20 Foods High in Nitrates That Are Safe to Eat

Dietary nitrates have a complicated reputation, and for good reason: the word “nitrates” appears on processed meat labels as a preservative linked to increased cancer risk, yet the same compound occurs naturally in vegetables at far higher concentrations and is associated with reduced blood pressure, improved exercise performance, and better cardiovascular health. Understanding the distinction is essential because the source and food matrix make all the difference. Nitrates in vegetables come packaged with vitamin C, polyphenols, and antioxidants that direct them toward beneficial nitric oxide production in the body. Nitrates in processed meats are heated at high temperatures alongside protein-derived amines, producing nitrosamines, which are carcinogenic compounds that explain the cancer risk associated with cured and processed meats but not with vegetables. The Cleveland Clinic confirms that most dietary nitrates come from vegetables, where they are converted by the body to nitric oxide, a molecule that dilates blood vessels, lowers blood pressure, improves oxygen delivery to muscles, and supports endothelial health throughout the cardiovascular system.

The nitrate-to-nitric oxide pathway works as follows: dietary nitrate is absorbed in the small intestine, concentrated in saliva by the salivary glands, and reduced to nitrite by oral bacteria. Nitrite is then further reduced to nitric oxide in the stomach and bloodstream. This is why antibacterial mouthwash significantly blunts the blood pressure-lowering effects of nitrate-rich vegetables: by killing the oral bacteria that catalyze the critical first conversion step. Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has documented that regular vegetable nitrate consumption is associated with meaningful reductions in systolic blood pressure, reduced arterial stiffness, and improved exercise efficiency, particularly in older adults and people with hypertension.

There is no established RDA for dietary nitrates, but research suggests that 300 to 500 mg of nitrate daily from vegetables produces measurable cardiovascular benefits. The 20 foods below are the safest and most nitrate-dense vegetable and fruit sources, all of which provide their nitrates within an antioxidant-rich food matrix that supports beneficial nitric oxide production.

20 Foods High in Nitrates That Are Healthy

1. Beetroot: The Most Studied Dietary Nitrate Food

Raw or cooked beetroot provides approximately 250 to 500 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, the highest nitrate concentration of any commonly consumed whole vegetable. Beet nitrate has been more extensively studied for its cardiovascular and athletic performance effects than any other food, with dozens of randomized controlled trials documenting reductions in blood pressure of 4 to 10 mmHg and improvements in exercise efficiency of 1 to 3 percent from regular consumption.

Research from Wake Forest University found that dietary nitrate from beets increased blood flow to the frontal lobe of the brain, the area governing executive function and working memory, in older adults. A 2023 meta-analysis confirmed that beetroot juice consistently lowers systolic blood pressure across multiple populations.

Best eaten: Roasted whole and sliced into salads, steamed and blended into smoothies, or juiced raw for a concentrated nitrate dose; beet juice (unsweetened, no added sugar) is the most studied delivery form for cardiovascular effects.

Per 100 g raw; nitrate content varies by soil, season, and variety.

2. Arugula (Rocket): The Highest Nitrate Leafy Green

Arugula provides approximately 480 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, the highest nitrate concentration of any commonly consumed leafy green. Its peppery flavor reflects the high glucosinolate and nitrate content that makes it one of the most nitrate-dense salad greens available. Because arugula is typically eaten raw, its nitrate is delivered without the reduction that cooking causes.

The American Heart Association identifies leafy green vegetables as central to heart-healthy dietary patterns; arugula’s exceptional nitrate content makes it one of the most functionally valuable greens specifically for blood pressure and vascular health within that category.

Best eaten: Raw in salads dressed with lemon and olive oil, as a pizza topping added after baking, or blended into pesto; eating raw preserves full nitrate content.

Per 100 g raw.

3. Spinach: A High-Nitrate Everyday Leafy Green

Raw spinach provides approximately 250 to 350 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, making it one of the most nitrate-rich salad greens widely available. Cooked spinach retains meaningful nitrate but loses some through heat and leaching into cooking water, making raw spinach the more efficient nitrate delivery form per gram consumed.

Spinach’s nitrate content compounds with its folate, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin K to create a multi-pathway cardiovascular support package: nitrate lowers blood pressure through nitric oxide, potassium reduces sodium’s blood pressure-raising effect, and folate lowers homocysteine, all from a single leafy green eaten daily.

Best eaten: Raw in salads for maximum nitrate; blended into smoothies with fruit; lightly wilted into dishes where some nitrate reduction is acceptable for palatability.

Per 100 g raw.

4. Swiss Chard: A Leafy Green With Very High Nitrate

Swiss chard provides approximately 270 mg of nitrate per 100 grams alongside potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, and beta-carotene. It is one of the most underused high-nitrate leafy greens in American kitchens despite being widely available and one of the most mineral-dense leafy vegetables in the standard food supply.

