Vitamin A Foods

Foods rich in Vitamin A.

Vitamin A foods are important for our daily diet, so here you can check that you are regularly getting what you need from the many food sources of vitamin A. The purpose of this page is to provide a list of  vitamin A rich foods, so it is important to try and implement these into your diet.

If you are unable to do this then there are always vitamin A supplements or multi-vitamin supplements that can be consumed as an alternative. Supplements are available online or at your local pharmacy or supermarket.

However, natural sources of Vitamin A are best, so it’s going to be healthier and more beneficial for you to get your Vitamin A from Vitamin A rich foods, not supplements.

The vitamin A foods listed on this page will also have a whole range of other vitamins and minerals in them, so you are going to be gaining much more from eating Vitamin A rich foods than you would from taking supplements.

RDI Vitamin A

  • 900µg Men
  • 700µg Women
  • 600µg Children 9-13 years
  • 900µg Boys 14-18 years
  • 700µg Girls 14-18 years
  • 400µg Infants 0-6 months
  • 500µg Infants 7-12 months
  • 300µg Toddler 1-3 years
  • 400µg Toddler 4-8 years

List of Vitamin A Rich Foods

Good dietary sources of vitamin A.

The daily value for Vitamin A is 5000 international units (IU). The measurement is per 100g. Remember to check the label of Vitamin A foods for all  nutritional information.

  • Apricots (dried) – 12669IU (253% DV)
  • Apricots (raw) – 1926IU (39%DV)
  • Broccoli – 2622IU (52% DV)
  • Butter – 2499IU (50% DV)
  • Butternut squash – 11155IU (223% DV)
  • Cantaloupe Melon – 3382IU (68% DV)
  • Carrots (cooked) – 17033IU (341% DV)
  • Carrot juice – 19124IU (382% DV)
  • Dried Herbs (Mint) – 10579IU (212% DV)
  • Eggs (Yolks) – 538IU (11% DV)
  • Goat Cheese (hard) – 1745IU (35% DV)
  • Kale (dark leafy greens) – 13621IU (272% DV)
  • Liver (Beef) – 31714IU (634% DV)
  • Lettuce – Iceberg – 502IU (10% DV)
  • Liver (Veal) – 70564IU (1411% DV)
  • Liverwurst – 27667IU (553% DV)
  • Liver (Lamb) – 24945 (499% DV)
  • Lettuce, raw – cos/romaine – 8710IU (174% DV)
  • Mango –  1082IU (22% DV)
  • Milk (full) – 162IU (3% DV) or (395IU (8% DV) per 244 gm cup)
  • Milk (non fat) – 204IU (4% DV) or (500IU (10% DV) per 245 gm cup)
  • Oatmeal (fortified) – 433IU (9% DV)
  • Passion – 1272IU (25% DV)
  • Peas (green) – 2100IU (42% DV)
  • Pumpkin (canned) – 15563IU (311% DV)
  • Red peppers (sweet) – 3131IU (63% DV)
  • Silken Tofu – 1913IU (38% DV)
  • Spices, Cayenne, Chilli, Paprika – 49254IU (985% DV)
  • Sweet potato (cooked) – 19218IU (384% DV)
  • Tomatoes – 833IU (17% DV) per 100
  • Tuna Fish (cooked) – 2520IU (50% DV)
  • Water Cress – 6917IU (138% DV)
  • Zucchini (cooked) – 1117IU (22% DV)

As you can see, there are plenty of every day foods on our vitamin A foods list and you may already eat many of them, in which case you probably already take in a sufficient amount.

The foods highest in vitamin A are:

  • Carrots
  • Cod liver oil
  • Liver

If you regularly eat these Vitamin A foods then you are well on the way way to keeping yourself fit and healthy. One of the great things about Vitamin A foods is that your body will store the Vitamin A it doesn’t use for future use, as opposed to ejecting it like it does with other substances such as protein.

How much Vitamin A foods should I be eating?

For males the recommended daily amount is 0.7 milligrams per day and for women it is 0.6 milligrams per day. These amounts are relatively small and are easily achievable when you are eating some or many of the vitamin A foods that we have highlighted above.

Dangers from eating too much vitamin A

Although there are many benefits from eating a regular amount of vitamin A foods it can cause a few problems if  too much is taken. If you drastically exceed the daily recommended intake of Vitamin A, then  it is possible that you can experience  symptoms of toxicity such as Sickness, Vomiting, Irritated skin and Hair loss.

Some research states that eating more than 1.5mg a day of Vitamin A over many years can affect your bones. This is important for the elderly, in particular women who may be at risk of osteoporosis, which in turn means a higher risk of bone fractures.

If you’re pregnant do not take supplements containing Vitamin A unless advised to do so by your doctor. Also, do not eat liver or liver products like pate.

In a normal diet, you should not eat liver or liver products like pate more than once a week.

Your body will find it easier to absorb and use vitamin A in food, so it is more likely that you will exceed the recommended upper limit if you are taking too many supplements.

Vitamin A Foods benefits

There are many good reasons to keep your vitamin A levels topped up, so here are some of the benefits of vitamin A rich foods:

  • Eating foods with vitamin A in them can aid good vision
  • Eating foods high in vitamin A helps to maintain healthy skin
  • Vitamin A helps to keep a strong and healthy digestive system
  • Consuming vitamin A rich foods helps keep your immune system strong, protecting you against illness and infection
  • Vitamin A helps to maintain healthy bones and teeth
  •  Making sure you consume the right amount of vitamin A helps the body to renew body tissue

As you can see there are plenty of vitamin A benefits that should encourage you to ensure that Vitamin A is a fundamental part of your diet.