20 Foods High in Beta-Carotene: Best Sources for Eye Health, Immune Function, and Skin Protection

Beta-carotene is the orange-red pigment responsible for the color of carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins, and it is the most abundant of a family of plant compounds called carotenoids. Its biological importance goes well beyond color: beta-carotene is a provitamin A carotenoid, meaning your body converts it into retinol, the active form of vitamin A, at a rate it regulates on its own. This conversion supports vision in low light, the maintenance of your skin and mucous membrane barriers, and normal immune cell function. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements explains that beta-carotene also acts directly as an antioxidant in its unconverted form, neutralizing reactive oxygen species in fatty tissues and cell membranes before they can damage surrounding cells.

Because beta-carotene converts to vitamin A only as needed, the Recommended Dietary Allowance is expressed in micrograms of retinol activity equivalents, or mcg RAE, which accounts for the fact that your body must convert roughly 12 micrograms of dietary beta-carotene into just 1 microgram of usable retinol. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health lists the adult RDA at 900 mcg RAE for men and 700 mcg RAE for women, and notes that carotenoids are fat-soluble, so pairing beta-carotene-rich vegetables with a source of dietary fat, like olive oil or nuts, meaningfully improves how much your body actually absorbs. The 20 foods below are the richest beta-carotene sources available, spanning vibrant orange vegetables, leafy greens, and a few fruits that carry more of this carotenoid than most people expect.

20 Foods With the Highest Beta-Carotene Content

1. Sweet Potato: The Benchmark Beta-Carotene Food

Sweet potato is one of the single richest whole-food sources of beta-carotene available, with its deep orange flesh signaling an exceptionally high concentration of the pigment. A single medium sweet potato can supply several times the daily vitamin A requirement once your body converts its beta-carotene content.

Because the conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A is self-limiting, eating sweet potato regularly does not carry the toxicity risk associated with preformed vitamin A from animal sources. This makes it a genuinely low-risk way to build a consistent vitamin A intake through food rather than supplements.

Best eaten: Baked whole with the skin on, or roasted with a small amount of olive oil to improve absorption.

Per 1 medium baked sweet potato with skin (114 g).

2. Carrots: The Most Recognized Beta-Carotene Food

Carrots are the food most commonly associated with beta-carotene, and for good reason: a single medium carrot supplies a substantial share of daily vitamin A needs once converted. Cooking carrots lightly actually improves beta-carotene bioavailability by breaking down the plant cell walls that hold the pigment.

Eating unusually large amounts of carrots or carrot juice over several weeks can cause carotenemia, a harmless yellow-orange skin discoloration most visible on the palms and soles. Cleveland Clinic notes that this condition is cosmetic, reverses once intake decreases, and does not affect the whites of the eyes the way jaundice does.

Best eaten: Roasted or steamed with a source of fat, or eaten raw with hummus.

Per 1 medium raw carrot (61 g).

3. Pumpkin: A Concentrated Fall Staple

Pumpkin, particularly canned pumpkin puree, delivers one of the highest beta-carotene concentrations of any commonly eaten vegetable. Because canning involves cooking the pumpkin down, canned pumpkin actually has a more concentrated and bioavailable beta-carotene content than an equivalent amount of raw pumpkin flesh.

Pumpkin’s mild flavor makes it easy to fold into both sweet and savory dishes without the need for added sugar, which keeps it a genuinely nutrient-dense way to boost beta-carotene intake through the colder months when fresh orange produce is less abundant.

Best eaten: Stirred into oatmeal or soups, or baked into muffins with warming spices.

Per 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (245 g).

4. Butternut Squash: A Versatile Roasting Vegetable

Butternut squash carries a dense beta-carotene content packed into a mildly sweet, nutty flesh that holds up well to roasting, pureeing, and stuffing into grain bowls. Its beta-carotene content rivals that of pumpkin, making it an easy substitute in recipes calling for either vegetable.

The skin of butternut squash is edible once roasted at high heat, and leaving it on preserves additional fiber alongside the vegetable’s carotenoid content. Roasting with a drizzle of olive oil is one of the simplest ways to improve absorption of its fat-soluble beta-carotene.

Best eaten: Cubed and roasted with olive oil, or pureed into soup.

