Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that can be obtained from vegetables and fruits. Eating different healthy foods will provide sufficient vitamins in everyday requirements.
Vitamin C is also referred to as ascorbic acid, which is essential for body function. Particularly, it is a key to the immune system and helps to prevent disease and infection. The human body does not create vitamin C, so it requires you to take from foods you eat in everyday life. It dissolves in water and any extra get out from the body through urine.
Let’s find out this food that offers rich vitamin C and how to add vitamin C to everyday eating?
Best foods for vitamin C
Table of Contents
Vitamin C is necessary for the immune system. According to the Office of (ODS)-Dietary-Supplements, the RDA of vitamin C for adults is:
- 90-milligrams (mg) for males
- 85-mg when pregnant
- 75-mg for females
- 120-mg when breastfeeding
- an extra 35-mg for somebody who smokes
According to some experts, people should eat more than the RDA for good health. One-scientific-editorial recommends that 200 mg every day is an optimal amount for most adults. One serving of any of the foods below provides 20% of the RDA of vitamin C. It makes these foods a good source of vitamins mentioned by the FDA.
What Is Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a water mixing vitamin. It is a type of small carbohydrate molecule, initially found by Alber-Von-Szent Györgyi in 1920. He discovered that it was to treat scurvy, a life-risking condition caused by a long duration of nonconsumption of vegetables and fruits. This essential vitamin C molecule and C stands for ascorbic means anti-scurvy.
Vitamin C is naturally present in different foods and is necessary for both plants and animals. However, it cannot be synthesized by primates, humans, birds, fish, guinea pigs, and some bats. Because one of the genetic coding an enzyme named I-gluconolactone oxidase requirements for vitamin C combination involved into a non-functional gene. Therefore, humans require to depend on veggies and fruits for vitamin C and save themselves from different diseases.
Why Is Vitamin C Important?
Ascorbic acid or vitamin C is an electron donor. After giving an electron to a recipient molecule, it becomes ascorbate, which is an important cofactor for different enzymatic reactions in the body. When there is a vitamin C deficiency, the lack of cofactor stops the reactions from occurring, which ultimately cause weak immunity, infections, weak bones, poor wound healing, skin problems, fatigue, joint pain, depression, scurvy, bleeding gums, and anemia. Therefore, it is clear that vitamin C is important to manage a healthy body and strong immune system.
High Vitamin C Foods
Let’s find out high vitamin C foods in detail.
Red Bell Pepper
Vitamin C Content 128 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 213
They are attractive and also provide vitamin C. A 100 g of red bell pepper provides 128 mg of vitamin C or one medium offers 152 mg of vitamin C. It tastes good and also makes the dish look attractive.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Include red bell pepper slices in salad, sandwich, or wrap. You can also add it to Mexican and Asian cuisines. It goes well with fish or chicken stews. Add it to morning breakfast to increase vitamin C.
Gooseberry
Vitamin C Content – 27.7 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 46
Gooseberries are cultivated in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, European countries, and Africa. They taste sour and light green. According to Ayurveda, it provides many health benefits such as vitamin C, dietary fiber,
potassium, omega-3 fatty acid, and vitamin A.
How To Add In Your Diet
Eat the fruit as you like it. You can sundry its slices and eat it every day. Drink gooseberry juice or include it in a morning smoothie or prepare a pickle.
Mango
Vitamin C Content – 27.7 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 46
Mangoes are a delicious superfood, but not everyone eats as they have high calories. Per 100 gm of mango provide 27.2 mg of vitamin C.
How To Add In Your Diet
Eat mango or make smoothies, juice, and shakes. You can also include it in ice cream or yogurt. Also, make fruit salad.
Kale
Vitamin C Content 120 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 200
Kale is also called leaf cabbage and is a nutritious vegetable. It provides 120 mg of vitamin C in 100g of chopped kale. It is considerably higher than one cup of chopped spinach, which offers 8.4 mg vitamin C.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Add kale in the morning smoothie, stews, or salad. You can also make kale wraps with prawns or mushrooms along with other veggies. Another way is to include kale instead of lettuce in pizza topping or burger to make it a healthy option.
