Vitamin B1 food sources don’t have to be challenging to prepare or eat. If you thought that food rich in thiamine was boring or tasteless, you’ll think again after having a look at the vitamin B1 rich menu we have amassed.
The RDA (recommended dietary allowance) set up by the Food and Nutrition Board is the guideline for healthy men and women to use as a reference point. By following RDA information on your food labels, you can manage the calories, fat, and vitamins that you consume and use the information to make smarter choices in terms of your diet. It will also give you the ideal amount you need to consume to maintain health in the average person.
In healthy men and women 1.1mg to 1.2mg of thiamine are required daily. Pregnant or breastfeeding women should consume 1.4mg daily. These RDA numbers may vary per your personal health situation, and your primary physician would be able to best advise you on your RDA levels.
READ ALSO: How Much Vitamin B1 Should You Take?
Sources of Vitamin B1
You don’t need to go very far outside of your own pantry to find multiple sources of vitamin B1. Thiamine is found in meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables, grains, and pasta. The vitamin B1 food sources listed below are great for keeping your sources of vitamin B1 consistently on your menu.
Pork
The potential of pork to liven up your menu of vitamin B1 food sources is exponential. Pork loin, chops, roast, and ground pork are all great sources of thiamine. With the versatility of pork seasoning and cooking choices, you can realistically choose to cook a pork dish every night and it will taste completely different every time. Try chops with a honey mustard glaze, or a peppercorn rub on a pork loin. With pork, the options are nearly limitless.
- 3 ounces, roasted pork loin will provide .81mg of thiamine, or 67.5% RDA thiamine
- 3 ounces, broiled pork chops will provide .4mg of thiamine, or 33.3% RDA thiamine
Beef
Although red meat isn’t often heralded as one of the most healthy dietary selections, a nicely grilled steak is actually an excellent choice when it comes to vitamin B1 food sources. The great thing about a nice cut of beef is the ability to marinade it to conform to any flavor or genre of food. From a traditional steakhouse flavor to a teriyaki and citrus blend to serve on a cauliflower and carrot mix, a steak is a great source of thiamine and a delicious addition to any dinner plate.
If you would rather have a nice juicy hamburger, that’s actually a better choice when it comes to being an excellent source of thiamine. Grilled, broiled, or pan seared, your cheeseburger is going to taste amazing and help to maintain your overall mental wellbeing and focus. The next time you think about enjoying a nice cheeseburger for lunch, go ahead and do so.
- 3 ounces, grilled sirloin or filet will provide .7mg of thiamine, or 7% RDA thiamine
- 3 ounces, grilled, broiled, or seared hamburger will provide .64mg, or 6% RDA thiamine
Salmon
Much like pork, salmon has many options for spicing it up. Preparing it is a breeze because of the rapid cook times. Grilled, baked, broiled, or in sushi, salmon retains its high nutritional value when cooked, making it a great choice for tasty vitamin B1 food sources.
- 3.5 ounces, baked salmon fillet will provide .22mg of thiamine, or 18% RDA thiamine
Mussels
A lot of seafood and shellfish are vitamin B1 food sources, and mussels are no exception. Steamed, baked, grilled, or sauteed in butter, mussels are an excellent source of thiamine.
- 3 ounces, steamed mussels will provide .3mg of thiamine, or 25% RDA thiamine
Bluefin Tuna
Although bluefin tuna can be an expensive option, as a vitamin B1 food source, it pays for itself pound for pound. Try it in place of oysters as an appetizer and you may find you have a new favorite source of thiamine.
- 3 ounces, grilled bluefin tuna will provide .2mg of thiamine, or 16.7% RDA thiamine
Beans And Lentils
The vegetarian vitamin B1 sources in the beans and lentils category are countless. 1 cup of cooked beans can provide you with almost half of your RDA thiamine, and there is no end to the preparation options for beans and lentils. In the vitamin B1 food sources meal plan, beans and lentils lend vegetarian options and side dishes alike an option for everyone at your table.
- 1 cup, boiled navy beans will provide .43mg of thiamine, or 35.8% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled black beans will provide .42mg of thiamine, or 35% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled lentils will provide .34mg of thiamine, or 28.3% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled kidney beans will provide .28mg of thiamine, or 23.3% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled fava beans will provide .17mg of thiamine, or 14.2% RDA thiamine
Squash And Sweet Potatoes
Continuing with the vegetarian vitamin B1 sources, acorn squash and sweet potatoes provide vitamin B1 food sources and some much-needed starches that are a breeze to prepare.
- 1 cup, roasted acorn squash will provide .4mg of thiamine, or 33.3% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, baked sweet potato will provide .21mg of thiamine, or 17.8% RDA thiamine
Green Vegetables
Of course, thiamine sources include crisp, green vegetables as well. Vitamin B1 food sources like peas, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts make other dishes green with envy at your delicious and thiamine rich meals.
- 1 cup, boiled green peas will provide .41mg of thiamine, or 34.2% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, grilled asparagus will provide .29mg of thiamine, or 24.2% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled Brussels sprouts will provide .17mg of thiamine, or 14.2% RDA thiamine
Rice and Pasta
With carbs being the staple that thiamine uses to turn into energy for your body, it’s no surprise that rice and pasta provide thiamine sources rich in carbohydrate fuel. With just 1 cup of rice or pasta you can serve vitamin B1 food sources to kids and adults alike with no complaints.
- 1 cup, boiled white rice will provide 2.8mg of thiamine, or 233.3% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled egg noodles will provide .5mg of thiamine, or 41.7% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled brown rice will provide .2mg of thiamine, or 16.7% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled wheat macaroni will provide .2mg of thiamine, or 16.7% RDA thiamine
Grains
No meal is quite complete without a great grain to complement your meat and vegetable choices. Thiamine sources are available in the bread and breakfast categories, making vitamin B1 food sources available in all of the food groups.
- 2 slices, wheat bread slices or toasted will provide .2mg of thiamine, or 16.7% RDA thiamine
- 1 cup, boiled oatmeal will provide .2mg of thiamine, or 16.7% RDA thiamine
Other Sources of Thiamine
Of course, other sources of thiamine include food items that aren’t consumed that often or served as part of a meal. These other sources of thiamine are still worth mentioning because of their nutritional values and the fact that everyone needs a healthy snack every now and then.
Sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, and flax seeds are excellent vitamin B1 food sources, even consumed in small portions. For example, 100 grams of sunflower seeds will provide 1.48mg of thiamine, or around 99% RDA thiamine. Snacking on seeds and nuts that are high in vitamin B1 can make it quite simple to consume well over the RDA of thiamine in just one sitting.
If you can add one additional source of thiamine to your diet every day, you can maximize the benefits that vitamin B1 bestows upon you by ingesting it daily. The growth and development of your cells is absolutely dependent on you. You only need to keep a steady flow of thiamine in your diet. It will keep you healthy simply by eating.