20 Foods With Vitamin C That You’ll Want to Try Right Now
Foods with vitamin C are easy to find if you know where to look. And that’s a good thing, considering how important the nutrient is for your health.
You might already know that vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, supports a healthy immune system. But the health benefits of vitamin C go way beyond launching strong attacks against germs.
"Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant,” Caroline Green, RD, LD, a South Carolina–based registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor, tells SELF. Antioxidants, as SELF reported previously, help neutralize unstable molecules called free radicals. When free radicals are left unchecked, they can damage cells through a process called oxidative stress, which can set the stage for various conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes, according to the National Institutes of Health. Higher consumption of antioxidants may lower the risk of contracting these diseases.
Your tissues and skin need the stuff too. Vitamin C, which is a water soluble vitamin, is a key player in the formation of blood vessels, cartilage, muscle, and the skin-smoothing protein collagen. “In fact, it's perhaps even more important in collagen formation than protein is,” Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center and author of Recipe for Survival, tells SELF. (Though when you’re talking about vitamin C for skin, topical vitamin C serums can also give you a boost.)
The body also relies on vitamin C to max out absorption of minerals like iron (particularly from plant-based sources), so it’s a good idea to pair the two on your plate when you can. Think lemon vinaigrette on your spinach salad or a side of strawberries with your black bean soup.
So how much vitamin C should you shoot for each day? Well, it varies. People assigned female at birth should get 75 mg of vitamin C per day, though the recommended dietary allowance jumps to 85 mg during pregnancy and 120 mg while breastfeeding, per the NIH. Those assigned male at birth should get 90 mg.
And while that might sound like a lot, the vast majority of us are getting to these dietary allowances with no problem. “It’s fairly rare to have a vitamin C deficiency,” Vandana Sheth, RDN, CDCES, FAND, a registered dietician nutritionist and certified diabetes care and education specialist based in Los Angeles, tells SELF. (Severe cases of vitamin D deficiency results in a condition called scurvy, which causes anemia, poor wound healing, bleeding gums, and bruising.)
In other words, you probably don’t need to make much of an effort to get your vitamin C fill. But if you want to make sure your bases are covered (or are wondering whether trying to get more is better), here’s what you should know.
How can I get vitamin C naturally?
Most experts agree that healthy eating means meeting your nutrient needs from food sources as much as possible, and the same applies to vitamin C. “The easy answer is, get more fruits and veggies!” Green says. “Consuming plenty of colorful plant foods daily should keep you covered when it comes to vitamin C levels.”
Raw produce can have higher levels of vitamin C than cooked produce, since vitamin C levels can decrease when fruits or veggies are heated. While there’s certainly no need to stick only to raw produce, it’s worth making sure your menu includes a mix of raw and cooked options. “The more variety you can include in your diet, the more confidence you can have that you’re getting sufficient vitamin C,” Brooklyn-based registered dietitian Eling Tsai, MPH, RD, tells SELF.
What fruit is highest in vitamin C?
Oranges, kiwifruit, and strawberries are all vitamin C superstars, per the NIH. A single orange or kiwifruit serves up about a quarter of your C needs for the day, while a cup of sliced strawberries gets you all the way there.
But fruit isn’t the only kind of produce that provides a big hit of vitamin C: Vegetables can be great sources too, and in some cases can even provide more C than the top-mentioned fruit options. In fact, just half a cup of sliced red bell pepper serves up 106% of your daily C needs.
How can I increase my vitamin C?
Eating foods high in vitamin C—like the ones we’ve provided below—can help you get more ascorbic acid. But if you and your doctor feel like you’re not getting enough vitamin C from food alone (a quick blood test can check your levels to confirm this), popping a vitamin C supplement can help. And that might be a solid option for some populations. Smokers in particular need around 35 mg more C per day than nonsmokers to combat the added oxidative stress caused by tobacco. Some research also suggests that supplementing with vitamin C might benefit people who have or are at high risk for heart disease. But it's always a good idea to weigh your individual pros and cons with your doctor before starting a vitamin C supplement regimen.
That said, “If you're including vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables in your eating pattern, you’re not likely to need a supplement,” Tsai says.
In most cases, taking more vitamin C in the form of supplements won’t help your health any more than taking in the recommended amounts from food. For instance, while vitamin C is involved in immune health, taking megadoses won’t prevent you from getting sick—and the jury’s still out on whether it’ll help you bounce back from a cold faster, according to a 2020 review published in Frontiers of Immunology.
In fact, it’s possible to get too much of a good thing. While reports of vitamin C overdose are rare, consuming more than 2,000 mg can mess with your stomach (think cramps, nausea, or diarrhea), cause fatigue, or give you a headache; over time, it can also up your risk for kidney stones, according to the Mayo Clinic. Having loads of C in your system can mess with the results of blood sugar tests too, so if you do supplement, ask your doctor if you need to take a break before a scheduled screening.
