(NC) – Although the best way to ensure we're getting all our essential vitamins and minerals is to eat a balanced and healthy diet, millions of Canadian are taking nutritional supplements to improve their health. In addition, we all have different nutritional needs that may require a boost at any given time, like more vitamin D (“the sunshine vitamin”) during the long Canadian winters, or more folic acid if you're a woman planning to conceive. Whatever your case may be, below are some quick tips from Target pharmacist, Kulvinder Sangha, on how to shop for vitamins and supplements.

Check the expiry date - Read the label to make sure the expiry date hasn't passed. Like foods, supplements should not be used after their expiry dates.

Don't assume more is better - Vitamins A and D, iron, zinc, and selenium can be toxic in high doses, while others can have unpleasant or serious side effects. Your safest bet is to look for supplements that provide no more than the recommended daily dose of each nutrient.

Keep supplements away from kids – Vitamins may look and taste like candy to a child - but they can be deadly. Specially, iron supplements are known to cause poisoning deaths in children.

Get advice – Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about which vitamins and minerals you should be taking. In addition, some vitamins and minerals can interfere with certain medications, so be sure to tell your healthcare team about which medications you are on in addition to nutritional supplements.

Save money - Generic and other reasonably priced brands are just as good as more expensive ones. Target's up & up brand of vitamins and supplements offers options for the whole family at extremely affordable prices.