RDAs, food sources for selected vitamins and minerals
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for selected nutrients commonly displayed on food labels
| Micronutrient | Vitamin A (mcg*/day) |
Vitamin C (mg**/day) |
Potassium (mg**/day) |
Calcium (mg**/day) |
Iron (mg**/day) |
| For women >51 years | 700 | 75 | 4,700 | 1,000-1,200 | 8 |
| For men >51 years | 900 | 90 | 4,700 | 1,000-1,200 | 8 |
* mcg = micrograms; **mg = milligrams
Source: Institute of Medicine
Selected food sources of vitamin A
| Food | Vitamin A (micrograms) |
| Carrots, sliced, boiled, 1/2 cup | 1,069 |
| Spinach, frozen, boiled, 1/2 cup | 573 |
| Kale, frozen, boiled, 1/2 cup | 956 |
| Apricots with skin, juice packed, 1/2 cup | 207 |
| Mango, sliced, 1 cup | 89 |
| Milk, fortified, skim, 8 ounces | 149 |
| Egg, hard-boiled, 1 large | 203 |
| Cheese, cheddar, 1 ounce | 350 |
Source: Institute of Medicine
Selected food sources of vitamin C
| Food | Vitamin C (milligrams) |
| Red sweet pepper, raw, 1/2 cup | 142 |
| Kiwi fruit, 1 medium | 70 |
| Orange, 1 medium | 70 |
| Green sweet pepper, raw, 1/2 cup | 60 |
| Grapefruit juice, 3/4 cup | 50-70 |
| Vegetable juice cocktail, 3/4 cup | 50 |
| Strawberries, 1/2 cup | 49 |
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
Selected food sources of calcium
| Food | Calcium (milligrams) |
| Yogurt, plain, 1 cup | 415 |
| Cheddar cheese, 1 ounce | 306 |
| Milk, nonfat, 1 cup | 302 |
| Yogurt, fruit, low-fat, 1 cup | 245-384 |
| Orange juice, calcium-fortified, 6 ounces | 200-260 |
| Tofu, firm, made with calcium sulfate, 1/2 cup | 204 |
| Salmon, pink, canned, with bones, 3 ounces | 181 |
| Cottage cheese, 1% milk fat, 1 cup | 138 |
| Spinach, cooked, 1/2 cup | 120 |
| Chinese cabbage, raw, 1 cup | 74 |
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
Selected food sources of iron
| Food | Iron (milligrams) |
| Raisin Bran, 1 cup | 18.7 |
| White beans, canned, 1 cup | 17.8 |
| Boiled spinach, 1 cup | 6.4 |
| Raw oat bran, 1 cup | 5.0 |
| Boiled soybeans, 1 cup | 4.5 |
| Canned lima beans, 1 cup | 4.3 |
| Boiled peas, 1 cup | 3.8 |
| Stewed tomatoes, canned, 1 cup | 3.3 |
| Canned prune juice, 1 cup | 3.0 |
| Lean bottom round steak, 3 ounces | 2.4 |
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
Selected food sources of potassium
| Food | Potassium (milligrams) |
| Sweet potato, baked, 1 medium | 694 |
| Tomato paste, 1/4 cup | 664 |
| Baked potato, without skin, 1 medium | 610 |
| White beans, canned, 1/2 cup | 595 |
| Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 8 ounces | 531 |
| Halibut, cooked, 3 ounces | 490 |
| Soybeans, green (edamame), cooked, 1/2 cup | 485 |
| Yellowfin tuna, cooked, 3 ounces | 484 |
| Banana, 1 medium | 422 |
| Spinach, cooked, 1/2 cup | 419 |
| Milk, nonfat, 1 cup | 382 |
| Apricots, dried, 1/4 cup | 378 |
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
