Who should pay a little more attention?

With the above in mind, we do need to mention that those who do not consume a well-balanced diet may need to pay more attention than others. Those who are lactose intolerant do not consume a balanced diet by definition as they do not consume dairy, meaning calcium should be something they are mindful of.

• Vegans will not be able to get vitamin B12 from many foods, and on top of that plant based calcium, iron, zinc and many others may fall short of needs
• Those consuming low carbohydrate diets or shunning grains put themselves at a greater risk
• Those who avoid table salt in all forms may need to be careful
• Pregnant women or those who are lactating, as you have seen, may require a lot more of certain nutrients than they ordinarily would
• Those who have had gall bladder removal and therefore cannot consume large amounts of dietary fat at meals may need to consider additional fat-soluble vitamins
• Individuals on a very low calorie diet are at obvious risk of consuming fewer nutrients
• Athletes or those under intense physical stress will place their body under higher demand which may warrant additional nutrients. Speak to a doctor for a blood test if you are concerned
• Anyone with any medical conditions may be at risk. Ulcerative colitis can block absorption of certain nutrients, the medications for epilepsy and others can create malabsorptive states
• People eating restrictive diets due to taste (many people do not eat nearly enough vegetables) may need to consider supplementation until this can be rectified. If this is you, start slowly by gradually increasing the range of vegetables you like

In none of these situations is it impossible or even practically difficult to achieve an optimal nutrient intake, but that’s not to say it will happen by accident. If for any reason you do not consume all of the food groups, macronutrients or otherwise, if you are using medications or if you have any reason to think that you are at an elevated risk of deficiency compared to the majority of the public, our advice is to speak to your GP. Nutrient deficiencies are relatively easy to diagnose with a blood test, and doing so can help you to adjust your nutrient intake either through foods or with supplements.

For the rest of us, consuming a diet which is varied, wholesome and rich in as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible (this is not to discount the benefits of some fortified foods, but rather to emphasise the importance of consuming a large amount of unprocessed and whole foods in their unrefined state) will almost certainly ensure you get all that you need.

In the next module, we will be discussing hydration and fibre.