Nutrient Gaps: 5 Things to Do and Avoid in 2025
Apr 11, 20255 minute read
You’re trying to be healthy. You eat your vegetables, pick “healthy” cereal, and maybe take a daily vitamin. But you still feel tired in the afternoon, your skin doesn’t look great, and your sleep isn’t excellent. Sound familiar?
Believe it or not, even though people are eating more than they did in the past, about 286 more calories a day than in the late 1970s. Still, they aren’t getting the nutrients their bodies need.
Today, people eat more chicken, cheese, oils, and corn foods but still miss key nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, potassium, fiber, and iron, which are important for good health.
So, how do you know if you’re missing something? And what should you actually do or stop doing to feel better? Let’s break it down in a simple way.
What Are Nutritional Gaps?
Nutritional gaps mean your body isn’t getting all the vitamins and minerals it needs from the food you eat. According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 10 Americans meet the recommended intake for vegetables, contributing to these gaps.
This can happen for many reasons, such as personal food choices, lack of access to nutritious foods, personal taste, or following cultural or religious diets.
These reasons make sense, but they can still lead to health problems if your body regularly misses key nutrients. Over time, this may lead to deficiencies or health issues.
Nutrient Intake vs. Nutrient Absorption
Missing nutrients isn’t always because of your diet. Occasionally, your body just doesn’t absorb certain nutrients well. Even if you’re eating healthy, your body might still fall short.
If you or your child eats a balanced diet but still shows signs of low nutrients, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor and get it checked out.
Nutrition Gaps and Cultural Habits
Our food choices are often shaped by culture, traditions, and personal values. These are meaningful and important, but sometimes they can lead to missing nutrients.
For example, vegetarian or vegan families may not get enough iron or vitamin B12. That doesn’t mean they need to eat meat.
There are plant-based foods and supplements that can help fill those gaps. Families can stay healthy and stick to their values at the same time. It can get confusing, though, so it helps to check in with a dietitian for advice.
Smart Habits to Fill Nutrient Gaps
Start With Proper Testing
Before changing your diet or adding supplements, get a blood test. This can show if you’re low in things like iron, vitamin D, or B12.
Without testing, it’s like fixing a car without knowing what’s wrong. A simple test gives you clear answers so you can do what’s needed.
Choose Whole Foods Over Processed Ones
Fast food and packaged snacks might make you full, but they don’t give your body what it really needs.
Instead, eat whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, eggs, and fish. These have the nutrients your body uses every day. Eating better food is the easiest way to fill gaps.
Eat a Wide Variety of Foods
Eating the same things all the time can lead to missing certain nutrients. Every food has a different mix of vitamins and minerals.
Eating the same foods every week can limit your nutrient intake. Take a look at what you eat most often and try to rotate in foods you don’t eat as much.
For example, if you’re eating mostly green veggies, try adding more yellow-colored foods like bananas, apples, onions, pears, or yellow bell peppers. A mix of different foods gives your body a broader range of nutrients.
Take Care of Your Gut Health
Even with a healthy diet, your body won’t absorb nutrients if your gut isn’t working right. Signs like bloating or constipation may mean your digestion needs help.
Add fermented foods like yogurt or sauerkraut and get fiber from fruits, veggies, and whole grains to help your gut stay strong and support nutrient absorption.
Review and Adjust as Your Needs Change
Your nutrition needs change as you age, get more or less active, go through illness, stress, or life stages like pregnancy or menopause.
Check in with yourself every now and then look at how you feel, redo your labs if needed, and make food changes that match your current life.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Even with good intentions, some habits can get in the way of better nutrition. Here are five mistakes that might seem small but can cause nutrient gaps.
Avoid Skipping Meals
Skipping meals means missing key times to fuel your body. It can slow your metabolism, drain energy, and affect weight.
It also lowers one's chance of getting all the nutrients one needs during the day. People who skip meals often eat more later and usually choose less healthy foods in a hurry.
Avoid Ultra-processed foods (UPFs)
UPFs are foods that taste really good but don’t give your body many nutrients. Instead of cutting them out all at once, try replacing them with healthier options. For example, switch chips with roasted veggies or have plain yogurt with fruit instead of sugary snacks.
Avoid Following Fad Diets
Trendy diets that cut out full food groups can leave you without key nutrients.
Avoiding carbs, fats, or certain proteins can lead to shortages of vitamins and minerals. These diets are usually hard to keep up with and can lead to unhealthy cycles of strict eating and overeating.
Avoid Ignoring Portion Sizes
Even healthy food in large portions can be a problem. Eating too much of one thing can crowd out other nutrients.
It can also lead to weight gain and related health issues. Knowing portion sizes helps you keep things balanced and avoid too many calories.
Avoid Neglecting Hydration
Water helps your body use nutrients properly. Without enough water, it’s harder for your body to move vitamins and minerals around.
Dehydration can make you tired, give you headaches, and slow digestion. People often think they’re hungry when they’re actually just thirsty, which leads to extra snacking.
Get What Your Body’s Missing
If your body isn’t feeling right, you might be low on nutrients. Guessing won’t help, but the right supplements can support your health and energy.
Curated Wellness offers trusted, high-quality supplements made to support your real needs so you can start feeling better.
Top Recommended Products for Nutritional Needs:
The new powerhouse of nutrition with only 55 calories per serving. Pumpkin Protein Powder (PPP) is organic and gluten free and only contains one ingredient, partially defatted pumpkin seeds. Which makes it a top vegan protein powder.
Pumpkin protein powder (PPP) is a vegetable source of wholefood protein. PPP offers 40 servings per container. With 60% protein, PPP has a great biological value and is highly digestible. This product is suitable for a vegan and vegetarian diet. PPP offers health-minded consumers a protein replacement product that is easy to digest and so naturally concentrated that 1.5 Tbsp (15 grams) offers 10 grams of complete protein. PPP is already being considered the premier product in its category.
Nutritional yeast is a source of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and it's a complete protein with a nutty cheesy flavor, our nutritional yeast is a favorite amongst many vegans because of its unique flavor and similarity to cheese when added to foods.
Sprinkle some on hot popcorn or garlic bread, stir into juices or smoothies, or use as a seasoning for salads, salad dressings, soups, sauces, dips, casseroles and so much more!
Nutritional Yeast is NOT brewer's yeast, bakers yeast or torula yeast ... and because it doesn't come in contact with barley (like brewer's yeast), it is gluten free and safe for people with Celiac disease.
Nutrient 950® with NAC 240 Caps
Nutrient 950 is a complete hypoallergenic multivitamin and mineral supplement that is available with NAC (N-Acetyl-l-Cysteine). The addition of NAC helps provide additional immune support.
• Provides nutrients and minerals to support a healthy lifestyle.
• Supports immune health
• Made with hypoallergenic ingredients
