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Home > NEW GREEN CUISINE > Safe Food Watch

Top 10 Real Food Sources of Vitamin B6: Superfoods for Healthy Skin

See the Entire Real Food Diet and the Superfood Index.

By Kaitlyn Dreyling

The Health Benefits of Vitamin B6

vitamin b6 healthy young woman with nice clear skin

Eating right is important because it allows your body to function at its best. Vitamin B6 helps your body metabolize proteins and red blood cells, while it also helps boost your immune system, maintains your body\'s blood sugar and keep skin looking youthful.\r\n

\r\nThe Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) is 1.3 mg for both men and women, and 1.7 mg for men over 50 and 1.5 mg for women over 50.\r\n

\r\nHere are the top 10 food sources of Vitamin B6 according to the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

1. Cereal

cereal, breakfast, vitamin b6 cereal

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Vitamin B6 is just one of the many reasons. Fortified cereals like Kellogg\'s All-Bran and General Mills\' Total are two of the many options with high amounts of Vitamin B6. Check out your favorite brand for nutritional information.

For more healthy breakfast tips, see 10 Ways to Eat Quick, Healthy, Green Breakfasts.

2. Chickpeas

chickpeas, vitamin b6 chickpeas

A cup of this Middle-Eastern legume has 1.13 mg of Vitamin B6.\r\n

\r\nRecipes:\r\n
\r\nChickpea-Potato Fritters with Nigella Seeds\r\n
\r\nChickpea Salad with Carrots, Walnuts, and French Feta\r\n
\r\nChickpea, Kale, and Tomato Salad\r\n
\r\nBlack Bean Hummus

\r\n

3. Yellowfin Tuna

yellowfin tuna, sushi, vitamin b6 yellowfin tuna

Sushi, anyone? Adding yellowfin tuna to your diet not only helps you reap the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but also gives you a good source of Vitamin B6. Three ounces of fish has 0.88 mg of the nutrient.\r\n

\r\nAccording to Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector, consumers concerned about the health of the oceans should only eat U.S. Atlantic yellowfin tuna or fish caught with pole-and-line gear.

4. Beef

vitamin b6, beef, super foods, healthy recipes, real food diet beef steak

Before you turn away from the red meat section in your local market, remember beef is a good source of nutrients. A 3 oz. cut of beef has 0.87 mg of Vitamin B6. Look for locally raised grass-fed beef, so you can limit the environmental impact associated with raising livestock.\r\n

\r\nRecipes:\r\n
\r\nBeef Brisket with Fresh and Dried Mushroom\r\n
\r\nShepherd’s Pie with Brown Ale\r\n
\r\nBeef and Barley with Mushrooms\r\n
\r\nGrandma Kelly’s Organic Beef Stew\r\n
\r\nPlum-Spiced Beef Brisket\r\n
\r\nChayote in Ground Beef Tomato Sauce

5. Turkey

turkey, vitamin b6, real food diet, super foods, healthy recipes sliced turkey on a wooden cutting board

This traditional holiday bird is high is Vitamin B6 -- a cup of turkey meat has 0.84 mg of the nutrient. Don’t forget to support local farms by purchasing heritage turkeys.\r\n

\r\nEat turkey any day of the year with these recipes:\r\n
\r\nTurkey and Vegetable Stir Fry\r\n
\r\nTurkey Scallopini with Apricot Sauce\r\n
\r\nTurkey Curry\r\n
\r\nRoasting Heritage Turkeys\r\n
\r\nMaple-Glazed Turkey with Sage-Infused Butter\r\n
\r\nHearty Turkey Soup\r\n
\r\nTurkey Cutlets with Spicy Eggplant Relish\r\n
\r\nAchiote-Citrus Roasted Heritage Turkey\r\n
\r\nOrange Rosemary Turkey, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Arugula\r\n
\r\nHerb Grilled Turkey Breast with Mushroom Quinoa and Asparagus

6. Brown Rice

brown rice, healthy recipes, super foods, real food diet, vitamin b6 brown rice in a jar

Like other whole grains, brown rice is generally much more nutrient-packed than its bleached cousin. But even a cup of white rice has 0.84 mg of Vitamin B6.\r\n

\r\nRecipes:\r\n
\r\nMushroom Rice Pilaf\r\n
\r\nShrimp and Rice Casserole

7. Potatoes

potatoes, vitamin b6, real food diet, super foods, healthy recipes potatoes

Make breakfast even tastier with homemade hashed brown potatoes. One cup has 0.73 mg of Vitamin B6. This superfood, America\'s favorite vegetable, is also a great source of potassium.\r\n

\r\nBut be wary! Potatoes can be laced with pesticides. (See the Dirty Dozen: 12 Food to Eat Organic for more information.) Better choose organic potatoes whenever possible.\r\n

\r\n\r\nRecipes:
Potato Latkes with Pear Applesauce\r\n
South-of-the-Border Vegetable Hash
Sunshine Potato Salad
Portobellos with Potato and Swiss Chard
Gluten-free Twice-Baked Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes with Celeriac
Double-Stuffed Potatoes
Baked Mashed Potato Casserole
Boneless Chicken with Potato-Pepper Hash
Gorgonzola Potatoes and Peas
Creamy Pale Ale Potato Soup
Oven-Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fennel and Tarragon
Fingerling Potatoes with Asti Spumante
Gluten-free Pasta with Potatoes, Zucchini and Shrimp
Peasant-Style Potato and Kale Soup
Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Parsnips and Turnips
Sauteed Trout Fillet with Crispy Sage and Prosciutto, Early Summer Vegetable Beurre Blanc, Wilted Spinach and Potato Puree
Potato Pie
Mashed Russet Potatoes with Root Vegetables
Red Pepper and Potato Home Fries
Farmers Market Potato Surprise

8. Chestnuts

chestnuts, vitamin b6, healthy recipes, real food diet chestnuts

These nuts are a great source of Vitamin B6 and are also full of fiber. One cup of roasted chestnuts have 0.71 mg of Vitamin B6.\r\n

\r\nRecipes:\r\n
\r\nChestnut Soup\r\n
\r\nButternut Squash-Chestnut Soup with Balsamic Caramelized Pears\r\n
\r\nRoasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Prunes

\r\n

9. Buckwheat Flour

buckwheat flour, vitamin b6, healthy recipes, super foods, real food diet buckwheat flour

Buckwheat is an important ingredient to a gluten-free lifestyle and is also a good source of dietary fiber and, of course, Vitamin B6. One cup of buckwheat flour has 0.70 mg of the nutrient. \r\n

\r\nRecipes:\r\n
\r\nBuckwheat Noodles with Spicy Zucchini Sauce\r\n
\r\nBuckwheat Blini\r\n
\r\nViking Apple Cake\r\n
\r\nGrilled Shiitake Mushrooms with Soba\r\n
\r\nMulti-Grain Bread

10. Halibut

halibut, fish, healthy recipes, vitamin b6, real food diet, super foods halibut

Another fish that is a good source of Vitamin B6 is halibut. This large flatfish has 0.63 mg per half filet.\r\n

\r\nAccording to the Environmental Defense’s Seafood Selector, the most eco-safe source of halibut come from the Pacific, as they come from well-managed fisheries.\r\n

\r\nRecipe:\r\n
\r\nOil-Poached Halibut with Gribiche and Poached Eggs