--- title: "Vitamins and Minerals" description: "Learn which vitamins and minerals teens need every day, including recommended daily allowances and the best food sources for each nutrient." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/vitamins-minerals" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Health and wellness](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health) / 3. Vitamins Minerals # Vitamins & Minerals Find out which daily nutrients you need and what they do for your body. * * * September 27, 2024Medically reviewed by [Andrea Lerios, M.S., R.D., CSSD, CDE](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/andrea-lerios-1046232863) As a growing teen, you need to get the following vitamins and minerals every day from food or a multivitamin. In this list, “RDA” means the Recommended Daily Allowance for 14- to 18-year olds. ## Vitamins **Vitamin A** - Best sources: dairy products, eggs, liver, fish, fortified cereals, darkly colored fruits, green leafy vegetables. - RDA: males 900 mcg, females 700 mcg. **Vitamin B1 (thiamin)** - Best sources: whole and enriched grains, pork, beans, seafood. - RDA: males 1.2 mg, females 1 mg. **Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)** - Best sources: organ meats, milk, whole and enriched grains, dairy, beef, lamb, eggs, green leafy vegetables. - RDA: males 1.3 mg, females 1 mg. **Vitamin B3 (niacin)** - Best sources: meat, fish, enriched breads and cereals, beans, peas, nuts. - RDA: males 16 mg, females 14 mg. **Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid)** - Best sources: sunflower seeds, mushrooms, peanuts, brewer’s yeast, yogurt. - RDA: males and females, 5 mg. **Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)** - Best sources: fish, poultry, lean meat, whole grains, potatoes. - RDA: males 1.3 mg, females 1.2 mg. **Vitamin B7 or B8 (biotin)** - Best sources: peanut butter, hard-boiled eggs, wheat germ. - RDA: males and females, 25 mcg. **Vitamin B9 (folate)** - Best sources: beans, green leafy vegetables, oranges, beans, poultry, fortified cereals, nuts. - RDA: males and females, 400 mcg. **Vitamin B12** - Best sources: fish, red meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs. - RDA: males and females, 2.4 mcg. **Vitamin C** - Best sources: berries, kiwi, bell peppers, tomatoes, melons, citrus fruits. - RDA: males 75 mg, females 65 mg. **Vitamin D** - Best sources: egg yolk, fatty fish, milk. Also made by skin when exposed to sunlight. - RDA: female and males, 15 mcg (600 IU). **Vitamin E** - Best sources: vegetable oils, nuts, dark green vegetables, avocado, whole grains. - RDA: female and males, 15 mg. ## Minerals **Calcium** - Best sources: dairy products, calcium-fortified juice or soy milk. - RDA: males and females, 1,300 mg. **Iron** - Best sources: red meat, pork, fish, chicken, beans, soy foods, green veggies, raisins. - RDA: males 11 mg, females 15 mg. **Magnesium** - Best sources: whole grains, whole-grain breads, nuts, seeds, potatoes, milk, bananas. - RDA: males 410 mg, females 360 mg. **Phosphorus** - Best sources: dairy products, meat, fish. - RDA: males 1,250 mg, females 1,250 mg. **Potassium** - Best sources: broccoli, potatoes with skins, citrus fruits, peas, lima beans and other legumes. - RDA: males and females, 4,700 mg. **Zinc** - Best sources: red meat, chicken, seafood, soy foods, dairy products, whole grains. - RDA: males 11 mg, females 9 mg. **Last Reviewed**: August 2019 ## Explore related topics [Teen's health](https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/articles?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_healthTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Teen%27s+health%22%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22builtin.entityType%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Sutter+Health+Page%22%5D%7D%5D&limit=10&verticalKey=health-and-wellness) ## Meet our care team ![Andrea Lerios, M.S., R.D., CSSD, CDE](http://a.mktgcdn.com/p/eNPKDfpzsedQuJITdRSRuNFCityuFDRENDf7wWdHerE/1.0000/193x193.jpg) [Andrea Lerios, M.S., R.D., CSSD, CDE](https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/andrea-lerios-1046232863) Dietitian/Nutritionist Diabetes Educator ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"Vitamins and Minerals ","description":"Learn which vitamins and minerals teens need every day, including recommended daily allowances and the best food sources for each nutrient.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/vitamins-minerals","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/vitamins-minerals#breadcrumblist"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","headline":"Vitamins & Minerals","alternativeHeadline":"Vitamins and Minerals ","description":"Learn which vitamins and minerals teens need every day, including recommended daily allowances and the best food sources for each nutrient.","datePublished":"2024-09-27T15:48:47Z","dateModified":"2026-10-23T16:04:06Z","publisher":{"@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org"},"@type":"MedicalWebPage","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/vitamins-minerals#breadcrumblist"},"reviewedBy":[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","name":"Andrea Lerios, M.S., R.D., CSSD, CDE","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/find-provider/andrea-lerios-1046232863"}],"lastReviewed":"2026-10-23T16:04:06Z"} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health/vitamins-minerals#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Health and wellness","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/health"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Vitamins Minerals"}]} ```