Vitamin and mineral supplements are becoming more and more popular as health conscious shoppers focus on good nutrition, but do we really need pills to optimise our diet? Not according to nutritionist and author Sarah Flower, who says that cooking with the right ingredients should give you all the goodness you need. 'The cleaner your diet - using fresh ingredients and cooking at home - the less likely you are to need to rely on supplements to boost your health.' she told MailOnline. Scroll down for video . It's time to ditch vitamin pills for a diet rich in clean, fresh and unprocessed foods, says Sarah Flower . 'The typical western diet is heavily processed and sugar ridden,' explains Sarah, 'this makes us more susceptible to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.' And while it may seem like common sense to eat more unprocessed and raw foods, Ms Flower believes we are still not doing enough. 'We are living in a society where it is possible to be overweight and deficient in essential nutrients.' she continued. 'A diet rich in oily fish, whole grains, lean protein, fruit and vegetables should provide enough nutrients,' she said. Other factors to consider include your ability to absorb the food - digestive complaints can often impede our ability to absorb nutrients. 'Pregnancy, ill health and the elderly may need more support,' she said. And menstruating women may benefit from adding oils (Evening Primrose Oil) and a multivitamin rich in magnesium to help alleviate PMS symptoms (Ms Flowers recommends magnesium citrate). Always opt for steaming over boiling vegetables and eat as many raw pieces as you can every day . 'Fruit and vegetables not only contain vitamins but also vital phytonutrients, which have an amazing ability to protect us against degenerative diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease,' Ms Flowers said. 'The more colourful your plate, the healthier the meal. Junk food tends to be bland and beige. 'Children especially need to be encouraged to try a variety of vegetables. One great incentive is to set up a reward chart for every new food they try. 'Get them into the kitchen as playing with food helps them become less fussy eaters.' The nutritionist is also a keen advocate of incorporating as much healthy fat as possibly into your diet. 'We have all been encouraged to follow a low fat diet, but we need to start embracing fats,' she said. 'Oily fish, nuts and seeds contain vital nutrients so ignore the calorie counts and give your body the healthy food it craves and needs. 'Healthy fat doesn’t make you fat; a diet rich in processed carbohydrates and sugar makes you fat. 'A high carbohydrate, sugar rich diet keeps you hungry but also stops you absorbing vital nutrients, causes depression, fatigue and energy dips. Instead of taking supplements, eat 100g of dark chocolate (left)  or six oysters (right) for zinc . 'Eat real food and your body with thank you for it.' The foods listed below are some of the highest per vitamin and mineral. However, how you cook and prepare the food is vital. Vitamins are depleted during processing and cooking, so try to steam vegetables instead of boil, give a quick stir-fry and eat as many raw whole fruits and vegetables every day.' VITAMIN A . RNI (Reference Nutritional Intake): 700ug (micrograms) for men and 600ug for women per day. Eat: One portion of liver a week will ensure adequate Vitamin A. Why you need it: Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin. We can produce our own Vitamin A by eating carotenoids. Think orange or yellow foods such as carrots, mangoes, papayas and sweet potatoes. Liver, eggs, cheese and yoghurt also contain the best sources of Vitamin A. Ensure you have adequate levels of zinc and iron as deficiencies in these can deplete Vitamin A. CALCIUM . RNI: 700mg a day but this figure does vary depending on your personal circumstances and health. Think about how to boost your everyday foods as basic switches can really boost your nutrient content. Eat: 120g (or one tin) of sardines provides 500mg of calcium; spring greens contain 200mg per 100g; sesame seeds contain 160mg per tablespoons; three dried figs contain 150mg of calcium . Why you need it: Calcium  makes up your bones and keeps them strong. 