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Health
Grade 7-12
Vitamins & Minerals Functions Chart Cheat Sheet
A printable reference covering vitamin and mineral functions, food sources, deficiency risks, and daily intake basics for grades 7-12.
Related Worksheets
This cheat sheet covers the major vitamins and minerals students need to understand for health, nutrition, and body systems. It explains what each nutrient helps the body do, where to find it in foods, and why too little or too much can cause problems. Students can use it as a quick binder reference when studying diet, wellness, digestion, immunity, and growth.
Key Facts
- Fat-soluble vitamins are vitamins A, D, E, and K, and they can be stored in body fat.
- Water-soluble vitamins include vitamin C and the B vitamins, and extra amounts usually leave the body in urine.
- Vitamin A supports vision, skin health, and immune function, and common sources include carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and eggs.
- Vitamin C supports wound healing, immune function, and collagen formation, and common sources include citrus fruits, strawberries, peppers, and broccoli.
- Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and build strong bones, and sources include sunlight exposure, fortified milk, fatty fish, and eggs.
- Calcium builds bones and teeth and helps muscles contract, and common sources include dairy foods, fortified plant milks, tofu, and leafy greens.
- Iron helps red blood cells carry oxygen, and common sources include meat, beans, lentils, spinach, and fortified cereals.
- Sodium, potassium, and magnesium help control fluid balance, nerve signals, and muscle function, but too much sodium can raise health risks.
Vocabulary
- Vitamin
- A vitamin is an organic nutrient needed in small amounts to help the body grow, repair, and function properly.
- Mineral
- A mineral is an inorganic nutrient such as calcium, iron, or potassium that the body needs for structure and chemical processes.
- RDA
- RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowance, which is the average daily amount of a nutrient most healthy people need.
- Deficiency
- A deficiency is a shortage of a nutrient that can cause symptoms or health problems over time.
- Fortified Food
- A fortified food has vitamins or minerals added to increase its nutritional value.
- Electrolyte
- An electrolyte is a mineral such as sodium, potassium, or magnesium that helps control fluid balance, nerves, and muscles.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Thinking more vitamins are always better is wrong because some nutrients, especially vitamins A, D, E, and K, can build up and become harmful.
- Ignoring serving sizes is wrong because the nutrient amount on a label usually depends on one serving, not the whole package.
- Confusing vitamin D with calcium is wrong because vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, while calcium is the mineral used to build bones and teeth.
- Assuming supplements can replace a balanced diet is wrong because whole foods also provide fiber, water, energy, and many helpful compounds.
- Forgetting that iron needs vary is wrong because teens, athletes, and people who menstruate may have different iron needs.
Practice Questions
- 1 A cereal provides 8 mg of iron per serving. If a student eats 2 servings, how many milligrams of iron do they get?
- 2 A fortified milk label says one cup provides 300 mg of calcium. How much calcium is in 3 cups?
- 3 A snack has 180 mg of sodium per serving. If the package contains 4 servings, what is the total sodium in the package?
- 4 Explain why a student who rarely goes outside and avoids dairy or fortified foods might need to pay attention to vitamin D and calcium intake.