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The foods highest in vitamin A are liver and other organ meats, cod liver oil, and deep orange and dark green vegetables such as sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots, collards and spinach. Dairy foods, eggs and some fish add smaller amounts. In USDA SR Legacy data, a 3-ounce serving of pan-fried beef liver holds 6,582 micrograms RAE, or 731% of the Daily Value, while a cup of baked sweet potato holds 214%. This guide lists foods high in vitamin A with USDA values and FDC IDs, explains the two forms of vitamin A in food, and covers the upper limit and pregnancy cautions that NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) describes.
Peptide Labs does not sell vitamin A foods or a vitamin A supplement. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Animal foods supply preformed vitamin A (retinol); plants supply provitamin A carotenoids that the body converts.
- Liver is by far the richest source: one 3-ounce serving of beef liver gives 731% of the Daily Value in USDA data.
- Sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash and collards each exceed 100% of the Daily Value per cup.
- The ODS upper limit applies to preformed vitamin A only, not to carotenoids from plant foods.
- Preformed vitamin A above the upper limit can cause birth defects, so pregnancy calls for a conversation with your clinician about liver and supplements.
Two kinds of vitamin A in food
ODS explains that the diet contains two sources of vitamin A. Preformed vitamin A (retinol and retinyl esters) comes from animal foods: dairy, eggs, fish and organ meats. Provitamin A carotenoids, mainly beta-carotene, alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin, are plant pigments that the body converts into vitamin A in the intestine. Other carotenoids such as lycopene and lutein are not converted into vitamin A at all.
Because the two forms are not equally potent, labels and nutrition tables use retinol activity equivalents (RAE). Per the ODS fact sheet, 1 microgram RAE equals 1 microgram of retinol, 12 micrograms of beta-carotene from food, or 24 micrograms of alpha-carotene or beta-cryptoxanthin from food. ODS also notes that the body may absorb 75% to 100% of retinol but, in most cases, only 10% to 30% of the beta-carotene in foods, and that cooking can make beta-carotene more available. Our guide to beta-carotene covers how the plant form compares with retinol in more detail.
Foods high in vitamin A: USDA values per serving
The table lists vitamin A rich foods and other foods with vitamin A from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy). The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses FDA’s Daily Value of 900 micrograms RAE. ODS notes that a food giving 20% of the Daily Value or more counts as a high source.
| Food (USDA FDC ID) | Serving | Vitamin A (mcg RAE) | % DV | Main form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beef liver, pan-fried (168627) | 3 oz (85 g) | 6,582 | 731% | Preformed |
| Chicken liver, simmered (171061) | 3 oz (85 g) | 3,384 | 376% | Preformed |
| Sweet potato, baked in skin (168483) | 1 cup (200 g) | 1,922 | 214% | Provitamin A |
| Pumpkin, canned, no salt (168450) | 1 cup (245 g) | 1,906 | 212% | Provitamin A |
| Cod liver oil (173577) | 1 tsp (4.5 g) | 1,350 | 150% | Preformed |
| Butternut squash, baked (169296) | 1 cup cubes (205 g) | 1,144 | 127% | Provitamin A |
| Collards, frozen, boiled (169996) | 1 cup (170 g) | 978 | 109% | Provitamin A |
| Carrots, boiled (170394) | 1/2 cup slices (78 g) | 665 | 74% | Provitamin A |
| Spinach, frozen, boiled (169288) | 1/2 cup (95 g) | 573 | 64% | Provitamin A |
| Carrot, raw (170393) | 1 medium (61 g) | 509 | 57% | Provitamin A |
| Cantaloupe, raw (169092) | 1 cup cubes (160 g) | 270 | 30% | Provitamin A |
| Red sweet pepper, raw (170108) | 1 cup chopped (149 g) | 234 | 26% | Provitamin A |
| Herring, Atlantic, pickled (175118) | 3 oz (85 g) | 219 | 24% | Preformed |
| Romaine lettuce, raw (169247) | 1 cup shredded (47 g) | 205 | 23% | Provitamin A |
| Kale, boiled (169238) | 1 cup (118 g) | 172 | 19% | Provitamin A |
| Nonfat milk, vitamin A and D added (171269) | 1 cup (245 g) | 149 | 17% | Preformed (added) |
| Butter, salted (173410) | 1 tbsp (14.2 g) | 97 | 11% | Mostly preformed |
| Cheddar cheese (173414) | 1 oz (28 g) | 96 | 11% | Mostly preformed |
| Mango, raw (169910) | 1 cup (165 g) | 89 | 10% | Provitamin A |
| Egg, hard-boiled (173424) | 1 large (50 g) | 75 | 8% | Preformed |
| Salmon, sockeye, cooked (173692) | 3 oz (85 g) | 49 | 5% | Preformed |
FDA does not require a Nutrition Facts label to list vitamin A unless it has been added to the food, so many packages are silent about it (ODS).
Plant vitamin A foods: orange and dark green
Most provitamin A in the US diet comes from leafy greens, orange and yellow vegetables, tomato products and fruits, according to ODS. The plant entries in the table share a clue you can see: deep orange flesh or dark green leaves.
- Orange vegetables: sweet potato, canned pumpkin, butternut squash and carrots lead the plant list. In USDA data a cup of baked sweet potato carries 23,018 micrograms of beta-carotene.
- Dark greens: collards, spinach, romaine and kale. Our guide to greens compares them, and the same greens are rich in vitamin K (see vitamin K foods).
