Here's something that surprises a lot of people: you can eat plenty, feel full, and still come up short on a few important nutrients. Calories tell you how much energy you got. They say nothing about the vitamins and minerals that came along with it. The same handful of gaps turn up again and again.

Four that tend to slip

• Fiber. Most adults don't get enough¹. It keeps digestion moving and keeps you full between meals. Beans, oats, berries and whole grains are the easy wins.
• Potassium. It works against sodium and helps keep blood pressure in check ². Potatoes, bananas, lentils and leafy greens all have a lot.
• Magnesium. Your muscles and nerves lean on it, along with hundreds of reactions in the body ³. Pumpkin seeds, almonds, spinach and black beans.
• Vitamin D. It helps your body use calcium for bone ⁴. Fatty fish, eggs and fortified milk help, and so does a bit of sun.

Your gaps aren't everyone's gaps

Averages only tell you so much. What matters is which nutrients you run low on, week after week. This sample month shows how far each one sits from its target.

Start with one swap

You don't need a new diet. Put a scoop of beans in your lunch, swap an afternoon snack for a handful of almonds, add greens to dinner. Then check back. logs a meal from a photo, and shows whether the gap actually moved.