Per 1 cup cooked, cubed (205 g).

5. Cantaloupe: A Sweet, Hydrating Source

Cantaloupe stands out among melons for its orange flesh, which signals a meaningful beta-carotene content that honeydew and most other melon varieties simply do not have. Its high water content also makes it an easy, hydrating way to add carotenoids to a summer diet.

Cantaloupe pairs its beta-carotene with a solid dose of vitamin C, giving it a dual antioxidant role in a single fruit. Because it is naturally sweet and low in calories, it works well as a produce-forward alternative to processed snacks.

Best eaten: Fresh and chilled, cut just before serving to preserve texture and flavor.

Per 1 cup cubed (160 g).

6. Mango: A Tropical Beta-Carotene Source

Mango’s golden-orange flesh carries a moderate but meaningful beta-carotene content, along with a range of other carotenoids that contribute to its color. While it supplies less beta-carotene per serving than orange vegetables, mango’s natural sweetness makes it an easy fruit to eat regularly.

Ripe mango tends to carry more beta-carotene than underripe fruit, since the carotenoid content increases as the fruit matures and its color deepens. Pairing mango with a source of fat, like a spoonful of Greek yogurt or a handful of nuts, supports better absorption.

Best eaten: Fresh, sliced into salads, or blended into smoothies.

Per 1 cup sliced (165 g).

7. Dried Apricots: A Concentrated Snack Source

Drying apricots concentrates their beta-carotene content substantially compared to fresh fruit, since removing water shrinks the fruit down while its nutrient content remains largely intact. A small handful of dried apricots delivers a beta-carotene dose that would require eating several fresh apricots to match.

Because dried fruit is calorie-dense relative to its size, dried apricots work best as a portioned snack rather than something eaten freely from the bag. Pairing them with a few nuts adds the fat needed to help the body absorb their carotenoid content.

Best eaten: As a portioned snack, or chopped into oatmeal and trail mix.

Per 1/4 cup (33 g).

8. Red Bell Peppers: A Beta-Carotene and Vitamin C Combination

Red bell peppers develop their beta-carotene content as they ripen from green to red, which is why red peppers carry substantially more of this carotenoid than their green, unripe counterparts. This same ripening process also boosts their vitamin C content, giving red peppers a strong combined antioxidant profile.

Their crisp texture and mild sweetness make red bell peppers easy to eat raw, which preserves their vitamin C content, though light cooking with a touch of oil can improve beta-carotene absorption if that trade-off suits a particular dish.

Best eaten: Raw in salads, or roasted with olive oil for improved absorption.

Per 1 medium red bell pepper (119 g).

9. Spinach: A Leafy Green Carotenoid Source

Spinach carries a substantial beta-carotene content hidden behind its green chlorophyll pigment, since the orange carotenoid color is masked rather than absent. This is a pattern shared by most dark leafy greens, which are often overlooked as carotenoid sources because they lack the obvious orange hue of carrots or sweet potato.

The Mayo Clinic notes that beta-carotene converts in the body to vitamin A, which supports healthy eyes, skin, and normal immune system function. Because spinach wilts down significantly when cooked, a cooked serving delivers a more concentrated beta-carotene dose than the same volume of raw leaves.

Best eaten: Lightly sautéed in olive oil, or blended into smoothies.

Per 1 cup raw (30 g).

10. Kale: A Nutrient-Dense Green With Eye Health Support

Kale delivers one of the higher beta-carotene contents among leafy greens, alongside the related carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which concentrate specifically in the macula of the eye. This combination makes kale a particularly relevant food for long-term eye health rather than beta-carotene alone.

The National Eye Institute notes that while earlier eye health supplement formulas included beta-carotene, newer versions replaced it with lutein and zeaxanthin after research found that concentrated beta-carotene supplements raised lung cancer risk specifically in people who smoke. Getting beta-carotene from kale and other whole foods rather than high-dose supplements avoids this concern entirely.

Best eaten: Massaged raw with olive oil and lemon, or roasted into chips.

Per 1 cup raw, chopped (67 g).

