You gain essential vitamins, which your body needs every day, from eating foods in every food group. A varied diet of grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and protein foods can supply the total amounts of vitamins A, B, C, D and E recommended by the Food and Drug Administration. Many foods also deliver vitamin K, a nonessential vitamin that your body produces. While taking a multivitamin supplement is beneficial, the USDA advises getting most of your vitamins from foods, due to their additional nutrient content.
Grains
Grains such as wheat, rice and oats are major sources of vitamin B, a group of eight vitamins that support your blood count and metabolic rate. Members of the grain group contain different combinations of thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, B6, biotin, folic acid and B12, as well as varying amounts of vitamin E. Good foods to eat for these nutrients include whole-wheat bulgur and breads, brown rice, oatmeal and cereal flakes.
Vegetables
Vegetables give you the widest range of dietary vitamins when you rotate your menu selections. Carrots, sweet potatoes and spinach have very high vitamin A content, which supports eyesight and other body functions. Broccoli, kale and all types of cooked dry beans supply vitamin B. The National Institutes of Health notes the importance of consuming vitamins C and E daily for immune-system health, which you'll find combined in vegetables such as tomatoes and red peppers.
Fruits
Many fruits contain greater vitamin C content than other foods and help you achieve your daily totals more quickly. Get as much as 160 percent of your daily allowance from a 1/2-cup serving of orange juice. Additional vitamin C sources include grapefruit, kiwis, strawberries, pineapples and papayas.
Dairy
While the dairy group is best known for its dietary calcium contributions, your body needs the vitamin D in fortified milk products in order to absorb calcium minerals during digestion. You'll also find significant amounts of vitamin A and all eight B vitamins in milk and some yogurts and cheeses.
Protein
Fish such as tuna and salmon are your other main sources of dietary vitamin D as well as protein. Like other protein foods, they also contain most or all of the B vitamins. Fish, meats, poultry and cooked dry beans, which are included in the protein as well as the vegetable group, have varying contents of vitamins B, D and E.
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