Which Foods That Are High in Vitamin A

Vegetables high in vitamin A

Your body can produce vitamin A from carotenoids found in plants.

These carotenoids include beta-carotene and alpha-carotene, which are collectively known as provitamin A.

However, about 45% of people carry a genetic mutation that significantly reduces their ability to convert provitamin A into vitamin A (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).

Depending on your genetics, the following vegetables might provide considerably less vitamin A than indicated.

1. Sweet potato, baked

1 cup (200 g) contains 1,920 mcg retinol activity equivalents (RAE), or 213% of the DV (26Trusted Source).

2. Butternut squash, baked

1 cup (205 g) contains 1,140 mcg RAE, or 127% of the DV (27Trusted Source).

3. Kale, cooked

1 cup (118 g) contains 172 mcg RAE, or 19% of the DV (28Trusted Source).

4. Collard greens, cooked

1 cup (190 g) contains 722 mcg RAE, or 80% of the DV (29Trusted Source).

5. Turnip greens, cooked

1 cup (144 g) contains 549 mcg RAE, or 61% of the DV (30Trusted Source).

6. Carrots, cooked

1 cup (155 g) contains 1,280 mcg RAE, or 142% of the DV (31Trusted Source).

7. Sweet red pepper, raw

1 large (164 g) sweet red pepper contains 257 mcg RAE, or 29% of the DV (32Trusted Source).

8. Swiss chard, cooked

1 cup (175 g) contains 536 mcg RAE, or 60% of the DV (33Trusted Source).

9. Spinach, cooked

1 cup (180 g) contains 943 mcg RAE, or 105% of the DV (34Trusted Source).

10. Romaine lettuce, raw

1 cup (47 g) contains 205 mcg RAE, or 23% of the DV (35Trusted Source).

Fruits high in vitamin A

Provitamin A is generally more abundant in vegetables than fruits.

However, a few types of fruit provide good amounts, as shown below.

1. Mango

1 cup (165 g) contains 89 mcg RAE, or 10% of the DV (36Trusted Source).

2. Cantaloupe

1 cup (160 g) contains 270 mcg RAE, or 30% of the DV (37Trusted Source).

3. Grapefruit

Half a grapefruit (154 g) contains 89 mcg RAE, or 10% of the DV (38Trusted Source).

4. Watermelon

1 cup (155 g) contains 43 mcg RAE, or 5% of the DV (39Trusted Source).

5. Papaya

1 cup (165 g) contains 78 mcg RAE, or 9% of the DV (40Trusted Source).

6. Apricot

Two apricots (70 g) contain 67 mcg RAE, or 7% of the DV (41Trusted Source).

7. Tangerine

One tangerine (109 g) contains 37 mcg RAE, or 4% of the DV (42Trusted Source).

8. Nectarine

One nectarine (140 g) contains 29 mcg RAE, or 3% of the DV (43Trusted Source).

9. Guava

Two guavas (110 g) contain 34 mcg RAE, or 4% of the DV (44Trusted Source).

10. Passion fruit

Two passion fruits (36 g) contain 23 mcg RAE, or 3% of the DV (45Trusted Source).

How do you meet your vitamin A needs?

You can easily meet your requirements for vitamin A by regularly eating some of the foods listed in this article. Many foods also contain added vitamin A, including cereals, margarine, and dairy products.

Since vitamin A is fat-soluble, it is more efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream when eaten with fat. Most animal-sourced foods that are rich in vitamin A are also high in fat, but the same doesn’t apply to most plant sources of provitamin A.

You can improve your absorption of provitamin A from plant sources by adding a dash of oil to your salad.

However, as mentioned above, some people have a genetic mutation that makes the conversion of provitamin A into vitamin A much less efficient (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).

Because of this, people following a vegetarian or vegan diet should take supplements or make sure to eat plenty of the fruits and vegetables listed above.

Fortunately, foods abundant in vitamin A are usually easy to come by and most are an excellent addition to a healthy diet.