They're not the only way to get your fill of this essential nutrient.
"Eat carrots so you don't need glasses" might be the advice you remember getting from your parents when they wanted you to take in more veggies as a kid. Carrots are packed with vitamin A, which can indeed improve your vision. But that's not where its benefits stop: It also boosts your immune system and cuts your risk of heart disease.
There are two types of vitamin A, one of which comes primarily from animal products (retinol), and one of which comes primarily from plant-based foods (beta-carotene). While both types are important, you don't have to rely only on carrots to get your fill. Here are some foods that actually have more vitamin A per serving than a half-cup of raw carrots, which comes in at 10,692 international units (IU) of retinol and 0.534 milligrams of beta-carotene.
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One Cup Pumpkin Puree
Pumpkin delivers tons of vitamin A no matter how you consume it. One cup of puree will give you 14,100 IU of retinol and 0.706 milligrams of beta-carotene. Even canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie dole out the vitamins, though the latter is obviously packed with sugar and fat.
Pumpkin delivers tons of vitamin A no matter how you consume it. One cup of puree will give you 14,100 IU of retinol and 0.706 milligrams of beta-carotene. Even canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie dole out the vitamins, though the latter is obviously packed with sugar and fat.
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A Medium Baked Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes deliver carb-y satisfaction while still being packed with vitamins, especially A. One potato contains 21,909 IU of retinol and 1.096 milligrams of beta-carotene, or 438 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A. Oh, and it has more potassium than a banana!
Sweet potatoes deliver carb-y satisfaction while still being packed with vitamins, especially A. One potato contains 21,909 IU of retinol and 1.096 milligrams of beta-carotene, or 438 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A. Oh, and it has more potassium than a banana!
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A Small Kale Salad
Kale is known as a superfood for a reason: Aside from the 70,829 IU of retionol and 3.5 milligrams of beta-carotene in four cups, you’ll get 500 percent of your daily vitamin C and 3,000 percent of your vitamin K.
Kale is known as a superfood for a reason: Aside from the 70,829 IU of retionol and 3.5 milligrams of beta-carotene in four cups, you’ll get 500 percent of your daily vitamin C and 3,000 percent of your vitamin K.
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1 Tablespoon of Cod Liver Oil
Fish oil is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which strengthen your heart, clear up your skin, and fight off Alzheimer’s, along with a host of other functions. But a tablespoon of cod liver oil also contains 13,600 IU of retinol and four milligrams of beta-carotene—which is eight times as much as that half-cup of carrots.
Fish oil is packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which strengthen your heart, clear up your skin, and fight off Alzheimer’s, along with a host of other functions. But a tablespoon of cod liver oil also contains 13,600 IU of retinol and four milligrams of beta-carotene—which is eight times as much as that half-cup of carrots.
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1/2 Cup Baked Butternut Squash
Sensing a theme here? The more orange the food, the more likely it is to be full of vitamin A. This half-cup has 11,343 IU of retinol and 0.572 milligrams of beta-carotene. It's also filled with fiber, which will keep you satisfied and full of energy
Sensing a theme here? The more orange the food, the more likely it is to be full of vitamin A. This half-cup has 11,343 IU of retinol and 0.572 milligrams of beta-carotene. It's also filled with fiber, which will keep you satisfied and full of energy
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