Best eaten: Sauteed with garlic and olive oil, wilted into soups and lentil dishes, or used as a sturdy salad green when young; younger, smaller chard leaves have higher nitrate concentration than older, tougher leaves.

Per 100 g raw.

5. Celery: A Crunchy Everyday Nitrate Source

Celery provides approximately 200 to 250 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, making it one of the more nitrate-rich common vegetables eaten regularly as a snack. Its high water content means a standard stalk serving provides a modest absolute nitrate dose, but celery eaten daily as a crunchy snack or soup vegetable contributes a consistent nitrate background across the week.

Celery seed extract and celery juice have been studied specifically for blood pressure reduction, with their nitrate content being one proposed mechanism alongside phthalides, compounds unique to celery that relax smooth muscle in arterial walls through a separate pathway.

Best eaten: Raw as a snack with nut butter or hummus, chopped into soups and stews, or juiced for a more concentrated nitrate delivery.

Per 100 g raw.

6. Lettuce (Romaine and Butterhead): A Salad Base With Meaningful Nitrate

Romaine and butterhead lettuce provide approximately 100 to 200 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, lower than arugula or spinach but still meaningful given how frequently and abundantly lettuce is consumed as a salad base. Iceberg lettuce provides significantly less nitrate than romaine or butterhead varieties.

The NIH has documented that leafy salad greens consumed as a category are one of the primary daily nitrate sources for most people eating varied diets, with the cumulative nitrate from a large daily salad of mixed greens adding up to a cardiovascular-relevant dose even when individual leaf concentrations are moderate.

Best eaten: As a salad base with olive oil dressing, in lettuce wraps, or as a sandwich component; choose romaine or butterhead over iceberg for meaningfully higher nitrate content.

Per 100 g raw romaine.

7. Radishes: A Crunchy Nitrate-Rich Root Vegetable

Radishes provide approximately 200 mg of nitrate per 100 grams in a crisp, peppery package that is typically eaten raw, preserving full nitrate content. Their fast-growing nature means radishes accumulate nitrate from soil efficiently, and their small size encourages eating them whole rather than in small portions.

Best eaten: Sliced raw into salads, used as a crudité alongside hummus, or thinly sliced onto grain bowls and tacos; their peppery crunch adds flavor alongside nitrate to any fresh preparation.

Per 100 g raw.

8. Kale: A Dark Leafy Green With Nitrate and Antioxidants

Kale provides approximately 100 to 150 mg of nitrate per 100 grams alongside quercetin, kaempferol, vitamin K, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. While kale is lower in nitrate than arugula or spinach, its exceptional antioxidant content is particularly relevant for nitrate metabolism: vitamin C in kale helps prevent the conversion of nitrite to potentially harmful nitrosamines in the stomach, reinforcing the safety of vegetable-sourced nitrate.

Best eaten: Raw massaged into salads with citrus dressing, blended into green smoothies, or lightly sauteed with garlic; raw preparations preserve more nitrate than cooked.

Per 100 g raw.

9. Bok Choy: An Asian Green With Solid Nitrate Content

Bok choy provides approximately 100 to 180 mg of nitrate per 100 grams alongside calcium, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. As a staple vegetable in East Asian cuisines, bok choy contributes nitrate within a cultural eating pattern that is consistently associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease.

Best eaten: Stir-fried with garlic and ginger, added to miso soup, or steamed as a side dish alongside fish or tofu; halved and grilled briefly develops sweetness while preserving most nitrate.

Per 100 g raw.

10. Fennel: An Aromatic Vegetable With Meaningful Nitrate

Fennel bulb provides approximately 100 to 150 mg of nitrate per 100 grams alongside vitamin C, potassium, and the flavonoid anethole that gives it its characteristic anise flavor. Fennel is less commonly recognized as a nitrate food but provides a meaningful contribution when eaten regularly in Mediterranean-style cooking patterns.

Best eaten: Thinly shaved raw into salads with citrus and olive oil, roasted until caramelized, or braised alongside fish and chicken; the fronds and stalks also contain nitrate and can be used as an herb.

Per 100 g raw bulb.

11. Carrots: A Root Vegetable With Background Nitrate

Carrots provide approximately 80 to 100 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, lower than leafy greens but meaningful given how frequently carrots are consumed as a snack and cooking vegetable. Their orange color reflects high beta-carotene content that works alongside their nitrate in complementary cardiovascular protection pathways.

Best eaten: Raw as a snack with hummus or nut butter, roasted with olive oil and herbs, or cooked into soups and stews where their nitrate is partially retained in the cooking liquid.

Per 100 g raw.

