Vitamin C-rich foods that we & our kids should be eating right now

Just a half a cup of refreshing cantaloupe melon is enough to provide more than 30% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement, so you'll need even less for a kiddo. If yours won't eat it straight, try whipping up a yummy shake in a blender with fresh cantaloupe, a splash of milk, and some ice.

A half a cup of raw red peppers will give you 106% of your recommended daily value (DV) of vitamin C. Since red, yellow, and orange bell peppers are just ripe green bell peppers, you can choose any color you like. Some will have higher concentrations of vitamin C, but they're all good for you.

Half a cup of cooked broccoli will provide you with 57% of your recommended DV of vitamin C. Keep it easy and steam it to serve as a side or you can eat it raw for 43% of your recommended DV. Either way, it's good for you and you probably already have it as part of your diet.

Half a cup of cooked Brussels sprouts will give you 53% of your recommended DV. A lot of people claim not to like them, but if you haven't had them in a while, give them another chance. There are so many different ways to prepare them that sometimes it's a matter of just finding a recipe that you like.

It only takes half a cup of cooked cabbage to get 31% of your daily dose of vitamin C. In its raw form, you can use it to make cole slaw, shred it for a salad mix, or put it on fish tacos. It's great in soups, too.

It only takes half a cup of raw cauliflower to get 29% of your recommended dose of the big C. For the most part, foods tend to have a higher concentration of vitamin C when they are raw, but steaming them instead of frying might help retain more of the good stuff if you just don't like certain things raw.

Good news for lovers of heat. Hot chili peppers are rich in vitamin C. One raw spicy green pepper can give you 121% of your recommended DV. The thing is that most people don't eat raw hot chilis by themselves, but that's OK. You can make a salsa with them and eat them that way.

Half a grapefruit packs quite the punch of vitamin C providing you with 43% of what you need for the day. You can have it for breakfast, slice it up and put it in a salad, or juice it. If grapefruit just isn't your thing, don't force it. There are plenty of other options to choose from.

All hail the mighty guava! One cup of raw guava goes above and beyond by providing you with 413% of your DV. The fruit is clearly a vitamin C dynamo. Eat it! Put it in a smoothie! Get that goodness into you!

One cup of chopped raw kale will give you 80 mg of vitamin C. If you're not a fan of eating it on its own, shred it and add it to other greens for a salad. You can also add it to a smoothie. Or add it to an omelette. Remember that the amount of vitamin C does go down when most fruits or veggies are cooked.

A medium sized kiwi has 70 mg of vitamin C. Well done, kiwi! Eat them as is, add them to a salad, or put them in a smoothie. If you've never had one, what the heck are you waiting for? It's time to get your kiwi on!

When life gives you lemons, be grateful because they are good for you. One lemon has 44.5 mg of vitamin C. You don't really need us to tell us how to use them, but we've got ideas. Squeeze them on your steak, add some to your soup, put them on fruit with a bit of chili powder. Make drinks with them, mix them into a salad dressing, add them to your tea, and the list can go on and on.

Orange is the obvious go-to for your vitamin C needs and for good reason. Just one medium-sized orange provides 70 mg of the vitamin. If you would rather have orange juice, 3/4 cup gives you 103% of your recommended DV.

Mangoes are a magnificent source of vitamin C. One cup of raw mango has 60.1 mg of the vitamin. Mangoes are delicious on their own, but can also be used to make chutney or smoothies.

Papaya power to the rescue! One small papaya has 95.6 mg of vitamin C. This Mexican fruit is ready to give your immune system quite the boost. Serve it fresh or blend it into a smoothie for the kids.

If you're thinking that 9% isn't anything to boast about, remember that you don't have to get all of your vitamin C for the day from just one food item. The more of the fruits and vegetables that you consume from this list, the greater your chances are of never falling short. Half a cup of green peas added to your rice or soup can help you reach your goals.

One medium-sized baked potato has 17 mg of vitamin C. Not too shabby. We're not recommending french fries because they're fried and it's best to keep friend foods to a minimum, but you can make oven-baked "fries" instead. Or you can add potatoes to your soups.

Most people probably don't associate spinach with vitamin C, but we're here to tell you that 1/2 cup of cooked spinach has 9 mg of vitamin C. Nice! Next time you order pizza, add spinach as a topping. Or add a handful to your scrambled eggs.

Half a cup of fresh sliced strawberries has 49 mg of vitamin C. Remember that when you buy them fresh, they don't last long. If you aren't going to eat them up quickly, freeze some of them to add to smoothies or use as edible ice cubes in glasses of water.

One cup of sweet potato baked with the skin will give you 65% of the vitamin C you need for the day. They also have fiber that is good for your gut health. And they taste like dessert. What more do you want?

One medium-sized tomato has 17 mg of vitamin C. Chop up a bunch, add some onion, cilantro, and spicy green pepper to make a vitamin C-rich salsa fresca. Remember: one spicy green pepper has 121% of your DV of vitamin C.

One cup of parsley has about 133% of the recommended daily value of vitamin C. Granted, you probably aren't going to munch on a whole cup of parsley, so add it to your salads, smoothies, pizzas, or soups to take advantage of its vitamin C punch.