11. Collard Greens: A Southern Staple With Dense Carotenoid Content

Collard greens carry one of the highest beta-carotene contents of any commonly eaten leafy green, particularly once cooked down from their raw volume. Traditional slow-cooking methods for collards also happen to be prepared with a small amount of fat, which inadvertently improves how much beta-carotene the body absorbs from the dish.

Beyond beta-carotene, collard greens supply a meaningful amount of vitamin K and calcium, making them a nutritionally dense choice for a side dish that goes well beyond a single nutrient category.

Best eaten: Braised slowly with onion and a small amount of olive oil or broth.

Per 1 cup cooked (190 g).

12. Turnip Greens: An Underused Beta-Carotene Source

Turnip greens, the leafy tops of the turnip plant, are often discarded even though they carry a beta-carotene content well above the turnip root itself. Their slightly bitter, peppery flavor mellows considerably with cooking, making them an easy addition to soups and braises.

Because turnip greens are inexpensive and often sold attached to the root vegetable, they represent one of the most cost-effective ways to add a concentrated dose of beta-carotene to a weekly meal rotation.

Best eaten: Sautéed with garlic, or simmered into soups and stews.

Per 1 cup cooked (144 g).

13. Romaine Lettuce: A Mild, Everyday Source

Romaine lettuce carries more beta-carotene than lighter-colored lettuce varieties like iceberg, since its deeper green leaves signal a higher carotenoid content. While it delivers less beta-carotene per serving than cooked greens, its mild flavor and crunch make it an easy way to eat carotenoid-rich produce daily without much effort.

Choosing the darker outer leaves of a romaine head over the pale inner leaves increases the beta-carotene content of a given serving, since carotenoid concentration tracks closely with how deeply colored the leaf is.

Best eaten: Raw in salads and wraps, favoring the darker outer leaves.

Per 1 cup shredded (47 g).

14. Persimmons: A Fall Fruit Rich in Carotenoids

Persimmons carry a notably high beta-carotene content for a fruit, with their bright orange flesh signaling a carotenoid density closer to that of orange vegetables than most other fruits achieve. The Fuyu variety, which can be eaten while still firm, is among the most widely available types in most grocery stores.

Persimmons also supply a meaningful amount of fiber and vitamin C alongside their beta-carotene content, rounding out their profile as a genuinely nutrient-dense seasonal fruit rather than a novelty item.

Best eaten: Fresh and sliced, or added to salads with cheese and nuts.

Per 1 medium Fuyu persimmon (168 g).

15. Broccoli: A Cruciferous Vegetable With a Carotenoid Bonus

Broccoli is best known for its vitamin C and fiber content, but its florets also carry a meaningful amount of beta-carotene that is easy to overlook given the vegetable’s green color. This makes broccoli a useful secondary source for people who are already eating it regularly for other reasons.

Steaming broccoli lightly, rather than boiling it, helps retain more of its carotenoid and vitamin content, since prolonged contact with boiling water leaches water-soluble nutrients out into the cooking liquid.

Best eaten: Steamed or roasted with olive oil.

Per 1 cup cooked, chopped (156 g).

16. Swiss Chard: A Colorful, Nutrient-Dense Green

Swiss chard carries a beta-carotene content comparable to collard greens and turnip greens, packed into large, tender leaves that cook down quickly. Its stems, which range from white to deep red depending on the variety, are also edible and add a mild, slightly earthy flavor to sautés.

Because chard wilts substantially when cooked, a single cup of cooked leaves represents several cups of raw chard, concentrating its beta-carotene content into a smaller, easier-to-eat portion.

Best eaten: Sautéed with garlic and a splash of lemon juice.

Per 1 cup cooked (175 g).

17. Green Peas: A Protein-Rich Beta-Carotene Source

Green peas are not the first food most people associate with beta-carotene, but their bright green color comes partly from carotenoid pigments alongside chlorophyll. Peas offer the added benefit of a meaningful plant protein and fiber content, making them one of the more filling entries on this list.

Frozen peas retain their beta-carotene content well, since they are typically flash-frozen shortly after harvest, which makes them a convenient, year-round way to work this nutrient into weeknight meals.

Best eaten: Steamed and tossed with butter or olive oil, or added to grain bowls.

Per 1 cup cooked (160 g).