12. Turnips: An Underused High-Nitrate Root Vegetable

Turnips provide approximately 140 to 200 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, significantly more nitrate than carrots or potatoes. Turnips are one of the most nitrate-dense common root vegetables yet one of the most underused in modern cooking, making them an accessible source of dietary nitrate for people looking to diversify beyond beets and spinach.

Best eaten: Roasted with olive oil and rosemary, mashed as a lower-carbohydrate potato substitute, or raw and grated into salads and coleslaws; turnip greens are also edible and provide additional nitrate.

Per 100 g raw.

13. Cabbage: An Affordable High-Nitrate Everyday Vegetable

Green cabbage provides approximately 100 to 150 mg of nitrate per 100 grams in one of the most affordable and widely available vegetable formats. Red cabbage provides similar nitrate alongside significantly higher anthocyanin antioxidants that complement the nitrate’s cardiovascular benefits through complementary pathways.

Best eaten: Raw in coleslaw and salads for maximum nitrate; lightly stir-fried or braised; fermented as sauerkraut where nitrate is partially retained alongside the probiotic benefit of lacto-fermentation.

Per 100 g raw green cabbage.

14. Broccoli: A Cruciferous Nitrate Source

Broccoli provides approximately 90 to 100 mg of nitrate per 100 grams alongside sulforaphane, vitamin C, vitamin K, and folate. While broccoli is not the highest-nitrate vegetable, its daily consumption as one of the most widely eaten cruciferous vegetables makes it a consistent background nitrate contributor across the week.

Sulforaphane in broccoli activates the Nrf2 pathway that upregulates the body’s own nitric oxide synthase enzyme production, creating a complementary nitric oxide-boosting mechanism that works alongside dietary nitrate’s direct contribution to nitric oxide availability.

Best eaten: Lightly steamed or roasted; avoid boiling which leaches nitrate and sulforaphane into the cooking water; raw broccoli retains full nitrate content.

Per 100 g raw.

15. Watercress: A Peppery Green With High Nitrate

Watercress provides approximately 180 to 220 mg of nitrate per 100 grams alongside vitamin K, vitamin C, and isothiocyanates with anti-cancer properties. Watercress is one of the most nitrate-dense commonly available salad greens and has been specifically studied for its effects on exercise performance in athletes.

Research published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that watercress consumption significantly reduced exercise-induced DNA damage in athletes, with both its nitrate and antioxidant content contributing to the protective effect observed.

Best eaten: Raw in salads and sandwiches, blended into green smoothies, or used as a garnish; its peppery flavor makes it a flavorful salad green that delivers high nitrate without any preparation beyond washing.

Per 100 g raw.

16. Parsley: A High-Nitrate Culinary Herb

Fresh parsley provides approximately 100 to 200 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, a surprisingly high concentration for a herb typically used in small quantities. A generous quarter-cup serving of fresh parsley used in tabbouleh, gremolata, or chimichurri delivers a meaningful nitrate contribution alongside its extraordinary vitamin K content.

Best eaten: Chopped generously into tabbouleh, grain salads, and herb sauces; stirred into soups and stews at the end of cooking; blended into chimichurri with olive oil and garlic.

Per 100 g fresh.

17. Leeks: An Allium Vegetable With Nitrate

Leeks provide approximately 100 to 150 mg of nitrate per 100 grams alongside prebiotic inulin fiber, vitamin K, folate, and the organosulfur compounds shared by the allium family. As a cooking vegetable, leeks contribute nitrate to soups, stews, and grain dishes where they serve as a flavor base.

Best eaten: Sliced into soups and stews, braised with olive oil as a side dish, or used as a flavor base alongside onions and garlic in cooked dishes; the green tops are higher in nitrate than the white base.

Per 100 g raw.

18. Celeriac (Celery Root): A Root With Meaningful Nitrate

Celeriac provides approximately 100 to 150 mg of nitrate per 100 grams alongside vitamin C, vitamin K, and phosphorus. As a winter root vegetable that is less commonly eaten than celery stalks, celeriac offers an interesting textural alternative that delivers comparable nitrate in a more filling, starchy format.

Best eaten: Roasted with olive oil and herbs, mashed as a lower-carbohydrate potato substitute, shaved raw into salads with apple and walnut, or added to soups and stews.

Per 100 g raw.

19. Pomegranate Juice: A Fruit Source of Nitrate and Antioxidants

One cup of pure pomegranate juice provides approximately 50 to 100 mg of nitrate alongside punicalagins, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid. While pomegranate juice is lower in nitrate than most vegetables on this list, its extraordinary antioxidant content creates a uniquely complementary nitrate delivery: the punicalagins protect against nitrosamine formation, activate nitric oxide synthase independently, and reduce the LDL oxidation that nitric oxide protects against.

