L-ascorbic acid, often known as vitamin C, is a water-soluble vitamin that is added to some foods, found naturally in others, and is also sold as a dietary supplement. Foods rich in Vitamin C are a crucial nutritional component for humans since, unlike the majority of animals, they cannot generate it on their own.
The finest foods rich in Vitamin C are fresh fruits and vegetables. The main sources of vitamin C in the American diet are citrus fruits, tomatoes, tomato juice, and potatoes. Brussels sprouts, strawberries, and cantaloupe are other healthy dietary options. Although grains don't naturally contain vitamin C, certain fortified breakfast cereals do. Due to ascorbic acid's water solubility and heat's ability to destroy it, foods may have less vitamin C in them after prolonged storage and cooking.
So here we present you our list of 25 foods rich in Vitamin C To Keep You Healthy.
1. Kiwi
Kiwi, also known as Chinese gooseberry, is a tasty tropical fruit that is high in vitamin C. Vitamin C content in kiwis is 92.7 mg per 100 g, or 70.5 mg per medium kiwi. It tastes tart and sweet and is silky in texture. Calcium, magnesium, potassium, dietary fiber, and vitamin A are all abundant in kiwis.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Kiwi can be juiced or added to a smoothie in the morning. Use it as a snack in the evening or for breakfast. Kiwi can also be used to make cleansing beverages.
2. Yellow sweet peppers
One large yellow bell pepper has 341 mg of vitamin C and 183 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, making it one of the vegetables with the greatest vitamin C content. You must eat this vegetable to strengthen your immune system and provide color to your meals.
Here's how to incorporate foods rich in vitamin C into your everyday diet. Pieces of yellow bell pepper can be added to salads, wraps, sandwiches, etc. Yellow bell pepper squares can also be used in Asian or Mexican dishes, as well as in pasta.
3. Red Bell Pepper
They are crimson, appealing, and full of vitamin C. Did you know that a medium bell pepper has 152 mg of vitamin C? Or that a 100 g portion of red bell pepper provides 128 mg of vitamin C? Red bell peppers also taste nice and can make any dish seem appetizing.
Here's how to incorporate foods rich in vitamin C into your everyday diet. Slices of red bell pepper can be added to salads, wraps, or sandwiches. Additionally, you can include red bell pepper in Mexican or Asian dishes.
4. Guava
One of the fruits with the highest concentrations of vitamin C is the mature and fragrant guava, which has a vitamin C content of 126 mg per guava or 228.3 mg per 100 g.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. In addition to eating guava straight up, you can also add slices of ripe guava to a cucumber, beet, carrot, and apple salad. You may also combine freshly squeezed guava juice with a pinch of pink Himalayan salt, a dash of lime juice, and a splash of sugar.
5. Green Chili
Amaze! In comparison to limes, oranges, and lemons, green chilies are thought to be one of the best food sources of vitamin C. One green chili has 109 mg of vitamin C, and just 100 g of green chilis has 242 mg. Here's how to include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet regularly. To add a dash of heat to your salad, mix in a few green chilies, chopped. Stir green chilies into stews or curries. Pickles can also be made and eaten as a condiment.
6. Parsley
This common herb has the highest concentration of vitamin C, with 100 g containing 133 mg and 1 tablespoon containing 5 mg. It enhances the flavor and taste of your food while also enhancing immunity. So start including parsley in your diet regularly today.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. When making savory tarts or quiches, add chopped parsley. Add chopped parsley to your salad or your morning vegetable soup. To provide a distinctively fresh flavor to meat or fish, sprinkle vegetable or chicken stew with parsley. You can also use it to make a lemon.
7. Broccoli
Nearly every list of healthful vegetables includes broccoli. The same is true for this list. That's because this extremely healthy cruciferous vegetable offers 89.2 mg of vitamin C per 100 g.
Here's how to include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet regularly. Broccoli is quite healthy, and you can sauté it along with other vegetables or make a super healthy smoothie for breakfast in the morning. You might also bake it and serve it with chicken, fish, or sweet potatoes. Additionally, you can add broccoli to wheat pasta or a casserole.
