What Veggie is Highest in Vitamin A?

November 21, 2025 •

4 min read

According to USDA data, a single baked sweet potato can provide over 150% of the daily recommended intake for vitamin A, making it the top contender in the vegetable kingdom. Orange and dark leafy green vegetables are the richest sources of provitamin A carotenoids, which the body converts into this essential nutrient.

Quick Summary

The vegetable with the highest vitamin A content is the sweet potato, followed closely by carrots and leafy greens. Plant-based vitamin A comes from beta-carotene, important for vision and immune health, and absorption is enhanced by cooking with fat.

Key Points

Sweet Potato is the top vegetable: A single baked sweet potato can provide over 150% of the daily recommended vitamin A intake through beta-carotene.
Carrots are also extremely high: Often ranked just below or on par with sweet potatoes, cooked carrots are another exceptional source of provitamin A.
Dark leafy greens are excellent sources: Kale, spinach, and collard greens contain high levels of beta-carotene, though their pigment is masked by chlorophyll.
Fat enhances absorption: As a fat-soluble vitamin, consuming beta-carotene-rich vegetables with a source of healthy fat, like olive oil, significantly improves absorption.
Vitamin A supports vital functions: This nutrient is crucial for healthy vision, a strong immune system, reproduction, and maintaining healthy skin.
Plant vs. Animal Sources: Plant foods contain provitamin A (beta-carotene), which is converted by the body, making toxicity from vegetables virtually impossible. Animal products contain preformed vitamin A, which can be toxic in excess.
Variety is important: While a few vegetables top the list, eating a wide array of colorful fruits and vegetables ensures a broad spectrum of nutrients.

The Mighty Sweet Potato: A Vitamin A Powerhouse

When it comes to the question of what veggie is highest in vitamin A, the baked sweet potato stands out as the clear winner. This vibrant orange root vegetable packs an incredible amount of beta-carotene, a provitamin A carotenoid that the body converts into the active form of vitamin A. Just one medium baked sweet potato provides well over the daily recommended value for an adult. This makes it an easy and delicious way to ensure you're meeting your nutritional needs, especially for vision and immune health.

Comparing Top Vitamin A Vegetables

While the sweet potato may be the king, several other vegetables offer substantial amounts of vitamin A, proving that variety is key to a nutrient-rich diet. Dark leafy greens and other brightly colored vegetables are also exceptional sources.

Here is a comparison of some of the top vegetables for vitamin A, based on a 100g serving, typically cooked to maximize absorption:


Vegetable	Vitamin A (IU per 100g)	Primary Color	Beta-Carotene Source
Carrot	17,033	Orange	Yes
Sweet Potato	15,740	Orange	Yes
Kale	13,621	Green	Yes
Butternut Squash	11,155	Orange	Yes
Spinach	10,481	Green	Yes
Romaine Lettuce	8,710	Green	Yes
Collard Greens	7,600	Green	Yes

It is important to note that while the sweet potato is incredibly high in this nutrient, the carrot often ranks slightly higher per 100g serving according to some databases, emphasizing that both are excellent choices.

The Science Behind Beta-Carotene Absorption

Unlike preformed vitamin A found in animal products, the vitamin A from vegetables comes in the form of provitamin A carotenoids like beta-carotene. The body must convert these compounds into a usable form. To maximize absorption, it is best to consume these vegetables with a source of healthy fat. This is because vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. For example, roasting sweet potatoes with olive oil or adding spinach to a salad with an oil-based dressing can significantly improve the bioavailability of the beta-carotene.

Beyond the Numbers: Health Benefits of Vitamin A Rich Vegetables

Beyond being a simple nutrient, the vitamin A obtained from vegetables, via beta-carotene, offers a host of health benefits.

Eye Health: Vitamin A is crucial for vision, particularly night vision. It's a key component of rhodopsin, the light-sensitive protein in the retina. A diet rich in carotenoids like those in sweet potatoes and kale can help protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts.
Immune System Support: Vitamin A helps produce and regulate white blood cells, which are vital for fighting off infections and maintaining a robust immune system.
Skin Health: It supports the growth of all body tissues, including skin and hair. Vitamin A helps produce sebum, the oil that keeps skin and hair moisturized and healthy.
Antioxidant Properties: Beta-carotene acts as a powerful antioxidant, protecting the body's cells from damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals.

Incorporating Vitamin A Vegetables into Your Diet

Making these vitamin A-rich vegetables a regular part of your diet is both simple and delicious. Here are a few ideas:

Sweet Potato: Bake, roast, mash, or add to soups and stews. Sweet potato fries, roasted cubes, or a hearty sweet potato and black bean chili are excellent options.
Carrots: Enjoy them raw in salads, as a snack with hummus, or roasted as a side dish. Cooking and pureeing carrots for a carrot ginger soup is also a great way to incorporate them.
Leafy Greens (Kale, Spinach, Collard Greens): Use them as a base for salads, add a handful to smoothies, sauté with garlic and olive oil, or wilt into soups and pasta sauces.
Butternut Squash: Roast it for a side dish, puree it for a creamy soup, or add it to curries.

Potential Risks and Considerations

While it's nearly impossible to consume too much vitamin A from vegetable sources, as the body only converts what it needs, it's wise to maintain a balanced diet. Excessively high intake of beta-carotene can cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where the skin turns a yellowish-orange color, but this is not considered harmful. Excess intake of preformed vitamin A from supplements or animal sources can be toxic, so it's always safer to prioritize plant-based sources where possible. For more detailed information on nutrient guidelines, consult official sources such as the National Institutes of Health.

Conclusion

The answer to what veggie is highest in vitamin A is a competition primarily between sweet potatoes and carrots, with dark leafy greens not far behind. By focusing on including a colorful variety of these vegetables in your diet, and preparing them in a way that maximizes absorption, you can easily meet your vitamin A needs and reap the many health benefits this essential nutrient provides. Embracing these powerful, plant-based sources is a delicious and effective strategy for overall well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

Vitamin A from plants is in the form of provitamin A carotenoids, like beta-carotene, which your body converts to active vitamin A as needed. Animal products contain preformed vitamin A (retinol), which is already in a usable form for the body. The conversion process for beta-carotene makes it nearly impossible to experience vitamin A toxicity from vegetables.

No, you cannot get toxic levels of vitamin A from vegetable sources. The body only converts the beta-carotene from vegetables into the active form of vitamin A as it needs it. Excessive consumption may cause a harmless yellow-orange tint to the skin, a condition called carotenodermia, but does not lead to vitamin A toxicity.

Cooking certain vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes can actually increase beta-carotene availability. To maximize absorption, cook them with a small amount of healthy fat, such as olive oil. Methods like steaming or light sautéing are generally best for preserving nutrients.

No, many dark green leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, and collard greens are also excellent sources of vitamin A. Their green pigment (chlorophyll) simply masks the orange color of the beta-carotene they contain.

Other excellent sources include carrots, kale, butternut squash, and spinach. These vegetables are packed with beta-carotene and other beneficial compounds.

Vitamin A is essential for vision, especially low-light vision, as it helps produce rhodopsin, a pigment in the retina. Adequate intake helps protect against age-related macular degeneration and other vision problems.

No, some genetic variations can affect an individual's efficiency in converting beta-carotene. However, a varied diet rich in plant sources is still highly beneficial and recommended.