You eat food every day, but sometimes, your choices really give you a lift—like vitamin C-packed fruits and veggies that help your body repair, protect, and stay strong. Let’s look at which common foods have the most vitamin C and how to hang onto those nutrients when you prep, cook, or stash them away.
You’ll see options you already know—citrus, berries, peppers, leafy greens—and maybe spot a few surprises. The idea here is to help you pick and use foods so your meals actually do more for your health.
Guava
Guava’s one of the absolute best natural sources of vitamin C out there. One fruit can give you more than your whole daily requirement, so you don’t need much.
When you eat guava, you’re also getting fiber, potassium, and folate. That combo helps your immune system, supports skin repair (thanks to collagen), and keeps your digestion happy.
Slice guava raw, toss it in salads, or blend it into smoothies. The skin’s edible, by the way—peel it only if you want to.
If you want to get more iron from plant foods, eat guava with your meal. It’s a tasty, easy way to up your vitamin C without needing a supplement.
Red bell peppers
Red bell peppers are loaded with vitamin C—even a small serving packs as much or more than an orange. That means you can boost your daily intake quickly.
They also bring vitamin A, B6, potassium, and fiber. These nutrients help your skin and immune system, plus they’re pretty low in calories.
Eat them raw, roast them, or toss them into salads and stir-fries. Cooking reduces vitamin C, so keep it quick or add raw slices when you can.
Kiwifruit
Kiwifruit might look small, but it delivers a big hit of vitamin C. A 100-gram serving usually has more vitamin C than the same weight of oranges, so just one or two kiwis can cover your daily needs.
You’ll also get fiber, potassium, and vitamin K. Kiwi’s vitamin C is easy for your body to use, which is great for your immune system and skin.
Green kiwifruit is tart and has an enzyme called actinidin that helps with digestion. Golden kiwi is sweeter and may have slightly different vitamin C levels.
Eat kiwi raw, mix it into yogurt or salads, or throw it in a smoothie. If you’re counting calories, kiwi’s a solid choice.
Strawberries
Strawberries are a simple way to get a lot of vitamin C. One cup of sliced berries usually gives you about the full daily value.
Eat them raw, toss them in yogurt, or blend them into smoothies. Cooking knocks down vitamin C, so fresh is best if you can swing it.
They also offer fiber and a bit of folate and manganese. These nutrients support your digestion and metabolism.
If you’re after more vitamin C, compare strawberries to kiwifruit, bell peppers, or guava. Use them as part of a mix, not your only source.
Oranges
Oranges are a classic, reliable source of vitamin C. A medium orange gives you a big chunk of what you need every day.
Eat oranges fresh, juice them, or add segments to salads and salsas. The whole fruit gives you fiber, which slows sugar and helps you feel full.
Vitamin C in oranges helps your body make collagen and absorb iron from plants. To keep the vitamin C, skip long cooking and store oranges somewhere cool.
Want even more vitamin C? Try combining oranges with strawberries or bell peppers for extra flavor and nutrients.
Broccoli
Broccoli gives you a solid dose of vitamin C in just a cup of raw, chopped florets—about 80 mg, which is right up there with daily recommendations.
You’ll get vitamin K, fiber, and plant compounds that support cell health too. These nutrients help your bones and digestion, and offer some antioxidant perks.
How you cook broccoli matters. Steaming or microwaving keeps more vitamin C than boiling, which just dumps it into the water.
Add raw florets to salads, steam them lightly, or toss into stir-fries. These tricks help you keep the vitamin C and enjoy broccoli’s crunch.
Brussels sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a serious vitamin C contender. A cup of cooked sprouts gives you a big chunk of your daily needs, plus fiber and vitamin K.
Roast, steam, or sauté them to keep most of the vitamin C. Don’t overcook—tender-crisp is the way to go.
They also bring fiber for digestion and compounds from cruciferous veggies that might help with inflammation. Pair with a bit of olive oil so your body absorbs fat-soluble nutrients better.
Mix Brussels sprouts with citrus, bell peppers, or strawberries for more variety and color on your plate.
Blackcurrants
Blackcurrants really pack in the vitamin C. One cup easily covers your daily needs—actually, it’s one of the richest fruit sources around.
Eat them fresh, frozen, or as juice. Some heat or long storage will cut the vitamin C, but there’s still plenty left.
Their bold flavor brings antioxidants too, which help your cells stay healthy. Add blackcurrants to yogurt, cereal, or smoothies for a nutrition and taste boost.