8. Cloves
Clove has anti-viral, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory qualities and is effective for relieving wisdom teeth pain. Vitamin C is also abundant in cloves; 100 g of whole cloves has 80.8 mg of vitamin C, and 1 teaspoon of ground cloves has 1.6 mg of vitamin C.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Cloves can be used to flavor curries or to infuse a simple bowl of rice with flavor.
9. Lychee
The fruit on this list with the highest vitamin C content. Lychees are not only sweet and delicious but also incredibly healthful. Vitamin C content per lychee is 6.8 mg, and per 100 g of lychees, it is 71.5 mg. Additionally, they contain a lot of potassium and good fats.
Here's how to include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet regularly. You can eat or create juice from lychee fruit. Additionally, you may incorporate it into your morning smoothie or add sliced lychee to fruit salads, pastries, or detox drinks.
10. Papaya
A small papaya provides 93.9 mg of vitamin C, and 100 g of raw papayas contain 61.8 mg of the vitamin. They are also abundant in calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin A, folate, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Here's how to include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet regularly. You may prepare sweet papaya chutney or Thai papaya salad. You may also make sweet and sour papaya sauces or add raw papaya to chicken or veggie stew.
11. Strawberries
Strawberries don't need an introduction; practically everyone loves them. You now have even another reason to incorporate strawberries in your diet: 100 g of strawberries have 58.8 mg, and 1 large strawberry has 10.6 mg of vitamin C. They provide healthy fats, dietary fiber, and protein.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. The fruit can be consumed raw, added to a smoothie or breakfast bowl, dipped in chocolate, used to make jam and jellies, or simply eaten as is.
12. Orange
Oranges are among the most consumed citrus fruits and have one of the highest vitamin C contents; one large orange has 97.9 mg of vitamin C in 100 grams.
Here's how to include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet regularly. You can either consume the fruit raw or create juice from it. Orange juice can also be used to produce marmalade, jelly, syrup, and desserts. To add more taste and vitamin C to salads or wraps, add orange slices.
13. Lemon And Lime
Since lemons and limes are both citrus fruits, they both have a high vitamin C concentration; 100 g of lemon has 53 mg and 100 g of lime has 29.1 mg.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. For a morning detox drink, combine the juice of one-fourth of a lemon or half of a lime with two glasses of water. Your morning fruit or veggie smoothie should contain lemon or lime juice. Utilizing lemon or lime, you may also make your electrolyte. Lemon zest can be added to cakes, lemon squares, salad dressing, lemonade, and more.
14. Pineapple
Delicious tropical fruit with a vivid yellow color when mature, pineapples have a pleasant taste. 100 g of pineapple has 47.8 mg of vitamin C in it, while one cup has 78.9 mg.
Here's how to include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet regularly. Consume the fruit raw To have a zesty pineapple salad, cut the fruit into small pieces and add a teaspoon of pink Himalayan salt and lime juice.
15. Cauliflower
A cruciferous vegetable, cauliflower has 46.4 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams. Additionally, it is abundant in potassium, phosphorus, calcium, vitamin K, and protein.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Cauliflower can be roasted, sautéed, and grilled. You can also prepare a cauliflower casserole, add it to a fish or vegetable stew, or make curry.
16. Chinese Cabbage
Chinese cabbage, also known as pak choi, is a green vegetable that resembles a cabbage more than it does lettuce. Additionally, one cup of Chinese cabbage has only 9 calories and 31.5 mg of vitamin C per 100 g.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Chinese cabbage can be eaten raw, cooked, in soups, salads, or sandwiches. Or you could make pickles and Chinese cabbage wraps.
17. Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They assist the cells to rehydrate and have anti-inflammatory properties. Cantaloupes are also high in vitamin C, with an ounce of this fruit containing 10.3 mg of vitamin C and 100 g containing 36.7 mg. Additionally, potassium and vitamin A are present in reasonable amounts.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Consume the fruit whole (do not forget to peel it). Have a smoothie made of it for breakfast.
