Which vegetable has the most amount of vitamin A?

November 14, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, a single baked sweet potato provides over 150% of the daily value for vitamin A. But which vegetable has the most amount of vitamin A overall? While many might guess carrots, the baked sweet potato actually holds the top spot as a powerhouse plant-based source of this vital nutrient.

Quick Summary

This article examines the richest vegetable sources of vitamin A, focusing on sweet potatoes as the leader. It details how the body converts provitamin A carotenoids into usable vitamin A and explores the health benefits of consuming these nutrient-dense vegetables for vision, immunity, and overall wellness.

Key Points

Sweet Potatoes are King: The baked sweet potato is the vegetable with the most vitamin A, specifically in the form of provitamin A carotenoids.
Orange is Not the Only Clue: While carrots are famous for vitamin A, dark leafy greens like kale and spinach are also powerful sources, despite their green color masking the underlying carotenoids.
Boost Absorption with Fat: Beta-carotene is fat-soluble, so cooking vegetables and eating them with a healthy fat like olive oil or avocado significantly increases absorption.
Cooking Method Matters: Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes it more absorbable than other methods.
Supports Vision and Immunity: A diet rich in vitamin A, especially from vegetables, helps maintain healthy vision, strengthens the immune system, and supports cell growth.
Variety is Best: While one vegetable may lead in concentration, consuming a diverse range of vitamin A-rich vegetables is the best way to meet your nutritional needs.

Understanding Vitamin A and its Vegetable Sources

Vitamin A is a crucial fat-soluble vitamin essential for vision, immune function, reproduction, and cellular communication. While preformed vitamin A (retinol) is found in animal products, many vegetables contain provitamin A carotenoids, like beta-carotene, which the body converts into the active form. The intensity of a vegetable's orange, yellow, or dark green color often indicates its provitamin A content.

The Reigning Champion: Sweet Potato

When it comes to sheer quantity, the baked sweet potato is the undisputed winner. A single medium-sized baked sweet potato provides well over the recommended daily amount of vitamin A for most adults, making it an incredibly efficient way to boost your intake. Sweet potatoes contain high levels of beta-carotene, which is responsible for their vibrant orange color. The cooking process and pairing with a small amount of healthy fat can further enhance the body's ability to absorb this nutrient.

Other Leading Contenders

While the sweet potato is a clear leader, several other vegetables are also exceptionally rich in provitamin A:

Carrots: A classic source, carrots contain high levels of beta-carotene. A cup of cooked carrots can provide a significant portion of your daily vitamin A needs. They are excellent when eaten raw, cooked, or juiced.
Dark Leafy Greens: This category includes powerhouses like kale and spinach. The green chlorophyll pigments in these vegetables mask the orange carotenoids, but they are rich sources nonetheless. One cup of cooked kale, for instance, contains a substantial amount of beta-carotene.
Winter Squash: Varieties like butternut squash and pumpkin are excellent sources. A cup of baked butternut squash offers a significant amount of provitamin A, and canned pumpkin is also a concentrated source.
Red Bell Peppers: Half a cup of raw red bell pepper provides a good amount of vitamin A and is also high in vitamin C.

Comparison of Top Vitamin A Vegetables (Per 100g serving)


Vegetable	Vitamin A (RAE µg)	Percentage of DV (Women)	Percentage of DV (Men)
Sweet Potato (Baked)	961	137%	107%
Carrot (Cooked)	852	122%	95%
Kale (Cooked)	681	97%	76%
Spinach (Cooked)	524	75%	58%
Butternut Squash (Baked)	556	79%	62%
Pumpkin (Canned)	488	70%	54%

Note: DV calculations are based on a 700 mcg (women) and 900 mcg (men) RAE daily value, referencing data from sources like Healthline and Digit Insurance. Individual values may vary slightly depending on cooking methods and specific serving sizes. RAE stands for Retinol Activity Equivalents.

The Importance of Cooking and Fat

Many vegetables, particularly those high in carotenoids, benefit from cooking and the addition of fat for optimal absorption. Beta-carotene is fat-soluble, meaning it dissolves in fat and is more easily utilized by the body when consumed with healthy fats. For example, adding a drizzle of olive oil to roasted carrots or incorporating spinach into a dish with avocado can significantly increase the vitamin A benefit.

Benefits of a Vitamin A Rich Diet

Beyond simply answering "which vegetable has the most amount of vitamin A?", it is important to understand why this nutrient is so vital. A diet rich in vitamin A offers significant health benefits, including:

Improved Vision: Vitamin A is a major component of rhodopsin, a pigment in the retina essential for low-light vision. Adequate intake can protect against night blindness and may slow age-related macular degeneration.
Stronger Immune System: It helps maintain the body's natural defense system, including the mucous barriers in the eyes, lungs, and gut, which trap infectious agents.
Cell Growth and Development: Vitamin A plays a critical role in the growth and development of cells throughout the body.
Reproductive Health: It is essential for a healthy reproductive system and for the proper development of embryos during pregnancy.

Conclusion

While many vegetables contain beneficial levels of provitamin A, the baked sweet potato stands out for its exceptionally high concentration. However, a balanced diet is key. Incorporating a variety of colorful vegetables—including carrots, leafy greens like spinach and kale, and winter squashes—ensures a consistent and robust intake of this vital nutrient. By understanding these top sources and how to prepare them effectively, you can easily meet your daily vitamin A requirements and support long-term health.

Practical Tips for Boosting Your Vitamin A

Add a baked sweet potato to your weekly meal plan.
Sauté spinach or kale with a bit of olive oil and garlic as a side dish.
Roast carrots with a light coating of healthy oil and spices.
Incorporate butternut squash or pumpkin into soups, stews, and roasted vegetable medleys.
Snack on raw carrots or red bell pepper strips with a hummus dip to provide a source of healthy fat for better absorption.

Frequently Asked Questions

The baked sweet potato contains the highest amount of provitamin A carotenoids, which the body converts into vitamin A. A single medium-sized sweet potato can provide well over the daily recommended amount.

Sweet potatoes have significantly more provitamin A than carrots. A 100g serving of baked sweet potato has 961 mcg RAE, while a 100g serving of cooked carrots has 852 mcg RAE.

Vegetables contain provitamin A carotenoids (like beta-carotene), which the body must convert into active vitamin A (retinol). Animal products contain preformed vitamin A (retinol), which is immediately usable by the body.

Other excellent sources include dark leafy greens like kale and spinach, as well as winter squashes like butternut squash and pumpkin. Red bell peppers also provide a good amount of vitamin A.

Since beta-carotene is fat-soluble, eating vitamin A-rich vegetables with a source of healthy fat, such as olive oil, nuts, or avocado, helps improve absorption. Cooking some vegetables, like carrots and sweet potatoes, can also increase the bioavailability of beta-carotene.

It is highly unlikely to experience vitamin A toxicity from eating too many vegetables alone. The body regulates the conversion of provitamin A carotenoids from plants into active vitamin A, so excessive intake is not common from dietary sources.

Beyond vitamin A, vegetables offer a wide range of other nutrients, including fiber, antioxidants, and various vitamins and minerals. Getting vitamin A from whole foods provides synergistic health benefits not found in supplements.