Research in Clinical Nutrition found that daily pomegranate juice consumption reduced systolic blood pressure by 5 mmHg on average over two weeks, with both its nitrate and polyphenol content contributing to the effect observed.

Best eaten: As a daily beverage in 4 to 8-ounce portions; choose 100% pomegranate juice with no added sugar; combine with beet juice for a concentrated combined nitrate and antioxidant beverage.

Per 1 cup (240 ml) 100% pure juice; no added sugar.

20. Oak Leaf and Butterhead Lettuce: Premium Salad Greens With Higher Nitrate

Oak leaf and butterhead lettuce varieties provide approximately 150 to 200 mg of nitrate per 100 grams, significantly more than iceberg lettuce and comparable to romaine. These premium salad green varieties are widely available in mixed spring greens and specialty salad bags and deliver nitrate in a mild, versatile everyday format.

Choosing spring mix, mesclun, or specialty lettuce blends over plain iceberg is one of the most practical and invisible dietary nitrate upgrades available, increasing nitrate delivery from the same volume of salad without any change in preparation or flavor profile.

Best eaten: As a salad base with olive oil and lemon dressing, in lettuce wraps, or as a base for grain bowls; always dress with olive oil rather than fat-free dressings to improve absorption of fat-soluble carotenoids in the same greens.

Per 100 g raw.

Summary: Top 20 Safe Nitrate Foods at a Glance

Tips for Getting the Most From Dietary Nitrates

Do not use antibacterial mouthwash before eating nitrate-rich vegetables. Oral bacteria are essential for the first step of the nitrate-to-nitric oxide conversion. Studies have shown that antibacterial mouthwash eliminates the blood pressure-lowering effect of nitrate-rich vegetables by killing the bacteria that reduce nitrate to nitrite in saliva. If you use mouthwash, use it at a different time of day than your highest-nitrate meals.

Eat nitrate vegetables raw or minimally cooked when possible. Nitrate is water-soluble and partially reduced by heat. Raw arugula, spinach, watercress, and radishes deliver more nitrate per gram than their cooked equivalents. When cooking is preferred, steaming and roasting preserve more nitrate than boiling.

Beet juice is the most efficient nitrate delivery mechanism for athletic performance. For people using dietary nitrate specifically to improve exercise performance, concentrated beet juice (approximately 70 to 140 ml of commercial beet juice concentrate) delivers the 300 to 500 mg of nitrate range used in most athletic performance research. Consume two to three hours before exercise for the most reliable performance benefit.

Pair nitrate vegetables with vitamin C-rich foods. Vitamin C inhibits the formation of nitrosamines, the harmful compounds produced when nitrite combines with protein-derived amines under acidic stomach conditions. Leafy green vegetables naturally contain vitamin C alongside their nitrate, but adding lemon juice dressing, orange segments, or bell pepper to nitrate-rich salads reinforces this protective pairing.

Avoid nitrates in processed meats. The health benefit of vegetable nitrates does not extend to the nitrate preservatives in bacon, hot dogs, deli meats, and cured sausages. These products are heated at high temperatures alongside heme iron and amines from meat protein, producing nitrosamines and other carcinogenic compounds. The presence of vitamin C and polyphenols in vegetables is what makes vegetable nitrate safe; processed meat nitrate lacks this protective food matrix.

Build nitrate intake across multiple vegetables daily. No single vegetable provides enough nitrate in a typical serving to reach the 300 to 500 mg associated with measurable blood pressure reduction on its own at reasonable portions. Building nitrate intake from a large salad of mixed greens, beets, celery, and carrots across a meal creates a cumulative dose that individually modest sources cannot match.

The Bottom Line

Dietary nitrates from vegetables are among the most evidence-supported dietary contributors to blood pressure reduction, cardiovascular health, and exercise performance, yet they remain poorly understood by most people who associate all nitrates with the unhealthy preservatives in processed meats. The distinction is fundamental: vegetable nitrates arrive packaged with vitamin C, polyphenols, and antioxidants that channel them toward beneficial nitric oxide production, while processed meat nitrates produce harmful nitrosamines through a completely different chemical environment. Building daily nitrate intake from arugula, beetroot, spinach, celery, radishes, and a variety of leafy greens is one of the most evidence-backed dietary strategies for supporting healthy blood pressure and vascular function across the lifespan.

Nitrate content data sourced from published food composition research including the USDA FoodData Central database and peer-reviewed literature; nitrate concentrations in plant foods vary significantly based on soil nitrogen content, fertilization practices, season, and variety. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. People taking medications for blood pressure or erectile dysfunction (including PDE5 inhibitors such as sildenafil) should consult their healthcare provider before significantly increasing dietary nitrate intake, as nitric oxide pathways interact with these medications.