What Are Natural Sources of Vitamin E?

I find it really hard to get enough vitamin E in my diet and am always trying to add in more vitamin rich foods so I can be healthier. To be honest though, I really hate vegetables, which can make it hard to get enough of the vitamin E I need. While almonds are OK, they are really high in calories for the little bit you get to eat.

I prefer to take a supplement for vitamin E in addition to my regular multi-vitamin. After looking at all the foods with vitamin E in them, they just don't appeal to me. Not in a way that would want me to eat a huge quantity of them.

One of the best ways I find to get natural vitamin E in my diet is to make salads with nice big tomatoes in them, or just to grill the tomatoes and eat them as a tasty snack. Tomatoes are very rich in vitamin E and have been proven to fight against cancer cell formation and to help prevent a huge variety of illnesses.

For those who can't be bothered to eat fresh tomatoes you can actually reap just as many benefits form tomatoes that are canned or available in juice form. Tomato juice is delicious. Dipping your toast in it for breakfast makes a really good way to start the day.

This article has set me to pondering, and I may be way out there, but I just wonder…

We all know that smoking and drinking and bad health choices in general just aren’t good for us.

So, when those of us who try to do all of the right things are pinned down about why we’re such goody two shoes, we often answer something along the lines that we’re doing it to live longer.

Good answer, in my book. I have nothing at all against living as long a time as I possibly can. But, then they drag old Aunt Ruth out of the closet.

You may think you don’t know who Aunt Ruth is, but you do. She’s the lady that lived to be one hundred and thirty while smoking a pack a day, funneling whiskey and chewing tobacco simultaneously nonstop for her entire life.

And, they want to know why she lived that long if all that stuff is as bad as I think.

Now I’m going to tell them it’s because Aunt Ruth also ate lots of almonds, broccoli, carrots and nuts which destroyed her free radicals.

Wonder what they’ll say to that.

@amysamp - While I cannot in any way guarantee that one cannot live a low exposure to free-radical life, I can let you know why I think it would be difficult.

Free radicals also include - inflammation, chemicals, stress, cigarette smoke, drugs, and UV light. And while some of these can be avoided it is difficult, I'd imagine, to live life without a little excessive UV light, stress, or chemicals (it just seems they are in many of our food products even when rinsing our food does get some of the chemicals off).

But I like the good news that we can eat things like broccoli, peanuts, and almonds and get those antioxidants to fight the ongoing war with those pesky free radicals.

I have read about some of the best sources of vitamin C and sources of vitamin D and other healthy supplement and it seems there is always some mention of free radicals; but this article was the first article to explain what free radicals are!

So know that I know what they are - are there toxic substances pretty much everywhere or does where you live and work change your exposure to toxic substances (excluding places of work that are obviously going to increase your exposure to toxic substances like working in the x-ray labs at a hospital or at a nuclear energy plant)?

During the summer it is easy to get adequate amounts of vitamin E from food sources. You can receive all the benefits of vitamin E while eating good and nutritious food.

I look forward to home grown tomatoes all year long. Even if I don't have a garden space for them, I will plant a couple tomato plants in containers on my deck. The bush variety are just perfect for this.

Mangoes are another good source of Vitamin E and I also eat a lot of them when they are in season. My favorite way to eat mangoes is mixed in with other fruits such as blueberries and strawberries.

After hearing about the benefits of wheat germ oil on a cooking show, I bought a bottle of it to try. This oil is a natural source of vitamin D, E and A.

I started out slow with it, and it did take me a little while to get used to cooking with it. A lot of times I would use half wheat germ oil and half olive oil to break in slowly.

One thing to remember if you are using wheat germ oil in your diet is not to use it with high heat. Some oils have a much higher heat point than wheat germ oil. You will lose the helpful benefits if you heat it.

My favorite snack of choice is almonds. When I was trying to lose some weight, I gave up chips and whenever I get hungry for them, will substitute a handful of almonds.

Almonds are one of the good natural food sources of vitamin E and also have a lot of other benefits as well.

If you eat a healthy diet that contains fresh fruits and vegetables, you should not have a problem getting enough vitamin E in your diet.

Peanut butter and peanuts are also good vitamin E sources. My dad is addicted to peanut butter and crackers, and he justifies eating a lot of them by saying he needs his vitamins.

My mom also uses the excuse of getting vitamin E when she pours peanuts into her soda. This is an enjoyable way for to incorporate a healthy food into her unhealthy diet.

I am guilty of the same thing. I use kiwifruit on top of a dessert pizza, which I call my vitamin pizza. It’s full of plenty of unhealthy ingredients, though.

The crust is made of sugar cookie dough, and it is topped with a cream cheese and powdered sugar frosting. The fact that it is covered with kiwifruit and strawberries means I can feel somewhat good about eating it.

@StarJo - I love Italian dressing with broccoli! I like to add tomatoes to the mix for even more vitamin E. The tanginess of the fruit matches that of the dressing, and it gives the broccoli a little more of an interesting flavor.

Tomatoes are probably my favorite source of the vitamin. I eat them on sandwiches, in salads, and cooked into many dishes, like chicken creole and minestrone soup. Sometimes, I even eat a big slice of tomato between pieces of cornbread!

Chopped tomatoes are great to eat with fried okra, which is a good source of vitamins A and C. Okra prepared this way is very dry, and fresh tomatoes provide a dressing for it.

My favorite salad is an excellent source of vitamin E. It includes both spinach and almonds.

I make a bed of raw spinach. I get the organic kind that is pre-washed, bagged, and ready to eat. Then, I add a chopped nectarine and slices of red bell pepper. I sprinkle almonds on top, and I finish it off with raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

The green taste of the spinach and the nutty almond flavor contrast the sweetness of the pepper, nectarine, and dressing. The result is a wonderful sensation for the tongue and taste buds. This salad is super healthy and very enjoyable.

I’m glad to hear that broccoli is a good source of vitamin E. I eat it several times a week prepared in different ways.

At lunch, I coat raw broccoli in Italian dressing. It is a simple, delicious way to get my vitamins, and broccoli with just a bit of dressing tastes so much better than plain.

I love to steam broccoli. That way, it doesn’t dry out, and it retains more vitamins than if it were boiled or sauteed. I usually steam it with carrots and serve the vegetables over pasta. I drizzle a garlic butter sauce over the whole thing. It goes great with baked fish.