Vitamin A, food by food
Ranking · Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light. Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
An adult is advised to get about 900 µg RAE a day if a man, 700 µg RAE if a woman. ? The words below are read against 900 µg RAE, the men’s amount. ?
How we counted this
Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intakes, adults 19–30. The word beside each food says how much of that one serving gives, read against the higher amount, 900 µg RAE, which is the men’s: for the other sex a serving counts for more.
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
The plain words beside each food: “a lot” means one serving gives at least 20% of the daily amount, “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2%; below that it says “almost none”. Each row prints its percentage of the daily amount, rounded to a whole number, and the word is read from that printed percentage (a row at 9.6% prints 10% and reads “some”). The cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source”, and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount; Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%, and we keep one number so a percentage never changes meaning (provisional: they may change in a later method version).
Vitamin A is counted in µg RAE (retinol activity equivalents): the plant forms count by how much of them your body turns into vitamin A, so 12 µg of beta-carotene from food count as 1 µg.
On older labels vitamin A is given in IU (international units), and an IU can only be turned into µg RAE when the source is known: 1 IU of retinol, or of beta-carotene in a supplement, is 0.3 µg RAE, while 1 IU of beta-carotene from food is 0.05 µg RAE. So the 900 µg RAE a day for a man is 3,000 IU of retinol.
What it does and its upper intake level: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals. How much a day: Health Canada, Dietary reference intakes tables: Reference values for vitamins.
Most per serving: Beef liver, pan-fried (7,744 µg), then Chicken liver, simmered and baked sweet potato.
Listed amounts, not what your body absorbs. Where a human study measured absorption, the food’s page shows it. ?
How we counted this
Listed for 184 of the 198 preparations on this page (150 foods). The other 14 aren’t zero, just not listed: see “Not listed” below.
183 of them are ranked below, by what one serving gives; the other 1 list it but have no serving size on file, so they follow, per 100 g.
The 159 reviewed foods (229 preparations) are counted here, and raw and cooked spinach are two preparations of one food. Each row below is one preparation, and 198 of them are on this page. The other 31 are left out: 19 raw or dry forms of a food ranked as eaten (listed below) and 12 fortified foods. Imported foods are listed separately below, not ranked. Every amount here is copied from the national food databases, as published. A serving’s weight is shown rounded, and the amount is worked from its exact weight, so a row can differ slightly from weight times the per-100 g figure.
- 1
Beef liver, pan-fried100 g · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)860% of the men’s 900 µgPast the upper level if eaten every day: this serving has 2.6× the 3,000 µg a dayA lot7,744µg7,744 µg / 100 g - 2
Chicken liver, simmered100 g · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)442% of the men’s 900 µgPast the upper level if eaten every day: this serving has 1.3× the 3,000 µg a dayA lot3,981µg3,981 µg / 100 g - 3
A lot1,057µg961 µg / 100 g - 4
A lot866µg787 µg / 100 g - 5
A lot780µg709 µg / 100 g - 6
A lot710µg835 µg / 100 g - 7
A lot525µg618 µg / 100 g - 8
A lot492µg579 µg / 100 g - 9
A lot474µg558 µg / 100 g - 10
A lot457µg538 µg / 100 g - 11
A lot445µg524 µg / 100 g - 12
A lot371µg436 µg / 100 g - 13
A lot348µg232 µg / 100 g - 14
A lot330µg171 µg / 100 g - 15A lot324µg381 µg / 100 g
- 16A lot260µg306 µg / 100 g
- 17
A lot205µg241 µg / 100 g - 18
A lot190µg223 µg / 100 g - 19
A lot177µg161 µg / 100 g - 20
Some171µg171 µg / 100 g - 21
Skim milk263 g · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)18% of the men’s 900 µgAdded to this milk by law in CanadaSome160µg61 µg / 100 g - 22
Some149µg149 µg / 100 g - 23Milk, 2%263 g · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)16% of the men’s 900 µgAdded to this milk by law in CanadaSome145µg55 µg / 100 g
- 24
Some136µg160 µg / 100 g - 25
Some133µg157 µg / 100 g - 26
Some128µg151 µg / 100 g - 27Some124µg146 µg / 100 g
- 28
Some124µg118 µg / 100 g - 29
Some101µg81 µg / 100 g - 30
Some101µg119 µg / 100 g - 31
Some95.1µg317 µg / 100 g - 32
Some94.8µg316 µg / 100 g - 33
Some92.4µg308 µg / 100 g - 34
Some91µg91 µg / 100 g - 35
Some90µg90 µg / 100 g - 36
Some89.3µg105 µg / 100 g - 37
Some87.6µg292 µg / 100 g - 38
A little75.6µg54 µg / 100 g - 39A little69.5µg36 µg / 100 g
- 40
A little69µg69 µg / 100 g - 41
A little68.4µg684 µg / 100 g - 42A little68.4µg684 µg / 100 g
- 43
A little64.4µg46 µg / 100 g - 44
A little62.1µg411 µg / 100 g - 45
A little60.9µg203 µg / 100 g - 46
A little54µg54 µg / 100 g - 47
A little49.5µg90 µg / 100 g - 48
A little47.6µg34 µg / 100 g - 49
A little47.6µg56 µg / 100 g - 50
A little46.3µg37 µg / 100 g - 51
A little43.4µg51 µg / 100 g - 52
A little42.5µg50 µg / 100 g - 53
A little42µg28 µg / 100 g - 54
A little37.5µg125 µg / 100 g - 55
A little36.2µg124 µg / 100 g - 56
A little33.6µg24 µg / 100 g - 57
A little33.2µg39 µg / 100 g - 58
A little32.3µg38 µg / 100 g - 59
A little31.1µg207 µg / 100 g - 60
A little31.1µg27 µg / 100 g - 61
A little30.3µg55 µg / 100 g - 62
A little27.2µg32 µg / 100 g - 63
A little26.2µg10 µg / 100 g - 64
A little25µg20 µg / 100 g - 65
A little23.6µg59 µg / 100 g - 66
A little21.3µg25 µg / 100 g - 67
