Which Foods Fill Which Nutrient Gaps?
A practical food-to-nutrient lookup matrix. Use this to make sure your weekly meals cover all major targets — without needing a nutrition degree.
How to use this table: Find a nutrient you need more of — then look left for the cheapest whole-food sources. Primary sources give the highest amount per dollar. Secondary sources are useful top-ups.
| Nutrient | Primary Budget Sources | Secondary Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | Eggs, lentils, beans, milk, liver | Oats, rice, peanut butter, canned fish |
| Fibre | Lentils, oats, beans, brown rice | Potatoes, bananas, cabbage, vegetables |
| Vitamin A | Liver (retinol), carrots, sweet potato, spinach | Canned tomatoes, eggs |
| Vitamin B12 | Liver, sardines, eggs, milk | Canned tuna, fortified cereal |
| Folate (B9) | Liver, lentils, spinach, canned beans | Fortified cereal, cabbage, eggs |
| Vitamin C | Cabbage, potatoes, canned tomatoes, broccoli | Bananas, spinach, seasonal citrus |
| Vitamin D | Sardines, eggs, fortified milk | Sunlight exposure (free!) |
| Vitamin K | Spinach / kale, cabbage, broccoli | Eggs, olive oil |
| Calcium | Milk, sardines (with bones), fortified cereal | Cabbage, canned beans, cheese |
| Iron | Liver, lentils, beans, spinach | Fortified cereal, oats, eggs |
| Zinc | Liver, beans, lentils, eggs | Oats, pumpkin seeds, milk |
| Magnesium | Lentils, spinach, brown rice, pumpkin seeds | Oats, bananas, canned beans |
| Potassium | Potatoes, lentils, bananas, beans | Spinach, milk, canned tomatoes |
| Omega-3 DHA/EPA | Sardines, canned salmon | Omega-3 enriched eggs |
| Choline | Liver, eggs | Beans, milk, potatoes |
| Iodine | Milk, eggs, sardines, iodised salt | Seaweed (small amounts) |
Budget shortcuts — the foods that appear most often
🥇
Liver — the most complete budget food
Appears in: Vitamin A, B12, Folate, Iron, Zinc, Choline. One 100g serve of chicken liver covers your weekly B12, daily Vitamin A, and over 50% of your iron target — for under $1.50. Hidden in bolognese or stir-fry, most families don’t notice.
~$1.50 per serve
🦀
Eggs — appear in 8 out of 16 nutrients
B12, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Choline. Two eggs a day covers a meaningful chunk of most fat-soluble vitamin needs and provides 12g complete protein.
~$0.60 per 2 eggs
🦋
Sardines (canned, with bones) — the best value omega-3 source
B12, Vitamin D, Calcium, Omega-3. The bones are edible and provide calcium equivalent to a glass of milk. One tin twice a week covers your weekly omega-3 and Vitamin D targets.
~$1.80 per tin
🥘
Lentils — the most versatile plant source
Protein, Fibre, Folate, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Potassium. A 400g can of lentils provides roughly 25g protein and 16g fibre for under $1.50. Combine with Vitamin C (lemon, tomato, capsicum) to triple iron absorption.
~$1.40 per 400g tin
The absorption rules you can’t ignore
Iron + Vitamin C: Always consume iron-rich foods (lentils, spinach, fortified cereal) with a Vitamin C source — lemon juice, capsicum, tomato. Can triple absorption.
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K): Always eat with some fat — cook vegetables in olive oil or serve alongside eggs. Without fat, beta-carotene from carrots/sweet potato is barely absorbed.
Tea and coffee: Wait 1 hour before or after meals. Tannins reduce iron absorption by 60–90% when consumed with plant-iron foods.
See the full Nutrient Absorption Tips guide for detailed rules.
📷 See if your week covers all these nutrients — enter your household members and see how your meals measure up against their exact targets.
Open free appSee your household’s specific targets
Add your family members to the free app — it calculates exact targets for each person’s age and sex, then tracks nutrient coverage across your weekly meals.
Open the free appSources: NHMRC Australian Nutrient Reference Values (2006, updated 2017) · USDA FoodData Central · Nutrient data based on standard serve sizes from Australian supermarkets.