More Vitamin C Than an Orange? 16 Delicious Foods High in Vitamin C
8 minute read
Vitamin C is one of the most versatile and most highly regarded vitamins available. That’s because it has been linked to such a wide range of health benefits, and it occurs in a variety of foods.
Vitamin C can help boost immunity, improve energy, and more. If you’re looking for ways to increase the amount of vitamin C in your diet, look no further. Here are 16 foods that contain a good amount of vitamin C that you can add to your diet right away.
1. Oranges
Perhaps the food most immediately associated with vitamin C, oranges comprise a significant portion of the world’s dietary vitamin C intake. That’s because simply one orange contains 70mg of vitamin C, which is more than 75% of your daily value.
| Related: 8 Health Benefits of Eating Pineapples |
So if you eat an orange each day, you only need a little more to meet your daily quota.
2. Strawberries
Just one cup of strawberries will get you about 90mg of vitamin C, which is 100% of your daily value. So it only takes a small handful of this delicious fruit to get your immunity where it needs to be.
Strawberries have also been linked to healthy heart function, so there’s double the reason for eating them.
3. Lychees
A single serving of lychee gives you more than enough daily vitamin C, clocking in at around 150% of the daily recommended value.
They’re certainly not one of the most commonly eaten fruits, at least in the United States. Plus, their strange appearance can be daunting if you spot them at the grocery store, but don’t be afraid. These strange little guys are a potent source of vitamin C, so keep them in mind.
4. Broccoli
We don’t often think of broccoli when we think vitamin C. We usually think more about fruits, specifically the citrus variety, but cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower can be a potent source of vitamin C as well.
Just half a cup of cooked broccoli gives you more than 50% of the daily recommended value of vitamin C.
5. Lemons
As mentioned above, citrus fruits are a great source of vitamin C. Lemons are legendary for their use centuries ago among sailors to prevent scurvy.
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Lemon juice also contains potent antioxidants, which help protect your immune system. Just one whole lemon will give you over 90% of your daily recommended value of vitamin C, so try adding lemon juice to water to a little vitamin C kick.
6. Kiwis
These fuzzy fruits may be small, but they pack quite a punch when it comes to vitamin C. Just one kiwi contains almost 80% of the daily recommended value of vitamin C.
| Related: The 12 Most Antioxidant-Rich Foods |
And kiwis have been shown to help with immunity and oxidative stress, likely because they’re loaded with antioxidants.
7. Cherries
Cherries are supercharged with vitamin C. Just a single half-cup serving of red cherries can give you over 9 times the recommended daily value.
They’re a delicious snack that you can enjoy guilt-free, knowing that you’re boosting your immunity with a potent dose of vitamin C.
8. Rose Hips
You might be asking yourself, what is a rose hip? Well, that’s understandable, but you should know that these tiny fruits attached to rose plants are absolutely stuffed with vitamin C.
Just five rose hips will give you more than enough daily vitamin C, and this fruit has also been shown to help with the appearance of skin.
9. Kakadu Plums
Unless you’re from Australia, you might not have heard of Kakadu plums before. But Aussies know this is a native superfood that contains more vitamin C than 100 oranges.
This is the food with the highest known concentration of vitamin C, which is why Australians have been enjoying its benefits for a long time.
10. Guavas
Guavas can be found in Mexico, Hawaii, and South America. Just one of these fruits contains approximately 140% of your daily vitamin C, so it’s a great superfood if you’re looking for something a little more exotic than oranges.
| Related: 9 Surprising Health Benefits of Guava Leaves |
11. Papayas
One cup of papayas will get you close to 100% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. Papaya has also been shown to help with inflammation and oxidative stress, a common theme with many of the fruits listed here also being anti-inflammatory foods.
12. Persimmons
There’s a chance you’ve eaten a persimmon before and not even known it. They’re remarkably similar to tomatoes, but unlike tomatoes they have a high amount of vitamin C.
13. Brussels Sprouts
You may not have enjoyed eating brussels sprouts as a kid, but it turns out your parents were right for trying to make you eat this savory vegetable. Brussels sprouts are loaded with vitamins, like vitamin A, vitamin K, and of course, vitamin C.
14. Blackcurrants
Blackcurrants look like darker blueberries, and they are loaded with vitamin C, as well as antioxidants. In fact, the antioxidants are what give these berries their dark color. Just one half-cup of blackcurrants gives you more than enough vitamin C for the day.
15. Chili Peppers
There are both red and green chili peppers, and while the red variety is the more famous one, the green chili peppers actually contain more vitamin C. Just one green chili pepper gives you about 120% of your daily recommended amount.
16. Bell Peppers
Bell peppers are a staple in many dishes, especially in Mexican food. But beyond their delicious flavor, these peppers have a surprising amount of vitamin C hiding inside. A single half-cup serving of these peppers will give you approximately 150% of the daily recommended value.
The Bottom Line
You may have thought oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits were the best and only ways to get vitamin C into your diet. And while it’s true that these fruits are a great source of this vitamin, there are other ways you can incorporate vitamin C into your diet, even if you don’t want to load up on oranges.
Try some of these foods in your next week’s meal plan. Your immune system will thank you for it!