- Fruits: cantaloupe and mango give smaller amounts.
- Red peppers: a cup of chopped red sweet pepper adds about a quarter of the Daily Value for vitamin A, plus a lot of vitamin C (see vitamin C foods).
Raw and cooked carrots land close together per 100 grams in SR Legacy (835 and 852 micrograms RAE), and ODS notes that cooking can make the beta-carotene easier to absorb. Because vitamin A and carotenoids are fat-soluble, they are absorbed along with the fat in a meal.
Animal foods with preformed vitamin A
Concentrations of preformed vitamin A are highest in liver, fish, eggs and dairy products (ODS). In practice, liver stands far above everything else:
- Liver: beef and chicken liver hold several times the Daily Value per serving. Desiccated liver capsules are a different product; see our beef liver supplement guide.
- Cod liver oil: one teaspoon gives 150% of the Daily Value for vitamin A and 56% for vitamin D in USDA data. Our cod liver oil guide covers the label differences between brands.
- Fish: pickled herring has a notable amount but also 32% of the Daily Value for sodium per 3 ounces; salmon has little vitamin A but a lot of vitamin D.
- Dairy and eggs: fortified nonfat milk, cheese, butter and eggs each add modest amounts. Butter and cheddar also carry saturated fat (36% and 27% of the Daily Value per serving shown); see butter vs margarine.
How much vitamin A is too much? ODS reference values
ODS lists Recommended Dietary Allowances of 900 micrograms RAE for adult men and 700 micrograms RAE for adult women; the Daily Value on labels is 900. These are population reference values, not personal targets, and your clinician is the right person to judge your own needs. Average US intakes from food were 682 (men) and 616 (women) micrograms RAE in 2017-2018 NHANES data cited by ODS, and ODS describes vitamin A deficiency as uncommon in the United States.
The Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for adults is 3,000 micrograms of preformed vitamin A, per ODS. It applies only to animal foods and to supplements whose vitamin A is retinol or retinyl esters; carotenoids from plants do not count toward it. In USDA data a single 3-ounce serving of pan-fried beef liver holds more than twice that adult UL. Because the body stores vitamin A in the liver, ODS notes that regular high intakes can lead to chronic toxicity, with signs such as dry skin, painful muscles and joints, fatigue and abnormal liver tests.
Medicines matter too. ODS notes that oral retinoid medicines can raise the risk of vitamin A toxicity when combined with vitamin A supplements, and that orlistat can lower absorption of vitamin A and beta-carotene (see our Alli and orlistat guide). Tell your pharmacist about any vitamin A supplement you use.
Pregnancy and preformed vitamin A
ODS states that total intakes of preformed vitamin A above the UL, as well as some retinoid medicines such as isotretinoin, can cause birth defects, including malformations of the eye, skull, lungs and heart. Experts cited by ODS advise people who are or might be pregnant, and those who are breastfeeding, not to use high-amount vitamin A supplements. Beta-carotene, by contrast, is not known to cause birth defects. Since liver, liver supplements and cod liver oil are such concentrated sources, ask your OB-GYN or midwife whether and how they fit your diet, and check the vitamin A form in any prenatal vitamin with them.
Can eating lots of carrots turn skin orange?
Yes. ODS describes carotenodermia, a yellow-orange tint of the skin from long-term high intake of beta-carotene, as harmless and reversible once intake drops. Supplements are a separate matter: in the ATBC and CARET trials summarized by ODS, large beta-carotene supplements raised the risk of lung cancer in people who smoked. That finding concerns supplements, not carrots.
Vitamin A in supplements and multivitamins
Many multivitamins supply vitamin A partly or wholly as beta-carotene. ODS explains that only the retinol or retinyl ester share counts toward the UL, so the label’s breakdown matters if you also eat liver or use cod liver oil. Our multivitamin guide walks through reading a Supplement Facts panel, and third-party testing explains what a seal does and does not confirm. For a wider look at foods that supply many nutrients per calorie, see our guide to nutrient-dense foods.
Frequently Asked Questions
What foods are highest in vitamin A?
Liver, cod liver oil, sweet potato, canned pumpkin, butternut squash, collards, carrots and spinach top the USDA values per serving. Liver is far higher than any plant food.
Which vegetables are high in vitamin A?
Orange vegetables (sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, carrots) and dark greens (collards, spinach, romaine, kale). Red sweet peppers add a smaller amount.
Is vitamin A from plants the same as from animal foods?
Not quite. Animal foods give preformed vitamin A (retinol). Plants give carotenoids that the body converts, less efficiently, which is why nutrition tables use RAE units.
Can you get too much vitamin A from food?
From preformed vitamin A, yes, mainly through frequent liver or cod liver oil plus supplements. ODS says plant carotenoids do not count toward the upper limit; their main excess effect is harmless orange-tinted skin.
Should pregnant people avoid liver?
ODS warns that preformed vitamin A above the upper limit can cause birth defects, and liver is very concentrated. Ask your OB-GYN or midwife how liver and any vitamin A supplement fit your pregnancy.
Does cooking destroy the vitamin A in carrots?
USDA values for raw and boiled carrots are similar per 100 grams, and ODS notes that cooking can make beta-carotene easier to absorb.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Nutrient-Dense Foods: What They Are, With a USDA Food List, Beta-Carotene: Foods, Vitamin A Conversion and the Smoker Trials, Sweet Potato Nutrition: Calories, Vitamin A and Sweet Potato vs Potato.