How To Get Vitamin C With A Citrus Acid Allergy

Although citrus fruit is probably the best-known source of vitamin C, it is far from the only source. If you eat the recommended 2.5 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit each day, chances are you're getting well over the 60 mg RDA guideline for vitamin C. Even some grains, beans and meat contain vitamin C. For instance, 3 oz. of roasted, lean ham contain almost one-third of the recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C.

Step 1

Eat at least 2 cups of fruit each day. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults choose a variety of fruits to fulfill the 2-cup goal each day to ensure complete nutrition with regard to vitamins and minerals. Your vitamin C requirement will probably be filled long before your 2 cups of fruit are filled. Take, for example, ½ cup of strawberries and 1 medium banana. Together, they are barely half of the daily recommendation, but they contain nearly the full 60 mg of vitamin C.

Step 2

Eat at least 2.5 cups of vegetables each day. Vegetables like broccoli and spinach are great sources of vitamin C. Cooked broccoli is only 22 calories per ½ cup, but nearly fills your entire vitamin C requirement. Likewise, fresh spinach has only 12 calories per cup, but about 16 mg, or 27 percent, of your RDA of vitamin C.

Step 3

Take a multivitamin. If you are still concerned that your diet is not providing enough vitamin C, you can take a daily vitamin C supplement or a multivitamin. Most multivitamins contain several times the RDA for vitamin C.

Tips and Warnings

To protect the vitamin C content of vegetables and other foods you may choose to cook in hot water, adding them after the water has come to a boil. There are enzymes in warm water that destroy vitamin C, but boiling the water inactivates them.