15 Vitamin A Powerhouses for Eye Health
Vitamin A does way more than help your vision. These 15 foods are loaded with it.
Data-backed ranking of the strongest food sources
Daily value context so the numbers mean something
Usage tips and tradeoffs, not just a list of names
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EatAndAchieve Editorial System
AI-assisted editorial system
This content is assembled from USDA FoodData Central data, in-house ranking logic, and reusable editorial templates to make nutrition information easier to understand.
Reviewed By
Jordan Vale
Founder, editor, and product builder
Jordan reviews pages for clarity, methodology, and product accuracy before they go live. He also maintains the code, data pipeline, and editorial standards for the site.
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Pages on EatAndAchieve combine USDA source data, site-specific scoring logic, and AI-assisted drafting, then receive human review for clarity and methodology. They are educational tools, not medical advice. Read more on the About page.
This ranking focuses on foods that meaningfully deliver vitamin a per 100g, using USDA FoodData Central as the source of truth. It is a concentration ranking, not a full health score, so the most useful way to read it is to look for foods that fit both your nutrient target and your normal portion sizes.
Why it matters
Vitamin A is essential for vision (especially night vision), immune function, reproduction, and cell communication. It supports skin health by promoting cell turnover. Preformed vitamin A (retinol) comes from animal foods, while provitamin A (beta-carotene) comes from colorful plants and is converted in your body.
Daily target
The FDA daily value is 900mcg RAE. Deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children worldwide, though it is rare in developed countries. Beta-carotene from plants is safe in any amount, but preformed vitamin A from supplements can be toxic in excess.
How to use the list
Orange and dark green vegetables are beta-carotene goldmines. Fat improves absorption, so add a drizzle of olive oil to your carrots or sweet potatoes. Liver is the single richest food source but is not something to eat daily due to very high concentrations.
Screening rule
Foods had to clear basic practicality filters before ranking so the list stays useful, not just technically correct.
Best use case
Use this template when you want the single strongest sources of one nutrient and you are willing to compare foods mainly on that axis.
Main caveat
Per-100g leaders are not always everyday staples, which is why calorie density and tradeoffs are called out inside the list.
There is a reason Duck, domesticated, liver, raw leads this list: 12000mcg of vitamin a per 100g is elite territory. You are looking at 1333% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (37% DV) and iron (169% DV).
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 515mg per 100g.
Grape leaves, raw ranks this highly because it is one of the cleaner ways to get a lot of vitamin a quickly. That translates to 153% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the fiber (39% DV) and calcium (28% DV). High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, flesh, without salt belongs in the top tier of this ranking, with 961mcg of vitamin a per 100g. You are looking at 107% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. It also chips in with some vitamin C (22% DV).
Carrots, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt stays near the top because 852mcg per 100g is still a very aggressive number for vitamin a. You are looking at 95% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. At 35 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
Sweet potato, cooked, boiled, without skin makes the cut on substance, not hype: 787mcg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. 87% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. It is also fairly light at 76 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions.
Fish, tuna, fresh, bluefin, cooked, dry heat holds its spot because 757mcg of vitamin a is still comfortably strong. That translates to 84% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. It also chips in with some protein (60% DV). The strong protein content makes it more practical than foods that only win on one micronutrient.
Dandelion greens, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt is not the flashiest name on the page, but the nutrient density is real at 727mcg per 100g. 81% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. It is also fairly light at 33 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions. It also chips in with some vitamin C (20% DV).
Carrots, baby, raw holds its spot because 690mcg of vitamin a is still comfortably strong. That translates to 77% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. At 35 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
Scrapple, pork holds its spot because 626mcg of vitamin a is still comfortably strong. You are looking at 70% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this.
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 482mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.
Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt rounds out the ranking with 618mcg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. You are looking at 69% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. It is also fairly light at 26 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions. It also chips in with some vitamin C (28% DV).
Vegetables, mixed (corn, lima beans, peas, green beans, carrots) canned, no salt added lands lower on the page, but 583mcg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. You are looking at 65% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. At 37 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions.
Lambsquarters, raw lands lower on the page, but 580mcg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. You are looking at 64% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. It is also fairly light at 43 kcal per 100g, which makes the ranking easier to use in normal portions. The extra vitamin C (89% DV) and calcium (24% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Turnip greens, raw lands lower on the page, but 579mcg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. 64% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. At 32 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the vitamin C (67% DV) and folate (49% DV).
Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable vitamin a density. 58% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. At 23 kcal per 100g, this is one of the easier entries to use without overthinking portions. It also brings useful amounts of iron (20% DV) and magnesium (21% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Cheese, goat, hard type lands lower on the page, but 486mcg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. You are looking at 54% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. At 452 kcal per 100g, the nutrient density is strong but the portion size still deserves respect. The extra protein (61% DV) and calcium (69% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 423mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.