Rose Hips
Vitamin C Content 426 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% – 710
Rosehip or rose haw is a linked fruit of a rose plant that is used to prepare jellies, jams, herbal teas, marmalade, wines, and rosehip soup. It is one of the top foods containing rich vitamin C offering a 100g serving of rose hips consists of 426 mg of vitamin C.
How To Add In Your Diet
You can include rosehip soup or rosehip tea or make rose hip jelly, jam, and rosehip crackers. Or you can add them to cakes or ice creams.
Green Chili
Vitamin C Content 242 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 404
It is surprising, green chilies also provide a good amount of vitamin C than lemons and orange and limes. A 100g of green chilies provides 242 mg of vitamin C and one green chili consist of 109 mg of vitamin C. That is the best news for those who love adding chilies to their foods.
How To Add In Your Diet
You can include some chopped green chili in a salad. Include some green chilis to stews or curries. You can also prepare pickles from chili as it is a condiment. Make sure to eat as small as you can tolerate the heat. Avoid chilies if you are suffering from a stomach ulcer, IBS/IBD, or had intestinal surgery.
Cloves
Vitamin C Content 80.8
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 135
Clove is a popular spice used in different countries such as India, Tanzanian, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Malagasy cuisines. It includes life and taste to many dishes.
It provides anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antiviral properties. Clove is good for treating toothache. Cloves provide 80.8 gm of vitamin C in every 100 gm.
How To Include In Your Diet?
It is an aromatic spice that can be added to plain rice. You can also chew it dry for a mouth freshener. You can also add half tsp of clove powder in smoothie and morning juice.
Guava
Vitamin C Content 228.3 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 381
The fragrant and ripe guavas are one of the largest sources of vitamin C in the fruits section, with 100g of the fruit consisting of 228.3mg of vitamin C in one guava offering 126 mg of vitamin C.
Hence, if you eat one guava the first day, you do not need to worry about vitamin C consumption for the next day. Here are the different ways you can add it in daily diet.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Apart from eating guava, you can include ripe guava slices in a salad prepare with carrot, beetroot, cucumber, and apples. You can consume fresh guava juice with a bit of lime juice and 1-pinch of pink Himalayan salt. You may also spread 1-teaspoon of guava jelly over toast.
Parsley
Vitamin C Content 133 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 222
Parsley is a simple herb consisting highest vitamin C, with 100g of it consisting 133 mg of vitamin C, and one tablespoon of it providing mg of vitamin C. It not only includes taste and flavor to food but also helps to promote immunity. So, begin including parsley in your daily diet from now.
How to Add In Your Diet
Adding chopped parsley to quiches or savory tarts. Sprinkle some parsley on vegetable smoothie or salad. Garnish chicken stew or salad or marinade with it to get a distinct fresh flavor in fish or meat.
Kiwi
Vitamin C Content-92.7 mg
Serving Size-100 g
DV%-155
Kiwi is also called Chinese gooseberry, which is a delicious tropical fruit. It provides rich vitamin C of 92.7 mg in 100 gm. It provides a sour and sweet taste with a smooth texture. Kiwi also consists of rich in vitamin A, calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, and magnesium.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Include kiwi to morning juice or smoothie. Eat it in breakfast or evening time snack. You can also prepare detox with kiwi, mint, and cucumber. If you are following a weight loss diet or cleansing mode, include it in the fruit bowl for lunch.
Broccoli
Vitamin C Content – 89.2 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 149
Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables with vitamin C. Per 100 gm of broccoli provides 89.2 mg of vitamin C. There are different ways to add broccoli to diet.
How To Add In Your Diet
Add this super-healthy broccoli to a smoothie or breakfast with other veggies. You can also bake it and eat it with chicken, or fish, or sweet potato. It is best suitable for casserole recipes or pasta.
Yellow Bell Pepper
Vitamin C Content 183 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 306
Yellow bell pepper is also considered one of the highest vitamin C vegetable with 183 mg in every 100 gm and one large yellow bell pepper offer 32 mg of vitamin C. You must eat this vegetable to increase immunity and prepare a colorful meal.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Include yellow bell pepper slices in a salad, wraps, sandwiches, etc. You can also include it in pasta or Mexican or Asian cuisines. Stuff it with chickpeas or chopped mushrooms or any vegetable of your choice and bake it to prepare a healthy and super tasty meal.