Foods rich in vitamin C
It’s worth pointing out that most fruits and veggies have at least some vitamin C. In fact, as long as you have five servings of produce a day (seriously, of any kind!), you’ll probably get more than double the C you need, the NIH notes. But here are some of the very best vitamin C foods out there.
Getty Images/Amit Basu Photography1Bell Peppers
Half a cup of sliced red bell pepper contains 95 mg of vitamin C. Green bell peppers don’t have quite as much—just 60 mg per half cup sliced, but that’s still about two thirds of your daily recommended intake.
Getty Images/Priscila Zambotto2Chili Peppers
Can you handle the heat? Then chili peppers are another good source of vitamin C. There are 64 mg of vitamin C in 1 tiny red chili. If you don’t mind working up a sweat, eat two to get you past that daily recommended intake.
Getty Images/lacaosa3Kale
Great in everything from smoothies to salads, kale is also packed with vitamin C—1 cup of raw kale has nearly 20 mg of vitamin C. Add that to your list of reasons to eat kale salad on the regular.
Getty Images/Sellwell4Broccoli
One cup of cooked broccoli has 102 mg of vitamin C. Use this veggie in stir-fries or pasta, or simply sauté it with some olive oil and garlic as a simple side dish on its own.
Getty Images/Photography by Alex Brunsdon5Brussels Sprouts
Not in love with brussels sprouts? The fact they’re high in vitamin C just might change your mind. Half a cup of cooked sprouts serves up 48 mg of vitamin C, more than half of what you need in a day. Try roasting them to bring out their natural sweetness, or eat them shredded in a salad.
Getty Images/Westend616Papaya
For a dish that tastes like summer, serve up some diced papaya: A cup of cubed papaya provides 88 mg of vitamin C. In a hurry? Blend it up in a tropical smoothie instead.
Getty Images/Ivan7Strawberries
That handful of berries (okay, it was 10) you snuck in the field at the U-pick farm? That sampling helped you take in more than 70 mg of vitamin C.
Getty Images/Catherine McQueen8Kohlrabi
Just 1 cup of the cooked root veggie delivers 89 mg of vitamin C. Roast thick slices with olive oil until they’re caramelized, or mash ’em like potatoes.
Getty Images/Suthep Wongkhad / EyeEm9Pineapple
If you like piña coladas, then you’re probably getting enough vitamin C. This tropical fruit has 78 mg of vitamin C per cup. Buy it frozen and add it to your smoothies.
Getty Images/George D. Lepp10Kiwi
Kiwi are small, portable, and vitamin-C-packed, with 64 mg of vitamin C per fuzzy fruit. You just found your new go-to snack.
Getty Images/ Alexander Spatari11Oranges
You were waiting for this one, right? Oranges are one of the best sources of vitamin C, with a single fruit giving you almost all the C you need in a day. (The exact number is 70 mg per medium orange, if you’re wondering!)
Getty Images/ R.Tsubin12Grapefruit
That grapefruit your grandma has with breakfast every morning? She’s onto something. Just half of one has 39 mg of vitamin C.
Getty Images/Rani Sr Prasiththi / EyeEm13Watermelon
Despite the fact that it’s mostly (delicious) water, it still manages to pack a decent amount of vitamin C—around 23 mg per big, juicy wedge.
Getty Images/Howard Grill14Cabbage
With 56 mg per cooked cup, it’s a good vitamin C go-to in the winter when all of the fruit at the market is looking kinda sad.
Getty Images/SimpleImages15Potatoes
A baked potato offers up 20 mg of vitamin C along with potassium and magnesium, as well as tons of satiation thanks to its starch and fiber.
Getty Images/Tim Bird16Lemons
Bring on the citrus fruits—or perhaps more specifically, some homemade lemonade: The juice of just 1 lemon is loaded with 18 mg of vitamin C.
Getty Images/Josef Mohyla17Cantaloupe
You’ll get 37 mg of vitamin C from 1 large wedge of this sweet, orange melon. Just one more reason to bring it to every picnic all summer long, right?
Getty Images/Westend6118Snow Peas
Toss them in your stir-fry or snack on them raw with hummus or ranch. A single cup will give you 84 mg of vitamin C, getting you above that 75 mg daily value mark.
Getty Images/Yevgen Romanenko19Raspberries
Strawberries don’t get all the glory. Their smaller cousins are rich in vitamin C too, with 39 mg per cup.
20Mango
You probably don’t need any convincing to devour a mango (so juicy, so sweet). But just in case you do, a single fruit will give you almost exactly the amount of C you need for the day.
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