Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an essential role in maintaining vision, body growth, immune function and reproductive health.
Getting adequate amounts of vitamin A from your diet should prevent the symptoms of deficiency, which include hair loss, skin problems, dry eyes, night blindness and increased susceptibility to infections.
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Deficiency is a leading cause of blindness in developing countries. In contrast, most people in developed countries get enough vitamin A from their diet.
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is 900 mcg for men, 700 mcg for women and 300–600 mcg for children and adolescents.
The RDA provides enough vitamin A for the vast majority of people.
Put simply, a single daily value (DV) of 900 mcg is used as a reference on nutrition labels in the United States and Canada.
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This article lists 20 foods that are rich in vitamin A, plus an additional 20 fruits and vegetables rich in provitamin A (1).
20 FOODS HIGH IN VITAMIN A
Vitamin A1, also known as retinol, is only found in animal-sourced foods, such as oily fish, liver, cheese and butter.
1. Lamb Liver — 236% DV per serving
1 ounce: 2,122 mcg (236% DV)
100 grams: 7,491 mcg (832% DV)
2. Cod Liver Oil — 150% DV per serving
1 teaspoon: 1,350 mcg (150% DV)
100 grams: 30,000 mcg (3,333% DV)
3. Salmon — 25% DV per serving
Half a fillet: 229 mcg (25% DV)
100 grams: 149 mcg (17% DV)
4. Goose Liver Pâté — 14% DV per serving
1 tablespoon: 130 mcg (14% DV)
100 grams: 1,001 mcg (111% DV)
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5. Butter — 11% DV per serving
1 tablespoon: 97 mcg (11% DV)
100 grams: 684 mcg (76% DV)
6. Cheddar — 10% DV per serving
1 slice: 92 mcg (10% DV)
100 grams: 330 mcg (37% DV)
7. Roquefort Cheese — 9% DV per serving
1 ounce: 83 mcg (9% DV)
100 grams: 294 mcg (33% DV)
8. Trout — 8% DV per serving
1 fillet: 71 mcg (8% DV)
100 grams: 100 mcg (11% DV)
9. Cream Cheese — 5% DV per serving
1 tablespoon: 45 mcg (5% DV)
100 grams: 308 mcg (34% DV)
10. Feta Cheese — 4% DV per serving
1 ounce: 35 mcg (4% DV)
100 grams: 125 mcg (14% DV)
11. Beef Liver — 713% DV per serving
1 slice: 6,421 mcg (713% DV)
100 grams: 9,442 mcg (1,049% DV)
12. Liver Sausage — 166% DV per serving
1 slice: 1,495 mcg (166% DV)
100 grams: 8,384 mcg (923% DV)
13. King Mackerel — 43% DV per serving
Half a fillet: 388 mcg (43% DV)
100 grams: 252 mcg (28% DV)
14. Bluefin Tuna — 24% DV per serving
1 ounce: 214 mcg (24% DV)
100 grams: 757 mcg (84% DV)
15. Goat Cheese — 13% DV per serving
1 slice: 115 mcg (13% DV)
100 grams: 407 mcg (45% DV)
16. Limburger Cheese — 11% DV per serving
1 slice: 96 mcg (11% DV)
100 grams: 340 mcg (38% DV)
17. Camembert — 10% DV per serving
1 wedge: 92 mcg (10% DV)
100 grams: 241 mcg (27% DV)
18. Hard-Boiled Egg — 8% DV per serving
1 large egg: 74 mcg (8% DV)
100 grams: 149 mcg (17% DV)
19. Blue Cheese — 6% DV per serving
1 ounce: 56 mcg (6% DV)
100 grams: 198 mcg (22% DV)
20. Caviar — 5% DV per serving
1 tablespoon: 43 mcg (5% DV)
100 grams: 271 mcg (30% DV)
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10 VEGETABLES HIGH IN PROVITAMIN 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 (2, 3).
Depending on your genetics, the following vegetables might provide considerably less vitamin A than indicated.
1. Collards (cooked) — 80% DV per serving
1 cup: 722 mcg (80% DV)
100 grams: 380 mcg (42% DV)
2. Turnip Greens (cooked) — 61% DV per serving
1 cup: 549 mcg (61% DV)
100 grams: 381 mcg (42% DV)
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3. Carrot (cooked) — 44% DV per serving
1 medium carrot: 392 mcg (44% DV)
100 grams: 852 mcg (95% DV)
4. Sweet Potato (cooked) — 204% DV per serving
1 cup: 1,836 mcg (204% DV)
100 grams: 1,043 mcg (116% DV)
5. Winter Squash (cooked) — 127% DV per serving
1 cup: 1,144 mcg (127% DV)
100 grams: 558 mcg (62% DV)
6. Kale (cooked) — 98% DV per serving
1 cup: 885 mcg (98% DV)
100 grams: 681 mcg (76% DV)
7. Sweet Red Pepper (raw) — 29% DV per serving
1 large pepper: 257 mcg (29% DV)
100 grams: 157 mcg (17% DV)
8. Swiss Chard (raw) — 16% DV per serving
1 leaf: 147 mcg (16% DV)
100 grams: 306 mcg (34% DV)
9. Spinach (raw) — 16% DV per serving
1 cup: 141 mcg (16% DV)
100 grams: 469 mcg (52% DV)
10. Romaine Lettuce (raw) — 14% DV per serving
1 large leaf: 122 mcg (14% DV)
100 grams: 436 mcg (48% DV)
10 FRUITS HIGH IN PROVITAMIN A
Provitamin A is generally more abundant in vegetables than fruits. But a few types of fruit provide good amounts, as shown below.
1. Apricot — 4% DV per serving
1 medium apricot: 34 mcg (4% DV)
100 grams: 96 mcg (11% DV)
2. Tangerine — 3% DV per serving
1 medium tangerine: 30 mcg (3% DV)
100 grams: 34 mcg (4% DV)
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3. Nectarine — 3% DV per serving
1 medium nectarine: 24 mcg (3% DV)
100 grams: 17 mcg (2% DV)
4. Guava — 2% DV per serving
1 medium guava: 17 mcg (2% DV)
100 grams: 31 mcg (3% DV)
5. Passion Fruit — 1% DV per serving
1 medium fruit: 12 mcg (1% DV)
100 grams: 64 mcg (7% DV)
6. Mango — 20% DV per serving
1 medium mango: 181 mcg (20% DV)
100 grams: 54 mcg (6% DV)
7. Cantaloupe — 19% DV per serving
1 large wedge: 172 mcg (19% DV)
100 grams: 169 mcg (19% DV)
8. Pink or Red Grapefruit — 16% DV per serving
1 medium grapefruit: 143 mcg (16% DV)
100 grams: 58 mcg (6% DV)
9. Watermelon — 9% DV per serving
1 wedge: 80 mcg (9% DV)
100 grams: 28 mcg (3% DV)
10. Papaya — 8% DV per serving
1 small papaya: 74 mcg (8% DV)
100 grams: 47 mcg (5% DV)
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HOW DO YOU MEET YOUR VITAMIN A REQUIREMENTS?
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.
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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 (2, 3).
Because of this, vegans 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.
