In the old days, nutritionists told us to eat a variety of foods in order to get the nutrients our bodies demanded. Oranges provided vitamin C, bananas gave potassium, green leafy vegetables contained that important vitamin, folic acid, and dairy products supplied calcium.

But now it seems unnecessary to eat real food in order to be well nourished. You can drink bottled water boosted with vitamins, eat chewy candy squares fortified with calcium, and munch on protein-enriched snack bars. Recently a large European food company put out a report suggesting that bottled water be turned into a source of essential minerals. The article stated that since food contains calories, humans should rely on calorie-free water for nourishment. Will a time be coming when we can live on water alone?

It is true that it is harder to get the nutrients we need from the available foods. Foods served in educational settings from day care centers to graduate school may be limited in variety and nutritional content. According to market surveys, adults eat at least 50% of their foods away from home. Often the least expensive (and possibly the more tasty) foods contain relatively few of the nutrients we should be eating. Recently I had to eat lunch in a hospital cafeteria. There was a large salad bar, which did provide more than enough choices for a low-calorie, nutrient-packed meal. However, as I scanned the trays of both staff and visitors, I noticed that fried chicken, pizza, hamburger, French fries and soda were more popular choices. The fruit display was ignored, possibly because of the high cost of an individual banana or apple. No one was drinking milk.

So perhaps drinking a bottle of vitamin and mineral enhanced water with lunch is the answer to nourishing your body. Taking daily supplements that provide essential vitamins and minerals is an easier and less costly (financially and environmentally) way to obtain the nutrients you may fail to eat during the day. But taking the supplement or drinking the vitamin water should not lull you into thinking that you are adequately nourished.  It is still important to eat as many vegetables, fruits, and calcium-rich dairy products as possible because these foods contain tiny quantities of nutrients that may not be in your supplement or vitamin drink. Eating real food is the easiest and most efficient way of getting the nutrients our bodies require. Food is naturally packaged with more than one vitamin or mineral per item.

So look at supplements are a form of nutritional insurance but remember that having it doesn’t mean that you should eat heedlessly. Whenever you are able, eat with care. Your body will thank you.

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