15 Vitamin E Foods That Protect Your Cells
Vitamin E is your body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant. Most people get half of what they need. These foods change that.
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
Created By
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.
How This Page Is Made
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 e 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 E is your body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant — it lives in cell membranes and protects them from oxidative damage. This is especially important in the brain, eyes, and skin, where cells are exposed to high levels of free radicals. Vitamin E also supports immune function and helps prevent blood clotting.
Daily target
The FDA daily value is 15mg (22.4 IU of natural vitamin E). Most Americans fall short at around 7-8mg. Unlike water-soluble vitamins, vitamin E is stored in fat tissue, so deficiency develops slowly but can impair nerve and muscle function over time.
How to use the list
Nuts, seeds, and plant oils are the richest sources. A single ounce of sunflower seeds covers nearly 50% of your daily needs. Vitamin E needs dietary fat for absorption, so fat-free salad dressings can reduce the vitamin E you absorb from vegetables.
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.
Nuts, almonds sits at the top because 26mg of vitamin e per 100g is hard for anything else to match. You are looking at 171% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 579 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (42% DV) and fiber (45% DV). High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Worth knowing
Calorie-dense at 579 kcal per 100g, so portion size matters.
Nuts, almond butter, plain, without salt added belongs in the top tier of this ranking, with 24mg of vitamin e per 100g. You are looking at 161% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 614 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (42% DV) and fiber (37% DV). High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.15g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Seeds, sunflower seed butter, without salt ranks this highly because it is one of the cleaner ways to get a lot of vitamin e quickly. You are looking at 153% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 617 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. It also brings useful amounts of protein (35% DV) and fiber (20% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.68g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, hazelnuts or filberts, blanched belongs in the top tier of this ranking, with 18mg of vitamin e per 100g. That translates to 117% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. The tradeoff is calorie density at 629 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (27% DV) and fiber (39% DV). High fiber helps this food feel more useful in real meals, not just in spreadsheets.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.67g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Peanut butter with omega-3, creamy is not the flashiest name on the page, but the nutrient density is real at 10mg per 100g. That translates to 69% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. The tradeoff is calorie density at 608 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. The extra protein (49% DV) and fiber (22% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 9.69g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, pine nuts, dried is not the flashiest name on the page, but the nutrient density is real at 9.3mg per 100g. 62% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. The tradeoff is calorie density at 673 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. The extra protein (27% DV) and iron (31% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 4.9g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Peanuts, all types, raw holds its spot because 8.3mg of vitamin e is still comfortably strong. That translates to 56% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. The tradeoff is calorie density at 567 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. It also brings useful amounts of protein (52% DV) and fiber (30% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 6.28g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Peanut spread, reduced sugar makes the cut on substance, not hype: 8.1mg per 100g is enough to matter in an actual diet. 54% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. The tradeoff is calorie density at 650 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. The extra protein (50% DV) and fiber (28% DV) help this entry hold up outside of the headline nutrient.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 10.2g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Fish, fish sticks, frozen, prepared holds its spot because 6.9mg of vitamin e is still comfortably strong. You are looking at 46% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. A secondary plus is its protein (22% DV).
Worth knowing
High in sodium at 402mg per 100g, so it may not be the best fit for a low-sodium diet.
Peanuts, virginia, raw rounds out the ranking with 6.6mg per 100g, which is still enough to be useful if it already fits your meals. You are looking at 44% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 563 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (50% DV) and fiber (30% DV).
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 6.43g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Mollusks, conch, baked or broiled lands lower on the page, but 6.3mg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. You are looking at 42% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. It also brings useful amounts of protein (53% DV) and magnesium (57% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food. Because protein is high too, it is easier to build a full meal around than some single-purpose nutrient sources.
Worth knowing
Relatively high in cholesterol at 65mg per 100g.
Nuts, mixed nuts, dry roasted, with peanuts, without salt added is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable vitamin e density. That translates to 41% of the daily value, so it can materially move your intake in one serving. The tradeoff is calorie density at 607 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. It also brings useful amounts of protein (39% DV) and fiber (23% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 8.01g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, brazilnuts, dried, unblanched is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable vitamin e density. 38% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. The tradeoff is calorie density at 659 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. There is more here than the main number alone, especially the protein (29% DV) and fiber (27% DV).
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 16.1g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Nuts, mixed nuts, dry roasted, with peanuts, salt added, PLANTERS pistachio blend lands lower on the page, but 5.7mg per 100g is still better than what you get from most foods. You are looking at 38% of the daily value per 100g, which is why it stands out in a nutrient-specific ranking like this. The tradeoff is calorie density at 572 kcal per 100g, so this works better as a measured addition than a pile-it-on food. It also brings useful amounts of protein (47% DV) and fiber (29% DV), so it is not just a one-stat food.
Worth knowing
High in saturated fat with 6.71g per 100g, which is worth watching if you are managing heart health or cholesterol.
Eggs, Grade A, Large, egg yolk is here because even the back half of this list still offers respectable vitamin e density. 38% of the daily value is enough to make this a serious contributor rather than a token source. A secondary plus is its protein (32% DV).