Brussels Sprouts
Vitamin C Content – 85 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 142
Brussels sprouts are small green veggies, which are rich in protein and dietary fiber. It provides 85mg of vitamin C in every 100 gm of raw brussels sprouts. They also provide vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
How To Add In Your Diet
You can make brussels sprouts casserole. Roast or bake them or include them in your breakfast bowl consisting of avocado and bacon. You can also add it to homemade pizza.
Lambsquarters
Vitamin C Content 80 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 133
It is also known as bacon weed and goosefoot can grow anywhere from the wild to the pot in the garden. It provides a rich source of vitamin C. You can get it from farmer’s markets and nearby supermarkets.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Adding Lambsquarters with baked egg or breakfast smoothie or evening juice with apple, tomato, Lambsquarters, beetroots, and olive oil. You can saute it with other veggies and toss it with some cubes of poached chicken breast.
Lychee
Vitamin C Content 71.5 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 119
It is the highest vitamin C fruit. Lychee has sweet and succulent are delicious and healthy. One lychee provides 6.8mg of vitamin C. They also provide healthy fats and potassium.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Add lychee fruit or make its juice. You can also add it to a morning smoothie or detox drink, or cakes, or fruit salad.
Mustard Greens
Vitamin C Content – 70 mg
Serving Size-100 g
DV% 117
Mustard green provides a good quantity of vitamin C. It provides 70 mg of vitamin C and one cup of chopped mustard green provides 39.2 mg of vitamin C. They also provide vitamin A, dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K, and potassium without cholesterol.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Saute it and add in chicken broth, vegetables, chickpea salad, pasta, and cheese dip.
Kohlrabi
Vitamin C Content 62 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 103
Kohlrabi is also called a German turnip. It is a vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. It tastes similar to broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage is loaded with vitamin C and dietary fiber. One cup of kohlrabi provides 83.7mg vitamin C and also consists of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A.
How To Add In Your Diet
Include it in salads, slaws, stews, roast it, or make fritters or chips.
Papaya
Vitamin C Content 61.8 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 103
Raw papayas are the best source of vitamin C. It provides 61.8mg of the vitamin. They also provide folate, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
How To Add In Your Diet?
You can prepare sweet papaya or Thai papaya salad chutney. You can also include raw papaya in vegetable or chicken stew or make sour papaya.
Strawberries
Vitamin C Content-58.8 mg
Serving Size-100 g
DV% 98
Strawberries are everyone’s favorite and also provide vitamin C. It provides 58.8mg vitamin C per 100 gm. It also provides good dietary fiber and protein.
How To Add In Your Diet
You can consume strawberries in a salad. Add in the breakfast bowl, smoothies, sprinkle on cakes, or add in the chocolate dip.
Orange
Vitamin C Content 53.2 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 89
Oranges are healthies fruit that provides vitamin C. A 100 gm of orange consist of 53.2mg of vitamin C, and one large orange provides 97.9mg of it.
How To Add In Your Diet?
You can easily eat oranges or make their juice. Add orange juice in jelly, jam, syrup, or cakes. Include orange slices to wraps, or salad to increase vitamin C and flavor.
Lemon And Lime
Vitamin C Content 53 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 88
Limes and lemons both offer good content of vitamin C – 100gm of lime provides 29.1 mg vitamin C and 100gm lemon provides 53mg vitamin C. They also have low calories.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Lemon juice can be added in varieties of foods. Its detox helps to remove toxins from the body.
You can add lemon to morning breakfast or smoothies. Also, you can prepare homemade electrolytes from lime or lemon. Make lemonade or salad dressing or add lemon zest in cakes.
Clementine
Vitamin C Content 48.8
Serving Size 100 g
DV% 81
Clementine is a mixture of Mandarin orange and sweet orange. It is delicious and thick and stacked with nutrient C – 100 g of it contains 48.8 mg nutrient C, and 1 clementine includes 19.5 mg nutrient C. They are additionally a great wellspring of nutrient A, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and dietary fiber
How To Add In Your Diet
Eat this as a snack or juice or whole fruit. You can also include clementine juice in morning breakfast as a smoothie. Add its juice to cake, stews, cupcakes, tarts, and chocolate fondue. Include clementine in salads or simply prepared a salad.
