Foods Highest in Lutein + zeaxanthin

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Top 50 whole foods per 100g, from USDA Standard Reference and Foundation databases

Spices, paprika ranks #1 of 50 for Lutein + zeaxanthin, at 18944UG per 100g.

What These Lutein + zeaxanthin Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for Lutein + zeaxanthin, pulled from USDA Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Those two sources intentionally exclude branded and processed entries, which keeps the list focused on raw ingredients where nutrient content reflects the food itself rather than fortification or recipe adjustments. There is no established FDA Daily Value for Lutein + zeaxanthin, so amounts are reported in absolute terms (UG per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Spices, paprika, delivering 18944UG per 100g. The top three (Spices, paprika, Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt) together form a practical "big lever" set, foods where a single serving meaningfully moves daily intake. The visual bars beside each row scale against the top food, so you can see at a glance whether a lower-ranked food is still a strong source or a distant runner-up.

Because this page excludes branded products, it is the right tool for comparing whole-food cooking choices rather than packaged-food shopping decisions, for those, the per-food pages and the branded search tools cover the same nutrient at product level. All values are reported per 100g edible portion, which means the raw numbers can be directly compared but real-world servings differ (a 100g portion of spinach is very different from 100g of almonds by volume). The nutrition guides linked below explain how to translate % DV and per-100g figures into practical daily targets and how to read nutrition labels when comparing whole foods to their processed equivalents.

→ Compare the top three Lutein + zeaxanthin sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Spices, paprika 18944 UG -
2 Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 15690 UG -
3 Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 15690 UG -
4 Sweet potato leaves, raw 14720 UG -
5 Dandelion greens, raw 13610 UG -
6 Spices, pepper, red or cayenne 13157 UG -
7 Turnip greens, raw 12825 UG -
8 Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) 12651 UG -
9 Cress, garden, raw 12500 UG -
10 Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 11915 UG -
11 Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 11915 UG -
12 Formulated Bar, SOUTH BEACH protein bar 11713 UG -
13 Sweet potato leaves, cooked, steamed, without salt 11449 UG -
14 Sweet potato leaves, cooked, steamed, with salt 11449 UG -
15 Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 11308 UG -
16 Spinach, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 11308 UG -
17 Chard, swiss, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 11015 UG -
18 Chard, swiss, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 11015 UG -
19 Chard, swiss, raw 11000 UG -
20 Collards, frozen, chopped, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 10898 UG -
21 Collards, frozen, chopped, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 10898 UG -
22 Spinach, canned, regular pack, drained solids 10575 UG -
23 Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 10400 UG -
24 Chicory greens, raw 10300 UG -
25 Mustard greens, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 9900 UG -
26 Turnip greens and turnips, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 9532 UG -
27 Turnip greens and turnips, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 9532 UG -
28 Dandelion greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 9158 UG -
29 Radicchio, raw 8832 UG -
30 Spinach, canned, regular pack, solids and liquids 8722 UG -
31 Spinach, canned, no salt added, solids and liquids 8722 UG -
32 Turnip greens, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 8440 UG -
33 Turnip greens, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 8440 UG -
34 Cress, garden, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 8402 UG -
35 Cress, garden, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 8402 UG -
36 Spinach, mature 7918 UG -
37 Spinach, mature 7918 UG -
38 Mustard greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 6672 UG -
39 Mustard greens, frozen, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 6672 UG -
40 Turnip greens, canned, no salt added 6591 UG -
41 Collards, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt 6197 UG -
42 Collards, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt 6197 UG -
43 Lambsquarters, steamed (Northern Plains Indians) 6162 UG -
44 Spinach, baby 6020 UG -
45 Spinach, baby 6020 UG -
46 Peppers, sweet, red, freeze-dried 5799 UG -
47 Watercress, raw 5767 UG -
48 Parsley, fresh 5561 UG -
49 Peppers, hot chile, sun-dried 5494 UG -
50 Kale, frozen, unprepared 5360 UG -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in Lutein + zeaxanthin?

Spices, paprika is the food highest in Lutein + zeaxanthin, with 18944UG per 100g.

How much Lutein + zeaxanthin do I need per day?

There is no established FDA Daily Value for Lutein + zeaxanthin. Consult a healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate intake levels.

What are good whole food sources of Lutein + zeaxanthin?

Top whole food sources of Lutein + zeaxanthin include Spices, paprika, Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt, Spinach, frozen, chopped or leaf, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt, and more. These rankings are based on USDA Standard Reference and Foundation food data, measured per 100g edible portion.

Source: USDA FoodData Central — Standard Reference Legacy and Foundation databases. Branded and processed products are excluded. All values per 100g edible portion.
Source: FDA Daily Value reference — Lutein + zeaxanthin (no established DV) based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
This information is for reference only and should not replace professional dietary advice.