Written by Daisy Whitbread BSc (Hons) MSc DipION Medically Reviewed by Dr. Patricia Shelton
Evidence Based. References sourced from PubMed. Powered by USDA Nutrition Data.
Beta-carotene is a carotenoid compound responsible for giving fruits and vegetables their orange pigment.
Beta-carotene is a fat-soluble vitamin, so eating it along with foods with fat such as olive oil or nuts, can help to boost absorption. (1)
Like alpha-carotene, beta-carotene is a precursor for creating vitamin A in the body. The amount of vitamin A is measured in retinol activity equivalents (RAE). (2) The current daily value for vitamin A is 900mcg of RAE. (3)
There is no official recommended daily allowance (RDA) for beta-carotene, but a figure of 10800mcg per day can be used as a general target. This is based on the rate of conversion of beta-carotene into vitamin A. It takes 12mcg of beta-carotene to create 1mcg of RAE. (2)
Foods high in beta-carotene include sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, butternut squash, cantaloupe, lettuce, red bell peppers, apricots, broccoli, and peas.
Below is a list of the 10 best beta-carotene foods. Use the nutrient ranking of over 200 foods high in beta-carotene to sort by 100 gram serving sizes and find even more foods.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- List of Foods High in Beta-Carotene
- Where does the RDA for Beta-Carotene come from?
- Lists By Food Group
- References
List of Foods High in Beta-Carotene
1. Baked Sweet Potatoes + AddBeta-carotene
per CupBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories23018mcg
(213% RDA)11509mcg
(107% RDA)25576mcg
(237% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Baked Sweet Potatoes. (Source)
See all vegetables high in beta-carotene.
- 2. Carrots + Add
Beta-carotene
per Cup CookedBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories12998mcg
(120% RDA)8332mcg
(77% RDA)47611mcg
(441% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Cooked Carrots (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
- 3. Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach) + Add
Beta-carotene
per Cup CookedBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories11318mcg
(105% RDA)6288mcg
(58% RDA)54678mcg
(506% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Cooked Spinach (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
More Dark Leafy Greens High in Beta-Carotene
- 98% RDA in 1 cup of cooked kale
- 96% RDA in 1 cup of cooked mustard greens
- 79% RDA in 1 cup of cooked collards
- 61% RDA in 1 cup of cooked beet greens
- 59% RDA in 1 cup of cooked Swiss chard
See all vegetables high in beta-carotene.
- 4. Butternut Squash + Add
Beta-carotene
per Cup CookedBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories9369mcg
(87% RDA)4570mcg
(42% RDA)22850mcg
(212% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Cooked Butternut Squash (Baked). (Source)
- 5. Cantaloupe + Add
Beta-carotene
per CupBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories3575mcg
(33% RDA)2020mcg
(19% RDA)11882mcg
(110% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Cantaloupe Melons. (Source)
See all fruits high in beta-carotene.
- 6. Romaine Lettuce + Add
Beta-carotene
per CupBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories2456mcg
(23% RDA)5226mcg
(48% RDA)61482mcg
(569% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Romaine Lettuce. (Source)
- 7. Red Bell Peppers + Add
Beta-carotene
per Cup CookedBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories2059mcg
(19% RDA)1525mcg
(14% RDA)10893mcg
(101% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Boiled Red Bell Peppers. (Source)
- 3% DV in 1 cup of cooked green bell peppers
See the complete nutrition comparison of red vs green bell peppers.
- 8. Apricots + Add
Beta-carotene
per CupBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories1696mcg
(16% RDA)1094mcg
(10% RDA)4558mcg
(42% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Apricots. (Source)
More Fruits High in Beta Carotene
- 15% RDA in 1 cup of pink grapefruit
- 10% RDA in 1 cup of mangoes
- 6% RDA in 1 cup of guavas
See all fruits high in beta-carotene.
- 9. Broccoli + Add
Beta-carotene
per Cup CookedBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories1449mcg
(13% RDA)929mcg
(9% RDA)5309mcg
(49% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Cooked Broccoli (Boiled, Drained). (Source)
- 10. Podded Peas + Add
Beta-carotene
per Cup CookedBeta-carotene
per 100gBeta-carotene
per 200 Calories1216mcg
(11% RDA)760mcg
(7% RDA)2923mcg
(27% RDA)Nutrition Facts for Cooked Podded Peas (Previously Frozen). (Source)
Next ➞
Where does the RDA for Beta-Carotene come from?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily requirement for a particular nutrient.
The daily value (%DV) for an vitamin A is 900mcg RAE (retinol equivalents). (3)
For beta-carotene from foods, 12 mcg of beta-carotene is converted to 1mcg RAE (vitamin A) in the body. (2) This means that the the RDA for beta-carotene is equal to the %DV for vitamin A times 12. We use the 900mcg DV to set the RDA for beta-carotene, so it is 900mcg x 12 = 10800mcg (10.8mg). This is the amount that you would need if you were getting all of your vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene.
The 10800mcg can be used for comparison purposes and is not necessarily a target amount to eat in a day. This is because the target is a total of 900mcg RAE. Other sources of RAE, including alpha-carotene and vitamin A, contribute to this total.
Use the ranking tool links below to select foods and create your own food list to share or print.
- Foods High in Beta Carotene
- Foods Low in Beta Carotene
- Vegetables High in Beta Carotene
- Fruits High in Beta Carotene
- Vegetarian Foods High in Beta Carotene
- Dairy High in Beta Carotene
- Breakfast Cereals High in Beta Carotene
- Fast Foods High in Beta Carotene
View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.
Related
- Foods High in Vitamin A
- Foods High in Vitamin C
- Foods High in Vitamin E
- High Lycopene Foods
- High Lutein and Zeaxanthin Foods
- Foods High in Alpha-Carotene
Data Sources and References
- Ribaya-Mercado JD. Bioavailability of beta-carotene in humans Nutr Rev. 2002 Apr;60(4):104-10. doi: 10.1301/00296640260085831. 12002680
- National Library of Medicine - Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc.
- U.S.FDA - Daily Value on the New Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels
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