A little20.3µg23.9 µg / 100 g - 68
A little18.7µg22 µg / 100 g - 69
A little18µg30 µg / 100 g - 70
A little17.6µg32 µg / 100 g - 71A little16.3µg13 µg / 100 g
- 72
A little16.1µg14 µg / 100 g - 73
A little15.4µg11 µg / 100 g - 74
A little15.4µg28 µg / 100 g - 75
A little15.3µg18 µg / 100 g - 76A little14.8µg97 µg / 100 g
- 77
A little14µg14 µg / 100 g - 78
Almost none13µg13 µg / 100 g - 79
Almost none12.8µg15 µg / 100 g - 80
Almost none9.35µg17 µg / 100 g - 81
Almost none8.5µg10 µg / 100 g - 82
Almost none7µg5 µg / 100 g - 83Almost none6.8µg8 µg / 100 g
- 84
Almost none6µg6 µg / 100 g - 85
Almost none5.6µg4 µg / 100 g - 86
Almost none5µg10 µg / 100 g - 87
Almost none5µg5 µg / 100 g - 88
Almost none4.56µg15 µg / 100 g - 89
Almost none4.25µg5 µg / 100 g - 90
Almost none4.25µg5 µg / 100 g - 91
Almost none4.2µg3 µg / 100 g - 92
Almost none4.2µg3 µg / 100 g - 93
Almost none4.2µg3 µg / 100 g - 94
Almost none3.9µg13 µg / 100 g - 95
Almost none3.4µg4 µg / 100 g - 96Albacore (white) tuna, canned in water55 g · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)under 1% of the men’s 900 µgAlmost none3.3µg6 µg / 100 g
- 97
Almost none3.2µg4 µg / 100 g - 98
Almost none2.8µg2 µg / 100 g - 99
Almost none2.8µg7 µg / 100 g - 100
Almost none2.8µg2 µg / 100 g - 101
Almost none2.4µg3 µg / 100 g - 102
Almost none2.4µg3 µg / 100 g - 103
Almost none2.23µg16 µg / 100 g - 104
Almost none2.1µg7 µg / 100 g - 105
Almost none1.8µg3 µg / 100 g - 106
Almost none1.7µg2 µg / 100 g - 107
Almost none1.7µg2 µg / 100 g - 108
Almost none1.65µg11 µg / 100 g - 109
Almost none1.6µg2 µg / 100 g - 110
Almost none1.6µg2 µg / 100 g - 111
Almost none1.4µg1 µg / 100 g - 112
Almost none1.4µg1 µg / 100 g - 113
Almost none1.4µg1 µg / 100 g - 114
Almost none1.15µg1 µg / 100 g - 115
Almost none1.1µg1 µg / 100 g - 116
Almost none0.9µg3 µg / 100 g - 117
Almost none0.87µg1 µg / 100 g - 118
Almost none0.85µg1 µg / 100 g - 119
Almost none0.82µg1 µg / 100 g - 120
Almost none0.8µg2 µg / 100 g - 121
Almost none0.8µg2 µg / 100 g - 122
Almost none0.45µg3 µg / 100 g - 123
Almost none0.3µg1 µg / 100 g - 124
Almost none0.3µg1 µg / 100 g - 125
Almost none0.3µg1 µg / 100 g - 126
Almost none0.3µg1 µg / 100 g - 127
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 128
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 129
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 130
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 131
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 132
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 133
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 134
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 135
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 136
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 137
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 138
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 139Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g
- 140
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 141
Coffee creamer, flavoured liquid15.2 g · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)under 1% of the men’s 900 µgAlmost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 142
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 143
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 144
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 145
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 146
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 147
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 148
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 149French fries, frozen, oven-baked70 g · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)under 1% of the men’s 900 µgAlmost none0µg0 µg / 100 g
- 150
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 151
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 152
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 153
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 154
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 155
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 156
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 157
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 158
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 159
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 160
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 161
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 162
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 163
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 164
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 165
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 166
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 167
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 168
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 169
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 170
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 171
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 172
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 173
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 174
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 175
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 176
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 177
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 178
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 179
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 180
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g - 181Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g
- 182Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g
- 183
Almost none0µg0 µg / 100 g
Not ranked in this view
These list Vitamin A but have no serving size on file yet.
