10 fruits and vegetables with more Vitamin C than an orange

Just one cup of this luscious fruit has more Vitamin C than an orange. What other 9 fruits and vegetables do, too? (Photo: silkegb/Creative Commons License)

Everyone knows that Vitamin C (also known as L-ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient. It might even be one of the most important vitamins of all, especially now that we know about its antioxidant properties. In addition to battling cancer-causing free radicals, Vitamin C is necessary for a healthy immune system, as it helps produce white blood cells and fuels our bodies' best disease defenses.

Many of us are even more familiar with what happens when we lack enough Vitamin C. Everyone who attended public school health classes remembers the health book photos of scurvy victims, with their spotty lesions, bleeding gums and pale skin. In advanced cases of scurvy, the teeth can even fall out, the wounds open up, and death can ensue.

Oranges are well-known for being an excellent source of Vitamin C, and with about 70 mg of ascorbic acid per average-sized orange, the hype is deserved. Did you know, though, that oranges are not the fruit or vegetable with the highest concentration of C?

While oranges are readily available and easy to eat --which may account for their position as the poster fruit for Vitamin C-- the proliferation of gourmet food stores and farmers' markets makes it much easier to find a wide variety of fresh produce.

Choose one or more of these fruits or vegetables daily for a boost of Vitamin C that even an orange can't match.

10 fruits and vegetables with more Vitamin C than an orange

#1) Guava

376 mg Vitamin C for 1 cup

They may have been difficult for our parents to get their hands on, but today the lush, tropical taste of the guava is as close as the produce section of your favorite grocery. With four times the Vitamin C of an orange, making guava your morning fruit of choice is a no-brainer.

#2) Red Bell Peppers

142 mg Vitamin C for 1/2 cup

Vitamin C isn't just found in fruit, but in veggies too. Red bell peppers are a powerhouse of C, with a little more than twice that of a typical orange. Eat red pepper strips as a snack with a healthy dip, or roast them for a perfect pizza or salad topper.

#3) Lychee

135 mg Vitamin C for 1 cup

A mere nine small, sweet lychee fruits would meet an adult’s daily recommend Vitamin C requirement, but it's hard to stop there. Serve the Asian-grown little bundles of Vitamin C as a healthy conclusion to a Chinese-style dinner.

#4) Parsley

133 mg Vitamin C for 3.5 ounces

It's not just for garnishes anymore! One big handful of parsley is dense with Vitamin C, making it a smart addition to your homemade veggie juices. Whip up a batch of Middle Eastern tabbouleh for a zesty salad that makes the most of your parsley.

#5) Kiwi

128 mg Vitamin C for 2 average fruits

Just one little kiwi has almost the C of a big orange, at about 1/3 of the size. It takes two of the juicy green fruits to amount to a serving, so starting your morning with kiwi means you don't have to worry about Vitamin C for the rest of the day.

#6) Broccoli

100 mg Vitamin C for 1 cup broccoli

If you're craving something crunchy, raw broccoli is the perfect Vitamin C-packed snack food. Lightly steam it for a side dish that goes with any dinnertime entree, or chop some into a veggie omelet in the morning. You can get your C three times a day!

#7) Brussels Sprouts

96 mg Vitamin C for 1 cup

Think you don't like brussels sprouts? It may be scientific. When brussels sprouts are cooked, they release sulfur compounds that can be rather smelly. The trick is to avoid overcooking them. Try roasting them in the oven, or sauteing them in olive oil just until tender.

#8) Papaya

86 mg Vitamin C for 1 cup cubed

Also known as the paw paw, the papaya's sweet, juicy flesh isn't just packed with C: it's also packed with papain, which helps digestion. That makes the papaya a perfect after-dinner dessert for the sweet tooth that wants to stay healthy.

#9) Strawberries

84 mg Vitamin C for 1 cup

Lucky for us --the healthy eaters of the world-- that a cup of luscious strawberries has more Vitamin C than an orange. Let's face it: you can't put oranges on your cereal in the morning.

#10) Pineapple

78 mg Vitamin C for 1 cup chunks

Get your antioxidants the tropical way with fresh chunks of pineapple. With lowfat cottage cheese, yogurt, or added to your smoothie, pineapple's exotic taste makes it hard to believe it's a health food. (Just avoid the pina coladas if you can.)

Keep in mind that nutrient content begins to decline once your fruit reaches maturity, so consume your produce while it's as fresh as possible. And don't forget: if it's C you want, there's no reason you can't have an orange if you really want it.

If you enjoyed this article, you should also read:

5 Fruits with More Fiber Than an Apple

5 Things You're Doing Wrong with Your Produce

Produce resources in Knoxville:

• Farm Fresh Produce (Sutherland Ave.)
• Garden Fresh Market (Chapman Hwy)
• Earth Fare (Bearden and Turkey Creek)
• Fresh Market  (Bearden and Farragut)
• Three Rivers Market (North Knoxville)
• Market Square Farmers' Market (Opens May 1st)

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