Top 10 Foods Highest in Lutein and Zeaxanthin

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Top 10 Foods Highest in Lutein and Zeaxanthin

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids known for giving vegetables their green or orange colors. Like other carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin are thought to play a role in maintaining eye health and preventing macular degeneration.

Foods high in lutein and zeaxanthin include dark leafy greens, peas, summer squash, pumpkin, brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, carrots, and pistachios. For more foods, see the nutrient ranking of all foods high in lutein and zeaxanthin.

Foods High in Lutein and Zeaxanthin

A Bowl of Spinach1 Dark Leafy Greens (Spinach)
Lut + Zea
per Cup Cooked		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
20354mcg11308mcg98330mcg
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Spinach. (Source)

More Leafy Green Vegetables High in Lutein and Zeaxanthin

  • 19276mcg in 1 cup of cooked Swiss chard
  • 14560mcg in 1 cup of cooked mustard greens
  • 12154mcg in 1 cup of cooked turnip greens
  • 11774mcg in 1 cup of cooked collards
  • 6447mcg in 1 cup of cooked kale

See all vegetables high in lutein and zeaxanthin.

Green Peas2 Green Peas
Lut + Zea
per Cup Cooked		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
4149mcg2593mcg6174mcg
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Green Peas. (Source)
Yellow Summer Squash3 Summer Squash
Lut + Zea
per Cup Cooked		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
4048mcg2249mcg22490mcg
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Summer Squash. (Source)
Pumpkins4 Pumpkin
Lut + Zea
per Cup Cooked		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
2484mcg1014mcg10140mcg
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Pumpkin. (Source)
Brussels Sprouts5 Brussels Sprouts
Lut + Zea
per Cup Cooked		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
2012mcg1290mcg7167mcg
Nutrition Facts for Brussels Sprouts (Cooked). (Source)
Broccoli Stalk6 Broccoli
Lut + Zea
per Cup Cooked		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
1685mcg1080mcg6171mcg
Nutrition Facts for Broccoli (Cooked). (Source)
Asparagus7 Asparagus
Lut + Zea
per Cup Cooked		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
1388mcg771mcg7009mcg
Nutrition Facts for Asparagus (Cooked). (Source)
Lettuce8 Romaine Lettuce
Lut + Zea
per Cup		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
1087mcg2312mcg27200mcg
Nutrition Facts for Romaine Lettuce. (Source)
Carrots9 Carrots
Lut + Zea
per Cup Cooked		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
1072mcg687mcg3926mcg
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Carrots. (Source)
Pistachios10 Pistachios
Lut + Zea
per 1 Oz Handful		Lut + Zea
per 100g		Lut + Zea
per 200 Calories
824mcg2903mcg1037mcg
Nutrition Facts for Pistachio Nuts. (Source)
See All 200 Foods High in Lutein + Zeaxanthin Next ➞

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About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

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View more nutrients with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
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