be constantly consuming foods high in these essential elements.
Thankfully it’s easier than you might imagine to get your daily requirements, especially with the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables we’re used to in the UK. We can almost guarantee that as soon as you start to eat a more balanced diet, moving away from ultra-processed foods, saturated fats, and sugars you’ll feel revived, refreshed, and newly energised.
Delicious foods that are high in B Vitamins
Peas
As well as containing lots of Vitamin A and C, peas also have a fairly high level of Vitamin B so it’s worth adding a couple of spoonfuls to your evening meal. Pea soup is an easy way to up your consumption, make it at home for a speedy, incredibly tasty lunch, just add mint or bacon for extra interest.
Avocado
As one of the world’s most popular superfoods, it’s no surprise avocado has its fair share of B Vitamins - just 150 grams contains around a third of your daily folate requirement and just over 20% of Vitamin B6.
Walnuts
Good for the brain, reducing heart disease, and upping your Vitamin B intake, it’s always worth having a packet of walnuts in your handbag. Try to find a store that sells walnuts by a dispenser to cut down on plastic waste and simply take your containers to be filled, paying by weight before you leave.
Lentils
A key staple in Asian cooking, lentils are not only wholesome and comforting but full of goodness. They’re good for the skin, supporting the digestive system, managing blood sugar levels, and have antioxidant properties. Try making a simple dahl at home by cooking lentils with turmeric, salt, onion, green chilli, garlic, curry leaves, pandan leaves, coconut milk, and water.
Cabbage
If you’ve been feeling tired you might want to up your intake of cabbage since it contains folate which is needed for healthy blood and cells. It’s a wonderful source of Vitamin B and packed with nutrients like potassium and magnesium.
Wheatgerm
One of the easiest ways to get a hit of Vitamin B is to start adding wheatgerm to your daily meals. Try adding a sprinkle of wheatgerm to your porridge, blended into smoothies or simply top off your morning bowl of plain yoghurt and fruit with the brain-boosting food.
Peanuts
The benefits of peanuts are endless, they help protect your bones, improve skin health and vision, boost brain function, and have a hefty dose of Vitamin B. Have a small handful a day, but avoid the salted version - unsalted and skin on are the ones you want to stock up on.
Bananas
Fab for boosting your immune system, just one banana also provides the body with a quarter of the Vitamin B6 we need daily. Affordable and easy to snack on, it’s easy to store overripe bananas in your freezer for use in baking or smoothies at a later date.
Yoghurt
The key with yoghurt is to swerve the flavoured options and opt for full-fat plain variations. A real gem, yougurt can be consumed daily to add Vitamin B12, magnesium, riboflavin, and calcium to your diet.
Brussels Sprouts
Not just for Christmas, try roasting Brussels sprouts in the oven with olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt for the ultimate tasty side dish or snack. Loaded with Vitamins E, D, C, A, B6, and B12 they’re one of the best ways to fill your body with nutrients.
Eggs
Just two eggs will provide you with around half of the daily recommended intake of Vitamin B12 and a third of B2. Boiled eggs are a great snack, or try scrambled eggs with avocado for the ultimate Vitamin B filled breakfast.
Pistachios
Full of healthy fats, protein, fibre, and antioxidants, pistachios also contain a good dose of your daily Vitamin B6 intake. Grab a handful in between meals to snack on or sprinkle over summer salads.
Oats
One of the easiest ways to up your B Vitamin intake is by switching to porridge for breakfast. If you’re not a big fan of porridge it’s worth considering overnight oats which is a great breakfast for summer months. Simply soak oats in your milk of choice overnight then when you wake up with dates or fresh fruit, swirl through some yoghurt and honey and you’ve got yourself a delightful brekkie.
Broccoli
Great for healthy skin, hair, muscles, and your nervous system broccoli can be eaten alongside pretty much anything. You can even try it raw as a snack or as a salad base.
Oysters
Since they contain a good source of Vitamin B12 which is great for keeping your brain healthy, oysters shouldn’t be dismissed as a healthy food source. To avoid the high costs in bars and seafood restaurants, buy a shucking knife and pick yours up from a local fishmonger where they shouldn’t cost more than a couple of pounds each, then enjoy at home with a splash of fresh lime and hot sauce.
