Best foods for vitamin a rich

Vitamin A supports vision, immune function, and the healthy turnover of skin and other epithelial tissue. In food it arrives two ways: preformed retinol from animal sources and provitamin A carotenoids, mostly beta carotene, that your body converts as needed. That conversion is why deeply pigmented leafy greens dominate this list. USDA FoodData Central reports their vitamin A in micrograms of retinol activity equivalents (RAE), and the leaders here are dense in it per calorie rather than merely per serving.

We rank the 103 qualifying foods by our Nutrient Density Score, a 1 to 100 relative measure of nutrition per calorie, not by raw vitamin A alone. That is why Spinach, raw (469 µg RAE, score 100) and Parsley, fresh (421 µg, score 100) sit at the top alongside Beet greens, raw and Kale, raw. Each delivers a large share of daily vitamin A for very few calories.

One realistic caveat: the figures above are per 100 grams, and raw greens are light and voluminous, so a normal portion weighs far less than a same weight of, say, sweet potato. Carotenoid absorption also improves with a little dietary fat and with cooking. Treat these rankings as a per-calorie guide, not a portion plan. Individual needs vary, and this is not medical or dietary advice.