Pineapple
Vitamin C Content – 47.8 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV%- 80
Pineapple is a tropical fruit that produces a sweet taste and light yellow when it gets ripe. One cup of pineapple consists of 78.9mg vitamin C. It is also the best source of potassium, calcium, and dietary fiber.
How To Add In Your Diet?
Make small cubes of fruit and add one dash of lime and one pinch of pink salt to enjoy a healthful pineapple salad. You can include pineapple juice to stews or marinate meat. Include pineapple chunks to prepare Hawaiian pizza.
Cauliflower
Vitamin C Content-46.4 mg
Serving Size-100 g
DV%-77
Cauliflower belongs to cruciferous veggie, and 100 g cauliflower provides 46.4 mg nutrient C. It is likewise plentiful in protein, nutrient K, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus.
How To Add In Your Diet?
You can roast saute and grill cauliflower. You can also include it in fish or vegetable stew or prepare cauliflower casserole.
Chinese Cabbage
Vitamin C Content – 45 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 75
Pak choi or Chinese cabbage is a leafy vegetable that tastes like lettuce and looks like cabbage. It also provides vitamin K, vitamin A, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium. A 100 gm of Chinese cabbage provides 45 mg of vitamin C and 9-calories.
How To Add In Your Diet?
You can eat Chinese cabbage is slaws, salad, soups, or sandwiches. Also, add it in pickles or wraps.
Watercress
Vitamin C Content – 43 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 72
Watercress is an aquatic and nutritious plant. It is an ancient leafy vegetable. There are different health benefits of eating watercress and provide rich vitamins C – 100 gm of watercress off 43 mg vitamin. It also provides potassium, calcium, vitamin K, and no cholesterol.
How To Add In Your Diet?
You can add it in smoothies or toss with salad or make the dip, garnish, or soup.
Cantaloupe
Vitamin C Content – 36.7 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 61
It provides loads of minerals, dietary fiber, and vitamins. They also provide anti-inflammation properties and help to hydrate the body cells. A 100 gm of cantaloupe provides 36.7 mg vitamin. It also offers potassium and vitamin A.
How To Add In Your Diet
Eat these fruits or make a smoothie for breakfast. You can also toss it in a salad bowl with other fruits and lemon juice dressing.
Cabbage
Vitamin C Content – 36.6 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 61
Cabbages are a healthy vegetable with rich vitamin C – 100gm of cabbage consist of 36.6mg of vitamin C. It helps to fight heart disease and cancer. Red cabbage offers fiber and vitamin A.
How To Add In Your Diet
You can make many recipes from cabbage-like salad, soups, hashbrown, and stew.
Collard Greens
Vitamin C Content – 35.3 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 59
Collard greens are similar to spinach. They provide nutritious leafy green vegetables with high vitamin C. An ounce of collard greens provides 9.9mg of vitamin C. They also offer vitamin K, vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber.
How To Add In Your Diet
You can eat it blanched or add in a salad. Include collard greens to chicken soup/stew or mushroom soup or make wraps. You can also cook it with pasta, white beans, tofu, and shrimp.
Grapefruit
Vitamin C Content – 31.2 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% 52
Grapefruit is another vitamin C-rich fruit – per 100gm of grapefruit provides 31.2 mg vitamin. It also provides rich vitamin A, potassium, calcium, dietary fiber, and phosphorus.
How To Add In Your Diet
Include half a grapefruit in breakfast. Drink fresh grapefruit juice or include it in marinating meat or stews. You can also make grapefruit salad or toss with some grapefruit slices into grilled chicken or tuna salad.
Swiss Chard
Vitamin C Content – 306mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 50
Swiss chard has dark green leaves and red stems. These provide high nutrition and can be added to an everyday diet.
One swiss chard leaf provides 14.4 mg of vitamin C. It also offers rich vitamin A, K, magnesium, calcium, dietary fiber, and potassium, and no cholesterol.
How To Add In Your Diet
Add a saute or blanch swiss chard and prepare a salad. You can also throw it into soup or stew. Make a swiss chard sandwich or cheese or shrimp wraps.
Spinach
Vitamin C Content – 28.1 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 47
Spinach is a superfood for health. It provides vitamin A, dietary fiber, protein, potassium, magnesium, and 28.1 vitamin C per 100gm.
