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Top 10 Sources of Vitamin C (Including 3 Foods With more than Oranges)

Fight colds with these natural health foods!

By Annie Bell Muzaurieta
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The Health Benefits of Vitamin C

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Vitamin C helps the body maintain healthy tissues and a strong immune system, and it aids in the absorption of iron. Vitamin C is considered a powerful ally if you're trying to avoid or kick a cold or other illness. Together with calcium and iron, it's also an important part of a diet that counteracts lead poisoning.

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for adult men is 90 mg and for adult women it's 75 mg, and recent research has called into question the efficacy of vitamin C pills. Get your vitamin C naturally with these top 10 food sources, according to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. You may be surprised to find oranges don't rank No. 1.

Guava

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Guava is rich in vitamin C -- one half cup of the fruit contains 188 mg of vitamin C and 56 calories. Eat the fruit raw, or try this recipe for a Hawaiian smoothie.

Red Sweet Pepper

vitamin C, red pepper red sweet pepper

You probably instantly think citrus when you think of immune system-boosting vitamin C, but red sweet pepper offers a solid dose of the nutrient. One half cup of raw red sweet pepper contains 142 mg of vitamin C and 20 calories. If you cook the veggie, a half cup offers 116 mg of vitamin C.

You can always chop up a red pepper into salads and for crudités, but for a different take on the brightly hued vegetable, try these recipes:

Roasted Red-Pepper and Herb Dip
Bistro Pizza
Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Butter Tapenade
Farm Stand Succotash
Garlicky Spinach with Red Peppers and Golden Raisins
Red Pepper and Potato Home Fries
Grilled Vegetable Tostadas with Fresh Salsa
Rotelle with Ratatouille
Boneless Chicken with Potato-Pepper Hash
Boneless Bruschetta with Roasted Peppers
Bell Peppers with Summer Vegetables
Arugula Salad with Grilled Radicchio
Green Tagliatelle with Red Hot Pepper Sauce
Vegetable Stew Nicoise with Tofu
Turkey Curry
Madras Lentil Curry
Roasted Vegetables and Linguine Salad
Jerk Chicken Kabobs

Kiwi

vitamin C, food sources, kiwi kiwi

Kiwi -- the fruit, not the bird that's the national symbol of New Zealand -- is rich in vitamin C. One medium kiwi contains 70 mg of the nutrient and 46 calories.

The fruit is typically eaten raw, but you could always attempt to make New Zealand's national dessert, the Pavlova, which is often topped with kiwi.

Recipes:
Blueberry-Kiwi Tarts
Fruit Salad for a Little Guy

Orange

vitamin C, food sources, oranges, orange juice orange

Who doesn't want an injection of acidic orange when in need of a vitamin C boost? You're justified. One medium orange contains 70 mg of vitamin C and 62 calories.

If you prefer it in liquid form, 3/4 cup of orange juice contains 61-93 mg of vitamin C and 79-84 calories.


Recipes:
Orange and Ginger Brûlée Custards
Quail with Golden-Cherry Barbeque Sauce
Apricot, Beet and Cumin Soup
Orange Rosemary Turkey
Blood Orange Mimosa
Orange Spelt Muffins
Orange Vinaigrette
Apricot-Braised Lamb Shanks
Achiote-Citrus Roasted Turkey
Cranberry and Ginger Tea Punch
Apple Butter
Cool Honey Green Tea
Beet, Orange, and Watercress Salad
Gluten-Free Orange-Almond Cake
Fruit Salad for a Little Guy
Citrusy Root Vegetable Puree

Grapefruit Juice

vitamin C, food sources, grapefruit juice, grapefruit juice

Grapefruit juice provides almost the same amount of vitamin C as green peppers: 3/4 cup has 50-70 mg vitamin C and 71-86 calories.

Recipes:
Winter Greens with Pink Grapefruit and Red Onions
Baby-Greens Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette
Grapefruit and Spinach Salad
Grapefruit Relish

Vegetable Juice Cocktail

vitamin C, food sources, vegetable juice vegetable juice cocktail

Drinking your vegetables provides plenty of nutrients, including a vitamin C punch (and, if your veggie juice is tomato-based, a healthy dose of lycopene, a disease-fighting phytonutrient). You'll get 50 mg of vitamin C and 34 calories in 3/4 cup of juice.

Sub vegetable juice cocktail for tomato juice in this recipe for Fire-Roasted Gazpacho.

Strawberries

strawberries, vitamin C strawberries

Strawberries are full of fiber and antioxidants, including vitamin C. A half cup of strawberries contains 49 mg of the vitamin and 27 calories.

Recipes:
Fresh Strawberry Cake
Rhubarb and Strawberry Fool
Fresh Berry Pie
Strawberry Rhubarb Sparkler
Citrus Yogurt Mousse with Strawberry and Raspberry Sauce
Fresh Strawberry Pie
Nan's Strawberry Dessert
Fior di Latte Ice Cream with Crunchy Bran Crust, Strawberries and Pinot Noir Sauce
Strawberry Granita
Light Crepes with Strawberry Compote
Avocado and Strawberries with Honey Vinaigrette
Baked Maple-Cinnamon French Toast with Fresh Strawberries
Perfect Strawberry Preserves
Strawberry and Rhubarb Soup with Yoghurt Sorbet
Strawberry - Rhubarb Pie
Berries and Cream Shortcake
Fruit Salad for a Little Guy

Brussels Sprouts

Vitamin C, Vitamin K, superfoods, brussels sprouts, real food diet, healthy recipes brussels sprouts

This veggie may not be the most kid-friendly choice, but it is a true superfood -- packed with both 48 mg of Vitamin C, 300 μg of Vitamin K and just 28 calories.

Recipes:
Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Baby Carrots and Pearl Onions
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Prunes

Cantaloupe

vitamin C, food sources, cantaloupe cantaloupe

One quarter of a medium cantaloupe has 47 mg of vitamin C and 51 calories.

Check out these bright ideas when in the mood for melon.

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