Foods Highest in PUFA 18:2 CLAs

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

Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, raw ranks #1 of 50 for PUFA 18:2 CLAs, at 1.1G per 100g.

What These PUFA 18:2 CLAs Rankings Mean

This ranking surfaces the top 50 whole foods for PUFA 18:2 CLAs, 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 PUFA 18:2 CLAs, so amounts are reported in absolute terms (G per 100g edible portion).

At the top of the ranking sits Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, raw, delivering 1.1G per 100g. The top three (Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, raw, Lamb, New Zealand, imported, Intermuscular fat, raw, Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, cooked) 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 PUFA 18:2 CLAs sources side-by-side

# Food Amount % DV
1 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, raw 1.1 G -
2 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, Intermuscular fat, raw 1.1 G -
3 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, cooked 0.99 G -
4 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, Intermuscular fat, cooked 0.92 G -
5 Lamb, Australian, imported, fresh, seam fat, cooked 0.74 G -
6 Lamb, Australian, imported, fresh, external fat, cooked 0.72 G -
7 Beef, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, cooked 0.69 G -
8 Beef, chuck, under blade steak, boneless, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat, choice, cooked, braised 0.67 G -
9 Beef, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, raw 0.66 G -
10 Lamb, Australian, imported, fresh, external fat, raw 0.66 G -
11 Beef, chuck, under blade steak, boneless, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, braised 0.65 G -
12 Beef, chuck, under blade steak, boneless, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat, select, cooked, braised 0.63 G -
13 Lamb, Australian, imported, fresh, seam fat, raw 0.61 G -
14 Beef, chuck, mock tender steak, boneless, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 0" fat, all grades, cooked, braised 0.49 G -
15 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, flap, boneless, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised 0.45 G -
16 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, tongue - swiss cut, cooked, soaked and simmered 0.43 G -
17 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, flap, boneless, separable lean and fat, raw 0.41 G -
18 Butter, whipped, with salt 0.41 G -
19 Beef, New Zealand, imported, intermuscular fat, cooked 0.40 G -
20 Beef, New Zealand, imported, intermuscular fat, raw 0.40 G -
21 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, loin chop, separable lean and fat, raw 0.37 G -
22 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, square-cut shoulder chops, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised 0.37 G -
23 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, loin chop, separable lean and fat, cooked, fast fried 0.36 G -
24 Beef, New Zealand, imported, brisket navel end, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised 0.36 G -
25 Butter, stick, salted 0.36 G -
26 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, square-cut shoulder, separable lean and fat, raw 0.36 G -
27 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, square-cut shoulder chops, separable lean and fat, raw 0.34 G -
28 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, loin saddle, separable lean and fat, raw 0.33 G -
29 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, square-cut shoulder, separable lean and fat, cooked, slow roasted 0.33 G -
30 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, tongue - swiss cut, raw 0.32 G -
31 Veal, external fat only, cooked 0.31 G -
32 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, netted shoulder, rolled, boneless, separable lean and fat, cooked, slow roasted 0.30 G -
33 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, netted shoulder, rolled, boneless, separable lean and fat, raw 0.28 G -
34 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, breast, separable lean only, cooked, braised 0.28 G -
35 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, loin saddle, separable lean and fat, cooked, fast roasted 0.28 G -
36 Lamb, Australian, imported, fresh, rack, roast, frenched, bone-in, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, cooked, roasted 0.27 G -
37 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, rack - partly frenched, separable lean and fat, raw 0.27 G -
38 Butter, salted 0.27 G -
39 Butter, without salt 0.27 G -
40 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, rack - partly frenched, separable lean and fat, cooked, fast roasted 0.27 G -
41 Veal, seam fat only, raw 0.27 G -
42 Beef, New Zealand, imported, brisket navel end, separable lean and fat, raw 0.26 G -
43 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, neck chops, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised 0.26 G -
44 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, square-cut shoulder chops, separable lean only, cooked, braised 0.24 G -
45 Veal, external fat only, raw 0.24 G -
46 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, neck chops, separable lean and fat, raw 0.23 G -
47 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, leg chop/steak, bone-in, separable lean and fat, raw 0.22 G -
48 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, hind-shank, separable lean and fat, cooked, braised 0.21 G -
49 Seeds, hemp seed, hulled 0.20 G -
50 Lamb, New Zealand, imported, leg chop/steak, bone-in, separable lean and fat, cooked, fast fried 0.20 G -

Frequently Asked Questions

What food is highest in PUFA 18:2 CLAs?

Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, raw is the food highest in PUFA 18:2 CLAs, with 1.1G per 100g.

How much PUFA 18:2 CLAs do I need per day?

There is no established FDA Daily Value for PUFA 18:2 CLAs. Consult a healthcare professional for guidance on appropriate intake levels.

What are good whole food sources of PUFA 18:2 CLAs?

Top whole food sources of PUFA 18:2 CLAs include Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, raw, Lamb, New Zealand, imported, Intermuscular fat, raw, Lamb, New Zealand, imported, subcutaneous fat, cooked, 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 — PUFA 18:2 CLAs (no established DV) based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
This information is for reference only and should not replace professional dietary advice.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.