18. Cabbage
Cabbages are incredibly nutrient-dense and high in vitamin C; 100 g of cabbage has 36.6 mg or half the daily amount for humans. Additionally, cabbages protect against heart disease and cancer.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Cabbage can be included in salads, soups, and stews. Make a curry with cabbage, or use cabbage in your fried rice.
19. Grapefruit
Did you know that this tart fruit can boost your immune system as well? This is because 100 g of grapefruit provides 31.2 mg of vitamin C, whereas a half-fruit has 38.4 mg. They are also abundant in dietary fiber, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin A.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Eat a grapefruit half for breakfast. Grapefruit juice can be consumed, added to stews, or used to marinade meat.
20. Spinach
In addition to being an excellent source of protein, dietary fiber, vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and magnesium, spinach also includes a respectable quantity of vitamin C: 100 g of spinach has 28.1 mg and a bunch has 95.5 mg.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Spinach can be blanched or sautéed and eaten with other vegetables, meat, seafood, mushrooms, eggs, or tofu. To make it even healthier, you may add spinach to your chicken clear soup or broth or make a smoothie out of it.
21. Gooseberry
They taste sour and are pale green. Ayurveda claims that gooseberries have a variety of health advantages. Also, 100 g of gooseberries contain 27.7 mg of vitamin C, which accounts for some of its health advantages. Along with these nutrients, it is abundant in dietary fiber, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Consume the fruit raw. Additionally, you can sun-dry it first before consuming 2-3 slices daily. Juice made from gooseberries can be consumed or added to a morning smoothie. Additionally, you can make gooseberry pickles.
22. Mango
Mangoes are absolutely tasty, yet many of us avoid them since they have a few extra calories. We neglect their high content in dietary fiber, minerals, and, naturally, vitamin C. Vitamin C content per mango is 57.3 mg, and per 100 g, it is 27.2 mg.
Here's how to add foods high in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Eat the fruit straight up or turn it into juice, smoothies, or shakes. Alternatively, you might mix it with some yogurt or ice cream.
23. Raspberry And Blackberry
Nutrient powerhouses include raspberries and blackberries. They contain beneficial elements like folate, fiber, and extra antioxidants that collaborate with vitamin C to have positive impacts on health. Well, 100 g of blackberries and 26.2 g of raspberries each provide 21 mg of vitamin C. They aid in memory improvement and shield our bodies against heart and cancer ailments.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. Consume the fruit as is. Make raspberries with yogurt inside. Make jam or bake with blackberries. The berries can also be added to a smoothie or breakfast dish.
24. Potato
Potatoes are cheap, simple to keep, and simple to prepare. 100 grams of uncooked potato contain about 19.7 milligrams of vitamin C.
Here's how to add foods rich in vitamin C to your diet regularly. To obtain the most vitamin C, eat baked or boiled potatoes—preferably with the skin on.
25. Tomatoes
In addition to other antioxidants like lycopene, bright red, adorable tomatoes are a typical source of vitamin C. In comparison to fresh tomatoes, which have 12.7 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, sun-dried tomatoes have 39.2 mg of vitamin C per 100 g (47), making them exceptionally rich in this component.
Here's how to include foods rich in vitamin C in your diet regularly. Tomatoes can be used in salads and sandwiches in addition to their traditional use in curries and other meal preparations.
How Should Vitamin C Be Taken?
This vitamin is a very delicate nutrient that responds to air, water, and heat. It is recommended to eat vitamin C-rich foods fresh or steamed. Up to 33% of the vitamin C quality can be lost during boiling.
Vegetables that have been frozen or thawed repeatedly lose vitamin C.
Vegetables cooked for longer than 20 to 30 minutes at a time may lose nearly half of their nutrients. Most nutrients are lost in water when vegetables are boiled. Therefore, drink the vegetable-cooking liquid.
Vitamin C concentration is decreased by two-thirds by reheating and canning.
This concludes our discussion of foods rich in Vitamin C and how to use them.