Most people think of Vitamin C as soon as they feel the sniffles coming on, but there’s no need to wait until you’re sick to incorporate a healthy dose of this vitamin into your diet. We need Vitamin C as part of our diets every day. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 75 mg of Vitamin C per day for adult women and 90 mg per day for adult men, or about the amount in a cup of orange sections.* While it’s not clear whether Vitamin C actually helps stave off or shorten the span of a cold, adequate Vitamin C is necessary for normal immune function.
While it’s true that Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it’s more of a jack-of-all-trades! For example, Vitamin C is essential for collagen production, which is key for maintaining healthy skin and joints. And it can even help improve already healthy diets—adding Vitamin C-rich, healthy vegetable meals to your routine increases absorption of iron, another necessary nutrient.
To bump up your family’s intake, we’ve rounded up 5 Vitamin C recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less!† For complete ingredients and nutritional information for these healthy recipe ideas, click the links!
1. Vegetarian stuffed peppers
Did you know bell peppers are richer in Vitamin C than oranges? In this healthy recipe idea, halved green peppers are filled with whole grains and veggies.
2. Italian Chicken Zucchini Skillet
A great Italian recipe always includes healthful tomatoes and tomato sauce, right? Birds Eye® Tri-Colored Pepper & Onion Medley turn this into a delicious Vitamin C recipe.
3. Italian Vegetable Beef Soup
Soups are a great healthy vegetable meal that can increase your veggie intake in a flavorful way and help you get an extra boost of Vitamin C. Reach for fresh or frozen vegetables (which are frozen at the peak of freshness to preserve nutrients), like the Birds Eye Steamfresh® Italian Style Power Blend featured in this soup. Plus, one serving of this Italian Vegetable Beef Soup is a good source of iron.
4. Southwestern Chicken Soup
This soup is the perfect healthy recipe idea. It’s a simple, tasty, and filling choice for Tex-Mex night at home, with healthful beans and tomatoes! The Southwest blend included in this recipe provides more than 10% of the DV (daily value) of Vitamin C per serving.
5. Mandarin Orange Peanut & Chick’n Noodles
Another healthy recipe idea uses broccoli coleslaw, bell peppers, and onion to give you a hearty dose of veggies. It’s also vegan and a great source of Vitamin C—and a great substitute for Chinese takeout!
*Based on USDA Food Data Central Vitamin C content for a Florida Orange
†Vitamin C content of these recipes are estimates based on USDA nutrient content data. Vitamin C content can vary by product, storage, and preparation method. For up-to-date nutritional information, always check the nutrition facts panel.