Food rankings
Highest vitamin C foods, ranked
Vitamin C is a water-soluble antioxidant the body cannot make or store, so a steady dietary supply matters for immune function, collagen synthesis, and the absorption of plant iron. The foods below carry the most vitamin C per 100 grams in our USDA-sourced database, shown exactly as the USDA record lists them. Because vitamin C degrades with heat, light, and storage, cooked or long-stored versions of the same food usually test lower than the fresh figures here, so treat the list as a guide to strong whole-food sources rather than a guarantee for any given batch.
Ranked by milligrams of vitamin C per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central). FDA Daily Value: 90 mg.
Study at a glance
Top foods chart
Top 8 · Vitamin C / 100 g
Distribution across all 90 foods
Each bar counts how many of the 90 foods fall in that range of vitamin c / 100 g; the dashed line marks the median. The ranked leaders are the highest values, at the right.
| # | Food | Vitamin C / 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange 97 kcal · 2 g protein · Fruits | 136 mg |
| 2 | Orange juice 97 kcal · 2 g protein · Beverages | 136 mg |
| 3 | Bell pepper 26 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 128 mg |
| 4 | Kiwi 58 kcal · 1 g protein · Fruits | 75 mg |
| 5 | Cauliflower 32 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 73 mg |
| 6 | Broccoli 35 kcal · 2 g protein · Vegetables | 65 mg |
| 7 | Brussels sprouts 36 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 62 mg |
| 8 | Papaya 43 kcal · 0 g protein · Fruits | 61 mg |
| 9 | Strawberries 32 kcal · 1 g protein · Fruits | 59 mg |
| 10 | Pineapple 60 kcal · 0 g protein · Fruits | 59 mg |
| 11 | Lemon 22 kcal · 0 g protein · Fruits | 39 mg |
| 12 | Grapefruit 0 kcal · 0 g protein · Fruits | 38 mg |
| 13 | Cantaloupe 34 kcal · 1 g protein · Fruits | 37 mg |
| 14 | Mango 60 kcal · 1 g protein · Fruits | 36 mg |
| 15 | Raspberries 57 kcal · 1 g protein · Fruits | 23 mg |
| 16 | Blackberries 43 kcal · 1 g protein · Fruits | 21 mg |
| 17 | Sweet potato 90 kcal · 2 g protein · Grains & Starches | 20 mg |
| 18 | Collard greens 33 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 18 mg |
| 19 | Swiss chard 20 kcal · 2 g protein · Vegetables | 18 mg |
| 20 | Kale 44 kcal · 3 g protein · Vegetables | 18 mg |
| 21 | Okra 22 kcal · 2 g protein · Vegetables | 16 mg |
| 22 | Butternut squash 40 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 15 mg |
| 23 | Radish 16 kcal · 1 g protein · Vegetables | 15 mg |
| 24 | Green peas 84 kcal · 5 g protein · Vegetables | 14 mg |
| 25 | Black-eyed peas 84 kcal · 5 g protein · Legumes | 14 mg |
Orange tops the list at 136 mg, followed by Orange juice (136 mg) and Bell pepper (128 mg). Below are the top 25.
Questions
- Which food is highest on this list?
- Orange ranks first at 136 mg. Orange juice (136 mg) and Bell pepper (128 mg) follow.
- Does cooking reduce the vitamin C in these foods?
- Often, yes. Vitamin C is sensitive to heat, water, and air, so boiling and long cooking can cut it substantially, while quick methods like steaming or eating the food raw preserve more. The figures here reflect the form the USDA record specifies.
- How much vitamin C do I need a day?
- The FDA Daily Value used on Nutrition Facts labels is 90 mg. Many of the foods near the top of this list supply that in a single modest serving.
More rankings
References & methodology
- Data source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service — FoodData Central (public domain). Each food links to its individual record.
- Method: Ranked by milligrams of vitamin C per 100 g (USDA FoodData Central). FDA Daily Value: 90 mg. Ties are listed in dataset order; the table shows the top 25, and the downloadable CSV contains the full ranked set. See the full methodology.
- Daily Values: FDA Nutrition Facts label, 2016 update (adults and children aged 4+).
- Scope: ranked across the 177 common foods in the NutriFactsHub database; it is a representative shortlist, not every food in existence.
- Last reviewed: June 2026.
NutriFactsHub. “Highest vitamin C foods, ranked.” https://www.nutrifactshub.com/best/high-vitamin-c-foods
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