99 per cent of the calcium in your body is stored in bones and teeth. The remaining one per cent is in your blood and soft tissues, and is essential for life and health. Increase your green leafy vegetables for usable calcium. Other sources include dairy, nuts, soya beans and fish. Too much refined sugar and high protein diets can increase your need for calcium. VITAMIN B12 (Cobalamin) RNI: 1.5ug or 2.5mcg per day. Eat: 4g of yeast extract (roughly what you would use on one slice of toast). A 200g to 240g salmon fillet provides 5mcg of B12; shellfish; cow's liver; crab; fortified tofu products; red meat, cheese, and eggs. Why you need it: B12 deficiency can cause anemia, fatigue, depression and has even been linked to dementia. Vegans need to be especially careful to maintain their B12 levels. Although you can get a little B12 from some vegetable sources, it is hard to digest and utilise so look at adding yeast extract and nutrition yeast flakes which give a ‘cheesy’ flavour to foods. If in doubt, use a multi vitamin or blend of B vitamins. Best sources are found in liver, red meat, chicken, and oily fish. You can also find B12 in dairy products. VITAMIN C . RNI: 40mg a day. If you take too much vitamin C (probably through supplementation), you will get loose stools and stomach cramps, so that is your indication to cut back. Eat: A 250g punnet of strawberries gives you 145mg of Vitamin C; one kiwi fruit gives you around 64mg of vitamin C . Why you need it: Vitamin C is needed to keep our immune system in tiptop condition but is also needed for collagen formation, wound healing, gum health and cardiovascular health. You need vitamin C to utilise iron so if you are anemic, ensure you have adequate amounts of both. Cooking can destroy vitamin C so it is important to try to get some raw sources into your diet every day. 100g of liver (left) will give you 23mg of iron. Spread a yeast extract such as Marmite on your toast (right) for Vitamin B12 . VITAMIN E . RNI: 4mg per day. Eat: 100g of almonds provides you will 26mg; 100g of sunflower seeds give you 36mg; 100g of wheat germ provides you with 30mg of Vitamin E. Why you need it: Vitamin E is another fat soluble vitamin and as a powerful antioxidant, helps protect us from free radical damage, helps ease PMT, heals skin, reduces cholesterol and protects against cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E works better alongside vitamin C and selenium. The best source of vitamin E is wheat germ, oils made from seeds (sunflower oils, olive oil, almond oils) and nuts and seeds. ZINC . RNI: Men require slightly more zinc than women; 9mg for men and 7mg for women. Eat: Six oysters will give you 30mg of zinc; 100g of dark chocolate is one whole bar of Green & Blacks. Why you need it: Zinc is another great antioxidant, helping to support the immune system, aiding protein synthesis, maintaining sex health, and plays an vital role for maintaining a healthy heart. Processed foods and high sugar diets can lead to a deficiency in zinc, so opt for a diet rich in lean protein, eggs, seafood’s, nuts, seeds, whole grains and some dairy. VITAMIN K . RNI: On average you need 1mcg per kilogram of weight; for example, someone who is 70kg would need 7mcg per day. Eat: 100g of kale gives you over 800mcg of Vitamin K. Why you need it: Vitamin K is needed for blood clotting, wound healing and bone health. The richest sources of vitamin K are found in green leafy vegetables, particularly Swiss chard, kale, broccoli and spinach. You can also find sources in tomatoes, olive oil, parsley and pepper. MAGNESIUM . RNI: 300mg per day. Eat: 125g fillet of mackerel gives you 116mg of magnesium; 100g of pumpkin seeds provides you with 530mg; spinach gives you 70mg per 100g; dark chocolate gives you 327mg per 100g. Why you need it: Magnesium is vital for health and most women are deficient. It works in balance with calcium, helps combat stress and eases muscle tension. There is very little magnesium is not involved in. from energy synthesis right through to the metabolism of carbohydrates. When boosting your magnesium levels, opt for whole grains, nuts and seeds, green leafy vegetables, lentils and figs. Calcium makes up your bones and keeps them strong. 120g of sardines provide 500mg of calcium . IRON . RNI: 8.7mg per day and up to 14mg for menstruating women per day. Eat: 100g of liver will give you 23mg of iron; pumpkin seeds 15mg per 100g; dark chocolate 17mg per 100g. Why you need it: Iron is needed to transport oxygen around the body and deficiency can cause anemia and fatigue. If you are increasing your iron intake, ensure you also increase your Vitamin C as this is needed to utilise iron efficiently. Iron is found in red meats, particularly liver, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables. The good news is it is also found in dark chocolate. VITAMIN B6 (also known as pyridozine) RNI: 1.4mg per day. Eat: One large banana gives you roughly 0.50mg of B6; one tin of tuna gives you 1.2mg of B6; . 100g of sunflower seeds provides you with 1.3mg of B6; 100g of bananas gives you 0.37mg; 100g of black-eyed beans gives you 0.36mg of B6. Why you need it: Vitamin B6 is needed for the breakdown of proteins and plays a vital role in energy production. It also works alongside iron aiding the transportation of oxygen and maintaining heart health. B6 also works well alongside magnesium and Vitamin E in aiding PMT and mild depression. Once again, rich sources are found in liver, whole grains, brown rice and pulses.
Nutritionist Sarah Flower recommends vitamin-rich foods we should eat .
Vegetables retain more nutrients when you steam, stir-fry or eat them raw .
Eating the correct portions of these foods will ensure good health .