Evidence-based nutrition, in plain English — every entry sourced from clinical research.

Foods High in Vitamin C

Foods High in Vitamin C: Mango, Brussels Sprouts, red bell peppers, Kale, Broccoli

If you are trying to eat more Vitamin C, ranked lists are useful because the best options are often not the most obvious ones. The foods below are ordered by Vitamin C content in mg per 100 g, drawn from the foods in our database.

Dried herbs, spices, garlic and chilli are excluded from this ranking. Per 100 g they top almost every nutrient table — ground turmeric alone would lead on iron, potassium and manganese — but they are eaten a teaspoon at a time, so listing them as a source would be misleading.

Remember: ranking by one nutrient is only one way to choose foods. Pairing matters too. Use the Vitamin C compound page to understand absorption, forms and interactions.

Mango — the top-ranked source

Nutrition Facts
Per 100 g · values per 100 g
Calories 78.5
Total Fat 0.68 g
Saturated Fat 0.092 g
Sodium 0 mg
Potassium 204 mg
Total Carbohydrate 17.4 g
Dietary Fiber 1.29 g
Total Sugars 13.7 g
Protein 0.69 g
Vitamin C, vitamin A (beta-carotene), folate, vitamin B6
Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC 2710834); sugars/sat-fat: FDC 169910

Top 15 Vitamin C foods

  1. Mango — 168.1 mg per 100g (187% DV). Vitamin C, vitamin A (beta-carotene), folate
  2. Brussels Sprouts — 142.9 mg per 100g (159% DV). Vitamin K, vitamin C, folate
  3. Red Bell Pepper — 141.7 mg per 100g (157% DV). Vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6
  4. Kale — 93.4 mg per 100g (104% DV). Vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C
  5. Broccoli — 89.2 mg per 100g (99% DV). Vitamin C, vitamin K, folate
  6. Kiwifruit — 74.7 mg per 100g (83% DV). Vitamin C, vitamin K, actinidin enzyme
  7. Cauliflower — 67.1 mg per 100g (75% DV). Vitamin C, vitamin K, folate
  8. Strawberries — 59.6 mg per 100g (66% DV). Vitamin C, manganese, folate
  9. Pineapple — 58.6 mg per 100g (65% DV). Vitamin C, manganese, bromelain
  10. Orange — 53.2 mg per 100g (59% DV). Vitamin C, folate, thiamine
  11. Cabbage — 40.3 mg per 100g (45% DV). Vitamin C, vitamin K, folate
  12. Green Peas — 40.0 mg per 100g (44% DV). Vitamin K, folate, vitamin C
  13. Grapefruit — 37.0 mg per 100g (41% DV). Vitamin C, vitamin A, lycopene
  14. Spinach — 28.1 mg per 100g (31% DV). Vitamin K, folate, iron
  15. Sweet Potato — 14.8 mg per 100g (16% DV). Beta-carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C, manganese

How to actually eat more Vitamin C

A handful of additions usually move the needle more than a full diet reset. Vitamin C is best consumed from whole foods rather than supplements whenever possible. Try adding one new source each week, track how you feel, and build from there rather than forcing every meal to hit a target.

For broader context, see our Immune Support hub and the Vitamin C compound page.

Common questions

How much Vitamin C do I need a day? Needs differ by age, sex, life stage and health status. The figures here are not prescriptions; use them to compare foods, then apply your own context.

Are supplements better than food sources? Not automatically. Food provides co-factors such as fibre, fat and other micronutrients that help the body use Vitamin C effectively. Supplements are useful for filling confirmed gaps.

Scientific references & clinical evidence

This guide is built on peer-reviewed research — verify the primary sources below.

  1. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews (2013). “Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold”. PubMed / source ↗
  2. BMC public health (2023). “Vitamin C reduces the severity of common colds: a meta-analysis”. PubMed / source ↗

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