Not listed
The databases don’t list Vitamin A for these foods: left out, not counted as zero.
Not yet reviewed · shown per 100 g, not per serving
Straight from the national databases, not yet checked, so not ranked. The list can include dried foods, spices and fortified products that a review would set aside.
No serving size yet, so shown per 100 g, even under “per serving”.
Vitamin A’s upper level counts preformed vitamin A only. The databases list these foods in RAE without splitting retinol from carotene, so none is compared with it here.
Not compared with the upper level: with no serving size, a figure for 100 g of a powder or a concentrate says nothing about what anyone eats. Choose an amount under “per 100 g” to compare one.
- Fish oil, cod liver · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)30,000 µgper 100 g
- Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)28,319 µgper 100 g
- Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)21,145 µgper 100 g
- Beef, New Zealand, imported, variety meats and by-products liver, cooked, boiled · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)21,014 µgper 100 g
- Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)20,074 µgper 100 g
- Lamb, New Zealand, imported, liver, cooked, soaked and fried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)19,872 µgper 100 g
- Lamb, New Zealand, imported, liver, raw · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)15,434 µgper 100 g
- Game meat, Indigenous, moose, liver, roasted · Canadian Nutrient File 202612,000 µgper 100 g
- Duck, domesticated, liver, raw · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)11,984 µgper 100 g
- Veal, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)11,707 µgper 100 g
- Turkey, all classes, liver, cooked, simmered · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)10,751 µgper 100 g
- Game meat, Indigenous, caribou (reindeer), liver, baked · Canadian Nutrient File 202610,067 µgper 100 g
- Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)9,442 µgper 100 g
- Goose, wild (Canada goose), Indigenous, liver, raw · Canadian Nutrient File 20269,309 µgper 100 g
- Goose, liver, raw · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)9,309 µgper 100 g
- Goose, wild (Canada goose), Indigenous, liver, roasted · Canadian Nutrient File 20269,282 µgper 100 g
- Liver sausage, liverwurst, pork · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)8,308 µgper 100 g
- Turkey, all classes, liver, raw · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)8,058 µgper 100 g
- Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, pan-fried · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)7,782 µgper 100 g
- Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, cooked, braised · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)7,491 µgper 100 g
Ranked as eaten. Where a food is also listed in a form people eat, these forms are left out: raw meat, poultry, fish and eggs (their cooked forms are ranked), dry grains and legumes, and frozen vegetables before cooking. Raw oysters stay: they have no other form.
Which 19 are left out?
- raw ground beef
- Beef liver, raw
- Beef steak, top loin, raw
- raw chicken breast
- Chicken thigh, raw
- Chicken liver, raw
- Cod, raw
- raw eggs
- dry lentils
- raw mackerel
- dry rolled oats
- dry pasta
- dry whole-wheat pasta
- frozen peas
- Pork chop, raw
- Pork sausage, raw
- dry quinoa
- raw farmed salmon
- Ground turkey, 93% lean, raw
12 fortified foods are left out: makers add vitamins and minerals in amounts that vary by brand, so check the label for vitamin A: Breakfast cereal · Soy drink, unsweetened, fortified · Almond drink, unsweetened, fortified · Pies · Cakes · Crackers · White bread · White bread, toasted · Cookies · Flour tortillas · Pasta, cooked · Oat drink, unsweetened, fortified
Milk is the exception: rows marked “added by law” stay, because Canadian law requires vitamin A to be added to those milks in an amount it sets, so a serving gives the same in any brand. The other fortification is the maker’s choice and varies.
Running low, and too much
Running low
Outright vitamin A deficiency (not just a low intake) is rare in the United States but common in many developing countries. Its most common sign is xerophthalmia, an eye disease that starts as night blindness (trouble seeing in low light) and can end in permanent blindness.
Too much
Vitamin A is stored in the liver, so too much builds up. Regular high doses can cause dry skin, painful muscles and joints, fatigue and abnormal liver tests, and preformed vitamin A above the upper level can cause birth defects.
The upper intake level for adults, 3,000 µg a day, counts only preformed vitamin A: the kind in foods from animals, liver above all, and the retinol forms in supplements. No upper limit has been set for the carotenoids in plant foods, such as sweet potatoes and carrots, though beta-carotene supplements are not advised for the general population.
Sources: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals (2025-03-10) · Upper levels (adults 19–30): Health Canada, Dietary reference intakes tables: vitamins (2025-11-19)