Vitamin A Rich Foods List

Vitamin A Overview

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays a vital role in vision; immune functions; maintenance and development of healthy skin, hair and mucous membranes; growth and development; and reproduction. By consuming foods off the vitamin A rich foods list it is hoped that you will be able to get an adequate supply of this vitamin without the need of supplementation.

Retinol is the other term for vitamin A that occurs as retinyl palmitate, which is a primarily a fat compound. This compound is converted by the body into three metabolically active forms of the vitamin: retinal, retinol and retinoic acid.

It aids in stimulating several immune system activities that is known to enhance the function of white blood cells, have anti-viral activity, and increases the antibodies response to antigens. It is also essential for normal growth and development of cells.

Vitamin A Rich Foods

Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of both fat-soluble and water-soluble vitamins. Free retinol is not primarily found in vitamin A rich foods. As a precursor and storage form of retinol, which is retinyl palmitate, is found in foods from animals while carotenoids are some of the precursors for vitamin A that are found in plants. These include alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin, and others. Green vegetables contain significant amount of carotenoids although its pigment is masked by chlorophyll, a green pigment found in plants. Traces amounts of carotenoids are also found in orange and yellow vegetables.

Vitamin A Rich Foods List

Vitamin A Rich Foods SERVING AMOUNT OF VITAMIN A (IU)
2% fat milk (vitamin A added) 8 fl-oz 447
Apricots 1 medium 914.20
Asparagus, boiled 1 cup 970.20
Basil, dried, ground 2 tsp. 281.24
Bell peppers, red, raw, slices 1 cup 5244.00
Broccoli, steamed 1 cup 2280.72
Brussels sprouts, boiled 1 cup 1121.64
Butter 1 tbsp. 323
Cabbage, shredded, boiled 1 cup 198.00
Calf’s liver, braised 4 oz-wt 30485.26
Cantaloupe, cubes 1 cup 5158.40
Carrots, raw 1 cup 34317.40
Cayenne pepper, dried 2 tsp. 1470.24
Celery, raw 1 cup 160.80
Chili pepper, dried 2 tsp. 531.60
Collard greens, boiled 1 cup 5945.10
Egg 1 large 303
Fortified breakfast cereals 1 serving 500-767
Grapefruit ½ cup 318.57
Green beans, boiled 1 cup 832.50
Green peas, boiled 1 cup 955.20
Kale, cooked ½ cup 1,475
Mango 1 medium 263
Mustard greens, boiled 1 cup 4243.40
Oranges 1 medium 268.55
Parsley, fresh 2 tbsp. 631.80
Plum 1 medium 213.18
Prunes ¼ up 844.48
Romaine lettuce 2 cups 2912.00
Spinach, boiled 1 cup 18865.80
Spinach, cooked ½ cup 1,572
Squash, butternut ½ cup 1,907
Summer squash, cooked, slices 1 cup 516.60
Sweet potato, baked, with skin 1 medium 13107.70
Sweet potato, canned ½ cup 1,848
Swiss chard, boiled 1 cup 5493.25
Tomato, ripe 1 cup 1121.40
Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 7917.12
Watermelon, diced 1 cup 556.32
Whole milk 8 fl-oz 227
Winter squash, baked, cubes 1 cup 7291.85

Vitamin A Rich Foods List References and Further Reading

LPI; Ohio State University; USDA.