Top 10 Foods High in Vitamin A

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Top 10 Foods High in Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for good vision, immune system function, and healthy skin. (1,2)

A deficiency of vitamin A can lead to blindness and increased viral infection. However, vitamin A deficiency is mainly considered a problem in developing countries, where it is a leading cause of blindness in children. (3,4)

About The Types of Vitamin A and Retinol Equivalents

  • Vitamin A is available to humans in 2 ways: preformed vitamin A and carotenoids. (1)
  • Carotenoids, like beta-carotene, are found in plant foods and have to be converted by the body into vitamin A. (1,5)
  • Preformed vitamin A is found in animal food sources like liver, meat, fish, and dairy. Like carotenoids, the preformed vitamin A also needs to be metabolized by the body into an active form of vitamin A. (1)
  • In rare cases certain people cannot convert carotenoids to vitamin A and should consume vitamin A from animal food sources or supplements. These people should see our lists of meats high in vitamin A, fish high in vitamin A, and dairy foods high in vitamin A.
  • Since vitamin A comes in many forms, starting in July 2018 large US food producers will report vitamin A values in retinol activity equivalents (RAE) of vitamin A. The new daily value for Vitamin A RAE will be 900mcg per day. (6)

High vitamin A foods include sweet potatoes, carrots, fish (tuna), winter squashes, dark leafy greens, cantaloupe, lettuce, bell peppers, pink grapefruit, and broccoli. The current daily value (DV) for Vitamin A is 900mcg of retinol activity equivalents (RAEs). (6)

Below is a list of foods high in vitamin A.

Foods High In Vitamin A

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A printable list of the top 10 foods highest in vitamin A.

Vitamin A Foods by Nutrient Density (Vitamin A per Gram)

FoodServingVitamin A (RAE)
1. Cod Liver Oil + 100 grams 3333% DV
(30000mcg)
2. Beef Liver (Cooked) + 100 grams 860% DV
(7744mcg)
3. Fortified Breakfast Cereals + 100 grams 110% DV
(990mcg)
4. Baked Sweet Potatoes + 100 grams 107% DV
(961mcg)
5. Cooked Carrots + 100 grams 95% DV
(852mcg)
6. Bluefin Tuna (Raw or Cooked) + 100 grams 84% DV
(757mcg)
7. Butter + 100 grams 76% DV
(684mcg)
8. Dried Apricots + 100 grams 70% DV
(633mcg)
9. Raw Turnip Greens + 100 grams 64% DV
(579mcg)
10. Cooked Spinach + 100 grams 58% DV
(524mcg)

Other Vitamin A Rich Foods

FoodServingVitamin A (RAE)
1. Cooked Lamb Liver + 3oz 735% DV
(6615mcg)
2. Cooked Eel + per 5.5oz fillet 201% DV
(1808mcg)
3. Cooked Chicken Liver + per liver (44g) 195% DV
(1752mcg)
4. Light Whipping Cream + per cup whipped 37% DV
(335mcg)
5. Cooked Garden Cress + per cup 35% DV
(313mcg)
6. Chocolate Mousse + 1/2 cup 31% DV
(283mcg)
7. Rose Hips + per cup 31% DV
(276mcg)
8. Raw Parsley + per cup chopped 28% DV
(253mcg)
9. Smoked Sturgeon + per 3oz 26% DV
(238mcg)
10. Cooked Jute Potherb (Molokhiya) + per cup 25% DV
(225mcg)
11. Whole Milk + per 16oz cup 25% DV
(224mcg)
12. Minestrone + per cup 24% DV
(214mcg)
13. Ricotta Cheese + per 1/2 cup 17% DV
(149mcg)
14. Farmed Salmon (Cooked) + per 6oz fillet 13% DV
(117mcg)
15. Eggs + 1 large egg (90g) 11% DV
(101mcg)
16. Canned Oysters + per 12oz can 9% DV
(77mcg)
17. Tangerines + per cup sections 7% DV
(66mcg)
18. Plain Whole Milk Yogurt + per cup 7% DV
(66mcg)

Vitamin A Requirements By Age and Gender

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for Vitamin A ranges from 300mcg to 1300mcg per day. The daily value for vitamin A is 900mcg per day. (6)

Life StageRDA
Infants*
0-6 months old400mcg
7-12 months old500mcg
Children
1-3 years old300mcg
4-8 years old400mcg
Males
9-13 years old600mcg
14-18 years old900mcg
19-50 years old900mcg
50+ years old900mcg
Females
9-13 years old600mcg
14-18 years old700mcg
19-50 years old700mcg
50+ years old700mcg
Pregnancy
14-18 years old750mcg
18+ years old770mcg
Lactation
14-18 years old1200mcg
18+ years old1300mcg
*The amount for children less than 1 year old is the adequate intake (AI) not RDA.
Source: Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A.

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Data Sources and References

  1. Hodge C, Taylor C. Vitamin A 2023 Jan 2. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan–. 33620821
  2. De Flora S, Bagnasco M, Vainio H. The importance of vitamin A in nutrition Mutagenesis. 1999 Mar;14(2):153-72. doi: 10.1093/mutage/14.2.153. 10229917
  3. DeMaeyer EM. The vicious cycle of vitamin a deficiency: A review Nutr Health. 1986;4(2):105-12. doi: 10.1177/026010608600400206. 3090484
  4. Strobel M, Tinz J, Biesalski HK. Vitamin A Deficiency Eur J Nutr. 2007 Jul;46 Suppl 1:I1-20. doi: 10.1007/s00394-007-1001-z. 17665093
  5. Weber D, Grune T. Beta-carotene is an important vitamin A source for humans Mol Nutr Food Res. 2012 Feb;56(2):251-8. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201100230. Epub 2011 Sep 29. 21957049
  6. U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
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