Micronutrients
If macronutrients are the headliners, micronutrients are the essential crew working behind the scenes. Micronutrients barely get a mention, which is wild, because they're just as important. These are the vitamins and minerals your body needs in small amounts to pull off huge jobs: producing enzymes, supporting your immune system, helping you grow, and keeping nearly every system running.
There are four main types: water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, macrominerals, and trace minerals. Below, we list where to find each one, so if you're ever running low, you'll know what to reach for. Quick heads-up: this is not a memorization quiz. The goal is just to walk away with a general feel for which foods cover which micronutrients.
Vitamins
Vitamins are organic compounds your body needs in small amounts for normal cell function, growth, and development. Your body makes a few on its own, but it has to get most of them from food. There are two types: water-soluble and fat-soluble.
Water-Soluble Vitamins
These dissolve in water and get absorbed straight into your bloodstream.
Because they dissolve in water, they don't stick around long. In other words, extra amounts basically get peed out. So you need to restock them regularly (as in, most days).
The two groups are Vitamin C and the B-complex vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, and B12).
Their jobs: turning food into energy, supporting your nerves and brain, making red blood cells, boosting immune health, and helping cells grow and repair.
Find them in oranges, lemons, broccoli, eggs, chicken, kiwi, pineapple, oats, nuts, and plenty more.
Fat-Soluble Vitamins
These dissolve in fat, so your body can store them in fatty tissue and your liver for later.
Because they're stored (not flushed out like water-soluble ones), you don't need them every single day, and you actually shouldn't megadose them, since they can build up.
The four are Vitamin A (vision, immune function, skin), Vitamin D (helps you absorb calcium and build strong bones), Vitamin E (an antioxidant that protects your cells), and Vitamin K (blood clotting and bone health).
Find them in carrots, fatty fish, egg yolks, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils.
Minerals
Minerals are inorganic elements that help regulate your metabolism, balance your fluids, and build your body's structure. Here's the catch: unlike some vitamins, your body can't make any minerals itself. Every single one has to come from food and water. There are two types: macrominerals and trace minerals.
Macrominerals
These are the minerals you need in larger amounts (compared to trace minerals). They support your bones, muscles, nerves, and fluid balance. The macrominerals are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur.
Calcium: strong bones and teeth, plus muscle function. In dairy, leafy greens, fortified juices and plant milks, and some tofu.
Phosphorus: supports bones and helps make energy. In meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.
Magnesium: muscles, nerves, and energy production. In nuts, seeds, whole grains, leafy greens, beans, and legumes.
Sulfur: builds proteins and supports metabolism. In protein-rich foods, legumes, garlic, onions, broccoli, and cabbage.
Sodium: balances fluids and powers nerve signals. In table salt, and heavily in processed foods, fast food, and restaurant meals (which is why it's easy to overdo).
Potassium: heart function and muscle contractions. In bananas, oranges, avocados, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, lentils, leafy greens, yogurt, and milk.
Chloride: fluid balance and digestion. In table salt, seaweed, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, and olives.
Trace Minerals
You need these in tiny amounts, but don't let the small quantities fool you — they're critical. Trace minerals are mostly tied to growth, immunity, and energy production. They include iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, manganese, copper, fluoride, chromium, and molybdenum.
Iron: carries oxygen in your blood. In red meat, chicken, turkey, beans, lentils, chickpeas, spinach and leafy greens, and fortified cereals.
Zinc: immune system and healing. In beef, chicken, pork, oysters and other seafood, beans, nuts, seeds, and dairy.
Iodine: regulates thyroid hormones and metabolism. In iodized salt, some fish, shrimp, seaweed, dairy, and eggs.
Selenium: protects cells and supports immunity. In Brazil nuts (seriously, just one or two covers you), fish, seafood, eggs, meat, and poultry.
Copper: helps make energy and red blood cells. In nuts, seeds, whole grains, and organ meats.
Manganese: bone health and metabolism. In whole grains, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and some teas.
Fluoride: strengthens teeth. In drinking water, toothpaste, and some seafood.
Chromium: thought to help your body use carbs, fats, and proteins, though scientists still aren't totally sure how, and the research on chromium supplements for blood sugar is mixed. In whole grains, broccoli, meat, poultry, and nuts.
Molybdenum: helps break down proteins and toxins. In beans, lentils, whole grains, nuts, and dairy.
Okay, that was a lot of names. Here's a secret, though, from us to you: notice how the same handful of foods keep showing up? Beans, nuts, seeds, whole grains, leafy greens, dairy, eggs, and fish cover the vast majority of this list. That's the whole reason "eat a variety of whole foods" is such common advice. Do that, and you're quietly checking off most of these without ever thinking about a single mineral by name.
MICRONUTRIENTS IN REAL LIFE
You don't chase vitamins and minerals one at a time, you get them through variety. The more different whole foods you rotate through (especially colorful produce, whole grains, nuts, beans, and dairy or fortified alternatives), the more of this list you cover automatically. A few standouts worth extra attention as a teen: calcium (about 1,300 mg/day for ages 9–18, roughly 3 servings of dairy or fortified alternatives) and iron (especially important if you menstruate). If you eat a colorful, varied diet, you're almost certainly doing better than you think.
TRY IT
Pick one vitamin or mineral above that sounds unfamiliar and see how many foods in your kitchen right now contain it. You'll probably be surprised.
Dietary supplements
Keeping your vitamins and minerals balanced helps fuel your body and support your overall health, but "more" isn't automatically "better."
Your body sends signals when something's off: persistent fatigue, weak or achy bones, frequent headaches, and more can all hint at a deficiency, so it's worth paying attention.
If you notice minor symptoms that might point to a deficiency, try upping your intake of foods rich in that nutrient first, before reaching for a supplement, unless a doctor has told you otherwise. Food is usually the better delivery system, since it comes with other nutrients and fiber built in.
If symptoms stick around or worry you, see a healthcare professional. They can actually test for deficiencies and guide you, which beats guessing and buying random pills off a shelf.