Papaya
Papaya is an easy way to get your vitamin C. One cup of chunks often has more vitamin C than an orange.
You’ll also get vitamin A, folate, potassium, and fiber. These nutrients help your immune system, skin, and digestion, all without many calories.
Pick ripe papayas for the best flavor and vitamin levels. Cut them into chunks for salads, smoothies, or just as a quick snack.
Pineapple
Pineapple gives you a solid amount of vitamin C. A cup of pineapple chunks covers a big part of your daily need, which helps your immune system and keeps your skin and tissues in good shape.
You also get manganese and a few other vitamins and minerals. Pineapple’s enzyme, bromelain, might help with digestion and reduce a bit of inflammation for some people.
Fresh pineapple is best for vitamin C—heat and storage knock it down. Add it to fruit salads, smoothies, or grill it to boost flavor and nutrition.
If you have a citrus allergy or take blood thinners, maybe check with your doctor before eating lots of pineapple. Otherwise, enjoy it as part of your mix for vitamin C.
Benefits of Vitamin C-Rich Foods
Vitamin C-rich foods help your body fight infections, fix tissue, and protect your cells. They also help your skin stay strong and healthy by supporting collagen and reducing stress from free radicals.
Immune System Support
Vitamin C helps your white blood cells work better and react faster to infections. When you eat things like oranges, strawberries, or bell peppers, you give your immune cells more vitamin C to use.
It also helps your body make and recycle other immune-supporting molecules. Vitamin C keeps your skin and mucous membranes strong, making it harder for germs to get in.
Getting vitamin C from food gives you extra perks—fiber, phytochemicals, and other nutrients that help your immune system.
Role in Skin Health
Vitamin C is key for making collagen, the protein that keeps your skin firm and stretchy. Foods high in vitamin C—think kiwi, papaya, and red bell pepper—give your body what it needs to repair and build healthy skin.
It also helps fix damage from sun or pollution by neutralizing bad molecules that break down collagen. Eating vitamin C-rich foods regularly gives your skin steady support, which just feels smarter than relying on a pill.
Antioxidant Properties
Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, stopping unstable molecules (free radicals) from messing with your cells and DNA. You make free radicals all the time, and things like smoke or sun add more.
When you eat guava, citrus, or broccoli, vitamin C helps defend your cells. It also helps regenerate other antioxidants, like vitamin E, so your body gets extra backup.
Eating whole foods means you get vitamin C along with other helpful nutrients, which seems like a better deal than just taking a supplement.
Maximizing Nutrient Retention in Cooking
You can keep more vitamin C if you stick with quick, low-heat methods and limit water contact and air exposure. Even small tweaks—like shorter cook times, less water, or cooler storage—can make a real difference.
Best Cooking Methods for Vitamin C
Steam vegetables for 3–7 minutes instead of boiling them. Steaming means less vitamin C ends up in the water, and veggies aren’t blasted with heat for too long.
Always use a tight lid to trap steam and shave off extra cook time.
Microwave veggies in a covered dish with just a splash of water for 1–4 minutes. Microwaving gets food hot fast and tends to keep more vitamin C than those long, high-heat approaches.
Give everything a quick stir halfway through so it cooks evenly.
Sauté quickly over medium-high heat for just a few minutes. Use as little oil as possible, and leave vegetables in bigger pieces—less cut surface means less vitamin loss.
Skip deep-frying and long simmering, since both can zap or wash away vitamin C.
Eat some produce raw—think bell peppers, strawberries, citrus. Raw foods are your best bet for max vitamin C since they never see heat or water.
Tips for Proper Food Storage
Pop your produce in the refrigerator crisper drawer, aiming for 32–40°F (0–4°C). Cooler temps help slow down vitamin C loss.
Keep fruits and veggies whole until you’re ready to use them. Cutting them up too soon? That just speeds up nutrient breakdown.
Grab some airtight containers or resealable bags for storage. Oxygen can zap vitamin C pretty fast, so squeeze out extra air and seal things up.
Wait to wash your produce until right before eating or cooking. If you wash and cut ahead of time, you’ll increase the surface area and lose nutrients faster.
If you have to prewash, make sure you dry everything thoroughly and stash it in the fridge.
Got berries, peas, or greens you can’t finish in a few days? Freeze them. Blanch for 30–60 seconds, dunk in ice water, and pack into airtight containers before freezing.
Hi all! I’m Cora Benson, and I’ve been blogging about food, recipes and things that happen in my kitchen since 2019.