How To Add In Your Diet
Make blanch or saute spinach or eat with fish/chicken/mushroom/eggs/tofu/ or veggies. You can also combine it to toss in chicken or a smoothie.
Raspberry And Blackberry
Raspberry
Vitamin C Content 26.2 mg
Serving Size 100 g
DV% – 44
Blackberry
Vitamin C Content – 21 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 35
Blackberries and raspberries contain loads of nutrition. They consist of healthy compounds such as fiber, folate, and extra antioxidant that offer vitamin C to boost health. A 100 gm of raspberry provides 26.2gm vitamin C. A 100 gm of blackberry provides 21mg of vitamin C. They help to increase memory and save body opposition to heart and cancer disease.
How To Include In Your Diet
Eat it like fruits and or include it in raspberries. Include blackberries to jam or cakes. Or you can simply put these berries in a morning smoothie or breakfast bowl.
Potato
Vitamin C Content – 19.7 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 33
It is a common vegetable and easy to store for a long time. Potato also provides vitamin C, per 100 gm of raw potato provides 19.7mg from the diet.
How To Include In Your Diet
Eat boiled or baked potato, preferably with the skin, to get more vitamin C.
Peas
Vitamin C Content – 14.2
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 24
Fresh green pears are the best source of plant-based proteins. It provides 14.2 mg of vitamin C. It is also an excellent source of other nutrients and iron. It also prevents the risk of depression, cancer, macular degeneration, and high cholesterol.
How To Add In Your Diet
You can include peas to mashed potatoes, stews, soups, curries, quinoa, and salads.
Tomatoes
Vitamin C Content – 12.7 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV%- 21
It is a common source of vitamin C. It additionally provides antioxidants like lycopene. Sun-dried tomatoes are high in nutrients. Per 100 gm of tomatoes provide 12.7 mg of vitamin C.
How to Add In Your Diet
Tomatoes can be included in salads or sandwiches apart from their common use in food preparations. You can also consume tomato juice in the morning or before a workout to get effective weight loss and benefits for the skin.
Turnips
Vitamin C Content – 11.6 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 19
This smoky flavored and earthy rooted turnip provides complete vitamin C and amino acids. It consists of phosphorus, calcium, and potassium. Per 100 gm of turnip offer 11.6mg of vitamin C. It also provides dietary fiber and carbohydrates, which include healing power.
How to Include In Your Diet
You can include turnips to soup, stews, salads, pasta, and casserole.
Apricots
Vitamin C Content – 10 mg
Serving Size – 100 g
DV% – 17
Apricots are best for the skin and they provide vitamin C, A, dietary fiber, protein, and potassium, which help collagen synthesis. A 100gm of apricot provides 10mg of vitamin C and 48 calories.
How To Add In Your Diet
You can consume fruit like dried apricots or add it in chopped apricots to smoothies, juices, desserts, and salads.
Cherries
Vitamin C Content – 7 mg
Serving Size -100 g
DV% – 12
These tangy and sweet fruits are delicious. Moreover, they are one of the better vitamin C sources. A 100gm of cherry provides mg of vitamin C. They consist of rich vitamin A, calcium, folate, potassium, and protein.
How To Add In Your Diet
Eat this as fruit or prepare caramel cherries. Include chopped cherries in cake or fruit salad. You can also include dried cherries in homemade smoothies or cakes.
How To Eat Vitamin C?
Vitamin C is a highly sensitive nutrient that reacts to water, air, and heat. Do not eat lemon directly as it contains high citrus, you can dilute it with water, or mix in foods. Boiling may lower the quality of vitamin C by up to 33%. Freezing or Thawing vegetables for a long time also causes loss of vitamin C.
Cooking vegetables for 20-30 minutes at a stretch can lead to the loss of half nutrients. If you boil the veggies, most of the vitamins are lost in the water. Therefore, take the liquid in which you cook the veggies. Canning and reheating lower vitamin C foods and how to eat them effectively.
Myths and Facts About Vitamin C
Vitamin C provides different health benefits as mentioned at the starting of this article. Many people think that it will help to treat a cough and cold. But scientists think that they need more evidence to prove that. Vitamin C may promote the immune system and lower the frequency of the common cold, but it has not yet been shown that it helps to lower or prevent the common cold.