Retinol activity equivalents, combining preformed vitamin A with provitamin A carotenoids.
Every figure here is per 100 g of the food, not per serving. That makes foods comparable to each other, but it is not how anyone eats: 100 g of a dried spice and 100 g of a leafy green are very different portions, so a high position in this list does not tell you what a meal contributes.
Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
% DV compares the per-100 g amount with the FDA Daily Value of 900 µg for adults and children aged 4 and over. It is a labelling reference, not a personal target.
24 entries with a measured vitamin a value, highest first.
Bos taurus
The metabolic and storage organ of cattle, and consequently one of the most nutrient-concentrated foods in the human diet by a…
552% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Gallus gallus domesticus
A small, soft organ meat with a milder flavour and finer texture than beef liver, which is why it dominates pâtés and parfaits.…
366% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Capsicum annuum
Ground dried Capsicum annuum peppers, ranging from sweet to hot and sometimes smoked over oak. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the…
274% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Capsicum annuum
Dried ground fruit of hot Capsicum annuum varieties. The USDA entry is per 100 g of the dried spice; a shake over a dish is well…
231% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Daucus carota subsp. sativus
The taproot of a cultivated umbellifer, orange in most modern varieties because of selective breeding for carotene. Purple,…
93% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Ipomoea batatas
A starchy storage root in the morning glory family, unrelated to the potato. Flesh colour ranges from white through orange to…
79% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Cream churned until the fat globules coalesce and separate from the buttermilk, leaving a product that is overwhelmingly fat.…
76% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Cucurbita moschata
A winter squash with dense orange flesh and a hard tan skin, stored for months after harvest. Its carotenoid content rises during…
59% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Spinacia oleracea
A fast-growing leafy annual in the amaranth family, eaten raw as young leaves or cooked as mature ones. It wilts to a fraction of…
52% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Petroselinum crispum
A biennial Apiaceae herb eaten fresh in quantity in dishes such as tabbouleh and used as a garnish elsewhere. It is unusually…
47% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Anethum graveolens
The feathery leaf of Anethum graveolens, used fresh with fish, cucumber and cultured dairy; the seed is a separate spice with a…
43% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Gallus gallus domesticus
The fat-soluble half of the egg, carrying essentially all of its fat, cholesterol, fat-soluble vitamins, choline and carotenoid…
42% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Coriandrum sativum
The fresh leaf of Coriandrum sativum, the same plant that yields coriander seed. A well-documented genetic variation in olfactory…
37% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris
A leafy form of the same species as beetroot, grown for its leaves and thick stalks rather than its root. The coloured stems owe…
34% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Salvia officinalis
The grey-green leaf of Salvia officinalis, used fresh or dried and traditionally paired with fatty meats. The USDA entry is per…
33% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Ocimum basilicum
The fresh leaves of Ocimum basilicum, used raw or added at the end of cooking because its aroma compounds are heat-sensitive. It…
29% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
A loose-leaved cabbage that does not form a head, eaten raw in salads or cooked. Like other Brassica oleracea vegetables it…
27% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Thymus vulgaris
A small-leaved Mediterranean subshrub used fresh or dried, and one of the few herbs that stands up to long cooking. Its…
26% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Mentha × piperita
A natural hybrid of watermint and spearmint, grown for its high menthol content and used fresh, dried or as an essential oil. The…
24% of the Daily Value per 100 g
A hard cheese aged a year or more, during which enzymes break down protein into free amino acids and the crystalline tyrosine…
23% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Milk fermented with kefir grains, a rubbery symbiotic matrix of bacteria and yeasts that is strained out and reused. The yeast…
19% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Gallus gallus domesticus
A complete package of protein, fat and micronutrients built to grow a chick, split between a protein-and-water white and a…
18% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Capsicum annuum
Non-pungent cultivars of Capsicum annuum, harvested green or left to ripen to red, yellow or orange. Ripening changes their…
17% of the Daily Value per 100 g
Salvia rosmarinus
A woody Mediterranean shrub whose needle-like leaves are used fresh or dried. Rosemary extract is also used industrially as a…
16% of the Daily Value per 100 g