18. Paprika: A Concentrated Spice Source

Paprika, made from dried and ground red peppers, carries an unusually concentrated beta-carotene content for a spice, since drying removes water while leaving the pigment behind. Because it is used in small amounts, paprika will not replace a serving of vegetables, but it does add a meaningful boost to whatever dish it seasons.

Cooking paprika briefly in oil before adding other ingredients, a technique common in many cuisines, helps release and dissolve its fat-soluble carotenoids into the dish for better absorption.

Best eaten: Bloomed briefly in oil at the start of cooking, then used to season roasted vegetables, stews, or rice dishes.

Per 1 tablespoon (6.9 g).

19. Parsley: A Fresh Herb With Meaningful Carotenoid Content

Fresh parsley carries a surprisingly high beta-carotene content relative to its typical serving size, since it is one of the more carotenoid-dense leafy herbs available. Because it is usually used as a garnish rather than eaten in large quantities, its contribution depends heavily on how generously it is used.

Using parsley as a genuine ingredient, stirred into grain salads or blended into sauces like chimichurri, rather than as a decorative sprinkle, makes its beta-carotene content nutritionally relevant rather than incidental.

Best eaten: Chopped generously into salads, grain bowls, or blended sauces.

Per 1/4 cup chopped, fresh (15 g).

20. Kabocha Squash: A Dense Winter Squash Source

Kabocha squash, sometimes called Japanese pumpkin, carries a beta-carotene content on par with butternut squash, packed into a dense, naturally sweet flesh. Its thin skin softens fully when roasted, meaning it can be eaten without peeling, which preserves additional fiber alongside its carotenoid content.

Kabocha’s naturally sweet, chestnut-like flavor makes it a good entry point for people who find other winter squash varieties bland, and its dense texture holds up well in both roasted and pureed preparations.

Best eaten: Roasted in wedges with the skin on, or pureed into soup.

Per 1 cup cooked, cubed (150 g).

Summary: Top 20 Beta-Carotene Foods at a Glance

Tips for Getting the Most Beta-Carotene From Food

Pair beta-carotene-rich foods with a source of fat. Beta-carotene is fat-soluble, meaning it requires dietary fat to be absorbed efficiently from the digestive tract. A drizzle of olive oil on roasted vegetables or a handful of nuts alongside a salad makes a meaningful difference in how much of the carotenoid your body actually absorbs.

Cook orange vegetables lightly rather than eating them entirely raw. Cooking breaks down the plant cell walls that hold beta-carotene in place, which generally increases how much becomes available for absorption. Light steaming or roasting strikes a good balance between improved bioavailability and nutrient retention.

Don’t overlook leafy greens as carotenoid sources. Kale, spinach, collard greens, and Swiss chard all carry substantial beta-carotene content, even though their green chlorophyll masks the orange pigment. Rotating leafy greens alongside orange vegetables broadens your carotenoid intake beyond the usual suspects.

Favor whole foods over concentrated supplements. A 2010 review published in the peer-reviewed literature confirmed that the adverse lung cancer findings from large clinical trials were specific to high-dose synthetic beta-carotene supplements taken by smokers, not beta-carotene from food. Eating beta-carotene-rich vegetables and fruits carries no such risk and remains associated with better health outcomes across the general population.

Use color as a rough guide, but check twice with leafy greens. The deeper and more vivid the orange, red, or yellow color of a fruit or vegetable, the more beta-carotene it likely contains, with sweet potato, pumpkin, and butternut squash sitting at the top of that scale. Dark leafy greens are the main exception to this rule, since their carotenoid content is hidden behind chlorophyll.

Be mindful of very high intakes if you smoke. While beta-carotene from whole foods is considered safe at any realistic dietary intake, people who currently smoke should avoid concentrated beta-carotene supplements specifically, based on the consistent findings from large-scale clinical trials.

The Bottom Line

Sweet potato, pumpkin, and butternut squash top the list for sheer beta-carotene concentration, while kale, collard greens, and Swiss chard prove that leafy greens deserve just as much credit despite their green color. Pairing any of these foods with a source of dietary fat, like olive oil or nuts, is the single habit that does the most to help your body actually absorb and use the beta-carotene you eat.

Nutrition data sourced from the USDA FoodData Central database. Individual values may vary based on food preparation, origin, and growing conditions. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.

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