Top Vitamin C-Rich Fruits Recommended by Nutrition Experts
Vitamin C-Rich Fruits: Creative Ways to Boost Your Daily Intake
Adequate vitamin C consumption is crucial for maintaining a robust immune system and overall health. While supplements are a popular choice, it's possible to meet your daily requirements through a balanced diet. Two nutritionists - Marissa Karp, MS, RD, CDN, and Lauren Slayton, MS RD - have shared their insights on the best fruits high in vitamin C and creative ways to enjoy these nutrient-packed fruits.
Kiwi
Kiwi, with its vibrant green flesh, offers 60 mg of vitamin C per fruit, providing approximately 71% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adult women and 53% for adult men. In addition to its vitamin C content, kiwi is also beneficial for digestive health. Nutritionists recommend consuming kiwi with its skin on, and suggest serving sizes of two kiwi fruits. Karp enjoys chopping kiwi into morning yogurt bowls or combining them with a handful of nuts for a quick, nutrient-dense snack.
Bell Pepper
Believe it or not, bell peppers are actually fruits and can have more vitamin C than an orange. Orange peppers, in particular, have the highest vitamin C content at 237 mg per cup. Yellow peppers come in a close second, offering 180 mg of vitamin C per cup, which is more than 150-200% of the RDA for adults. Red and green peppers still pack a punch when it comes to nutrition. For maximal vitamin C intake, Slayton suggests enjoying them raw, as cooking decreases the vitamin C content. She recommends keeping cut bell peppers on hand to dip into half a mashed avocado with lime juice and flaky sea salt. Karp enjoys chopping bell peppers up and sautéing them with onions as a quick vegetable addition to taco night.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a rich source of vitamin C, with one cup packing around 90 mg, surpassing the RDA for women and coming just shy of 95% of the RDA for men. This popular fruit can be enjoyed in various ways. Karp loves pairing strawberries with a few chocolate chips and a dollop of yogurt for a healthy(ish) treat, while Slayton makes a smoothie with frozen strawberries, collagen peptides, and almond butter.
Papaya
Papaya is a tropical fruit that offers a high amount of vitamin C and other nutrients like potassium. In one cup of cubed papaya, you'll get just over 90 mg of vitamin C, meeting the RDA for most adults. Karp makes a refreshing salad with chunks of papaya, cucumber, and avocado, all dressed with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of chile flakes. Slayton enjoys it like mango, sprinkled with Tajin seasoning and a squeeze of lime juice.
Guava
Guava offers over 130 mg of vitamin C per fruit, well beyond the RDA for both men and women. This exotic fruit can be served with cheese as an appetizer or snack, or enjoyed in smoothies and as a jelly.
Lemon
Lemon, while not typically thought of as a fruit high in vitamin C, contains 30 mg of vitamin C per slice. Slayton suggests adding the juice of half a lemon to warm water for a soothing drink, or making an easy DIY salad dressing by combining lemon juice with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Tomato
Although technically a fruit, tomatoes are often consumed more like a vegetable. A medium-sized tomato contains about 20 mg of vitamin C. Slayton recommends enjoying tomatoes raw to maximize their nutritional benefits. The classic combination of tomatoes and cheese, especially mozzarella, ricotta, or cottage cheese, for a high-protein alternative, is a favorite for Slayton.
Pineapple
Rounding out the tropical fruits on the list, pineapple has about 78 mg of Vitamin C per cup. For a warm twist, Slayton loves grilled pineapple or warming it in a pan on the stove and spooning it over Greek yogurt.
These creative recipes help you enjoy these vitamin C-rich fruits beyond simple snacking, incorporating them into various meals and desserts.
- Marissa Karp, a nutritionist, enjoys chopping kiwi into her morning yogurt bowls, while Lauren Slayton, another nutritionist, suggests keeping cut bell peppers on hand to dip into mashed avocado with lime juice and flaky sea salt.
- Strawberries can be paired with chocolate chips and yogurt for a healthy treat or blended with collagen peptides and almond butter for a smoothie, according to these two nutritionists.
- Papaya can be made into a refreshing salad with cucumber, avocado, lime juice, and chile flakes, as suggested by Karp, or enjoyed like mango with Tajin seasoning and lime juice, as recommended by Slayton.
- Guava, with over 130 mg of vitamin C per fruit, can be served with cheese as an appetizer or snack, or used in smoothies and as a jelly.
- Lemon, though not typically considered a fruit high in vitamin C, offers 30 mg of vitamin C per slice, making it a fitting addition to warm water for a soothing drink or for making an easy DIY salad dressing.
- Tomatoes, although classified as a fruit, are often treated more like a vegetable and contain about 20 mg of vitamin C. Slayton proposes enjoying them raw to maximize their nutritional benefits, suggesting the classic combination of tomatoes and cheese for a high-protein alternative.
- Pineapple, with about 78 mg of Vitamin C per cup, can be grilled or warmed and spooned over Greek yogurt for a warm twist, as suggested by Slayton.These vitamin C-rich fruits can be enjoyed creatively in various meals, desserts, and snacks, helping to boost daily intake of this essential nutrient. This focus on adding fruits to meals and desserts falls in line with the broader trend of wellness and nutrition in the health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise domain.