Oranges
A brilliant fruit in terms of its year-round availability and high quantity of nutrients such as folate, Vitamin C, calcium, and potassium. Carry one in your bag for snacking on the go.
Soya beans
As a great source of plant-based protein, soya beans are a solid option for vegans and vegetarians. After soaking overnight add the beans to soups and stews to get a healthy hit of Vitamin B and folic acid.
Chicken
A brilliant source of Vitamins B3, B6, B12, potassium, chromium, iron, selenium, and zinc, chicken is also super versatile when it comes to cooking. We recommend buying legs and thighs since they contain the most flavour, or roasting a whole chicken on the weekend and using the bones to make a nutrient-rich, immune-boosting soup.
Mushrooms
Available in a plethora of shapes and sizes, mushrooms are one of the planet's true superfoods. Try shitake or oyster mushrooms in a stir fry to really reap the Vitamin B benefits.
Milk
Just 250ml of whole cow’s milk provides almost half of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin B12. Opt for organic whole milk if your budget allows, or even better, head straight to your local farm since many farmers sell straight to the customer now with many utilizing milk vending machines throughout the UK.
Kale
Brimming with health-boosting properties, kale is one of the best leafy vegetables to art to your shopping cart. Health benefits include protection against heart disease, improved skin and hair health and since it's loaded with vitamins B, C, K, folate, and beta carotene, it’s great for helping to fight infections.
Beef
Good for anyone deficient in Vitamin B12, organic, farm-reared, grass-fed cows provide the best source of quality steak but it’s not always the most affordable way of adding those much-needed vitamins to your plate. Keep meat consumption to a couple of times per week if possible and try organic stewing beef from your local butcher for a cheaper alternative to steak.
Spinach
As one of the best vegetables for providing folic acid (a form of vitamin B9) spinach can be eaten raw, or cooked in curries, soups, and stews. You can even bulk out homemade pesto with spinach before stirring through wholewheat pasta - it’s a delightful quick midweek meal.
Chickpeas
Amazingly chickpeas contain no cholesterol and even help to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. Full of fiber, iron, Vitamin B, potassium, and selenium why not try making a delicious chickpea salad with cucumber, lemon juice, parsley, feta, olive oil, and salt and pepper?
Spring greens
The vibrant leaves of spring greens not only add a brilliant pop of colour to salads but overflow with nutrients like iron and Vitamins B, C, and K. Add to curries, or enjoy as a side dish cooked in butter and salt.
Clams
As the main ingredient of one of Italy’s most loved traditional dishes, spaghetti alle vongole, clams not only taste divine when smothered in white wine, garlic, and parsley but are good for you too. Per serving, clams have more Vitamin B12 than any other food so they’re great for regulating your mood and beating tiredness.
Kidney beans
Almost all of the B vitamins are found in the humble red kidney bean as well as Vitamins C, E, and K. Try them in a classic chilli con carne along with minced beef. Or double up your quantities as part of a bean chilli.
Cheese
Some types of cheese - feta, mozzarella, and brie contain pretty high levels of Vitamin B, specifically B12 which is good for combating weakness, irritability, and fatigue.
King crab
As one of the largest crabs around, tucking into a plate of king crab will benefit your muscles, joints, heart, and even your vision and eye health. Full of protein it contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, and selenium.
Hazelnuts
Eating a small handful of hazelnuts daily has been linked to improved heart function since they contain B and E Vitamins and folate. They’re also a great source of plant-based protein, perfect for the vegetarians and vegans amongst us.
Pork
While you don’t want to be eating pork - or any meat for that matter - every day, it is a good source of Vitamins B12, B6, Zinc, Selenium, and protein. Look for pork filets, steaks, or ribs rather than salt and fat-packed sausages and bacon.
Rainbow trout
Freshwater rainbow trout has an abundance of Omega-3 fatty acids as well as Vitamins D, A, and B12. Try it oven-baked or in summer months it’s amazing cooked on a BBQ with lots of fresh lemon and butter.
