Making foods rich in vitamin A a part of your diet supports healthy eye, respiratory, urinary and digestive function. Vitamin A is vital to so many bodily functions that it is an essential part of every diet.
While you can take vitamin supplements, vitamin A foods are better at delivering usable retinol, the form of vitamin A our bodies crave and need. When you consume animal source vitamin A, it is immediately usable. When vitamin A is consumed in vegetable or plant-based forms, it is received as provitamin A carotenoid, which then is converted into retinol and is absorbed at a much lower rate. Therefore it is best to consume animal-source vitamin A foods as often as possible.
Animal-Source Vitamin A Foods
The best source of vitamin A are eggs, products made with whole milk, fortified low-fat or skim milk, margarine, liver and fortified cereals. Surprisingly, vitamin-A fortified foods deliver retinol quite efficiently, making these products viable options.
Plant-Based Vitamin A Foods
The best plant-based vitamin-A foods are spinach, carrots, cantaloupes and sweet potatoes.
Vitamin A-Rich Grocery List
Menu Ideas for Vitamin A-Rich Diet
If you're looking for practical ways to consume the ingredients on the grocery list above, try some of these ideas:
 | Consuming too much vitamin A, which is a fat-soluble vitamin, can lead to vitamin A toxicity. The medical term for vitamin A toxicity is hypervitaminosis A. It means your body is storing way too much vitamin A and your body is not responding well to this high level. |
 | Vitamin A deficiency can be quite serious. In developing countries, it is not uncommon to see widespread vitamin A deficiency resulting in weakened immune systems. |
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