Top 10 Foods Highest in Beta Carotene
Beta Carotene is a carotenoid compound responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their orange pigment. A powerful antioxidant, beta-carotene has been found to help protect against cancer and aging (however beta-carotene supplements can increase lung cancer risk for smokers).
Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble vitamin, so eating the following foods with a fat like olive oil or nuts can help absorption. Foods high in beta-carotene include sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, butternut squash, cantaloupe, lettuce, red bell peppers, apricots, broccoli, and peas. There is no official recommended daily allowance (RDA) for beta-carotene, but a figure of 10800mcg per day can be used as a general target.
Below is a list of the 10 best beta-carotene foods. Use the nutrient ranking of over 200 foods high in beta-carotene to sort by 100 gram serving sizes and find even more foods.
List of Foods High in Beta-Carotene
1 Baked Sweet Potatoes| Beta-carotene per Cup | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 23018mcg (213% RDA) | 11509mcg (107% RDA) | 25576mcg (237% RDA) |
See all vegetables high in beta-carotene.
2 Carrots| Beta-carotene per Cup Cooked | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 12998mcg (120% RDA) | 8332mcg (77% RDA) | 47611mcg (441% RDA) |
3 Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach)| Beta-carotene per Cup Cooked | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 11318mcg (105% RDA) | 6288mcg (58% RDA) | 54678mcg (506% RDA) |
More Dark Leafy Greens High in Beta-Carotene
- 98% RDA in 1 cup of cooked kale
- 96% RDA in 1 cup of cooked mustard greens
- 79% RDA in 1 cup of cooked collards
- 61% RDA in 1 cup of cooked beet greens
- 59% RDA in 1 cup of cooked Swiss chard
See all vegetables high in beta-carotene.
4 Butternut Squash| Beta-carotene per Cup Cooked | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 9369mcg (87% RDA) | 4570mcg (42% RDA) | 22850mcg (212% RDA) |
5 Cantaloupe| Beta-carotene per Cup | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 3575mcg (33% RDA) | 2020mcg (19% RDA) | 11882mcg (110% RDA) |
See all fruits high in beta-carotene.
6 Romaine Lettuce| Beta-carotene per Cup | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 2456mcg (23% RDA) | 5226mcg (48% RDA) | 61482mcg (569% RDA) |
7 Red Bell Peppers| Beta-carotene per Cup Cooked | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 2059mcg (19% RDA) | 1525mcg (14% RDA) | 10893mcg (101% RDA) |
- 3% DV in 1 cup of cooked green bell peppers
See the complete nutrition comparison of red vs green bell peppers.
8 Apricots| Beta-carotene per Cup | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1696mcg (16% RDA) | 1094mcg (10% RDA) | 4558mcg (42% RDA) |
More Fruits High in Beta Carotene
- 15% RDA in 1 cup of pink grapefruit
- 10% RDA in 1 cup of mangoes
- 6% RDA in 1 cup of guavas
See all fruits high in beta-carotene.
9 Broccoli| Beta-carotene per Cup Cooked | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1449mcg (13% RDA) | 929mcg (9% RDA) | 5309mcg (49% RDA) |
10 Podded Peas| Beta-carotene per Cup Cooked | Beta-carotene per 100g | Beta-carotene per 200 Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1216mcg (11% RDA) | 760mcg (7% RDA) | 2923mcg (27% RDA) |
Where does the RDA for Beta-Carotene come from?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily requirement for a particular nutrient. With vitamin A the requirement is set in terms of retinol activity equivalents (RAE).
The RDA for an adult male is 900mcg RAE. The RDA for an adult female is 700mcg, although it can go as high as 1,300mcg during lactation. (2)
For beta-carotene from foods 1mcg RAE = 12mcg beta-carotene. So the RDA for beta-carotene is equal to the RDA for RAE times 12. We use the 900mcg RDA to set the RDA for beta-carotene, so it is 900mcg x 12 = 10800mcg.
Warnings
Avoid beta-carotene from supplements. While eating a lot of beta-carotene in foods is considered harmless, beta-carotene in the form of supplements can increase the risk of lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. (2)
Beta-carotene supplements are especially risky for:- Pregnant and breast-feeding women
- Those who have had angioplasty
- Those who have had asbestos exposure
- Smokers
Again, these risks only come from the form of beta-carotene found in supplements, and in high doses. Beta-carotene from foods is considered safe and healthy. Only consume beta-carotene supplements under the supervision of a medical professional. (3)
About the Data
Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.
You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.
Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.
From the Nutrient Ranking Tool
- Foods High in Beta Carotene
- Foods Low in Beta Carotene
- Vegetables High in Beta Carotene
- Fruits High in Beta Carotene
- Vegetarian Foods High in Beta Carotene
- Dairy High in Beta Carotene
- Breakfast Cereals High in Beta Carotene
- Fast Foods High in Beta Carotene
View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
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