Basics 15 Healthy Foods That Are High in Lutein By Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). Learn about our editorial process Shereen Lehman, MS Reviewed by Reviewed by Marisa Moore, RDN, MBA on September 29, 2020 pinterest instagram Marisa Moore is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a BS in nutrition science and MBA in marketing. She is also the founder of Marisa Moore Nutrition. Learn about our Review Board Marisa Moore, RDN, MBA on September 29, 2020 Print Lutein is a yellow-to-orange colored pigment that's related to vitamin A. Lutein is concentrated in the retinas of your eyes, so it's a necessary component of healthy vision. It also works as an antioxidant to reduce the damage done by free radicals and may support healthy blood vessels. Several dark leafy green and yellow/orange vegetables are high in lutein. Your body can't synthesize its own lutein, so you need to consume it in your diet. These 15 lutein-rich foods also offer other nutritious vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and, in most cases, fiber. 1 Kale Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Kale has a reputation as a health food for a reason. Besides lutein, kale is rich in calcium, vitamin C, beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin K, and fiber. It's also low in calories—one cup of raw kale has only 8 calories. Kale and Potato Hash 2 Winter Squash Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Winter squash, which includes varieties such as butternut, Hubbard, and acorn squash, is very high in lutein and vitamin A. These squashes are also rich in potassium and contain substantial amounts of several other vitamins and minerals. One cup of cooked butternut squash has 6.5 grams of fiber and about 80 calories. Butternut Squash Grain Bowl 3 Collards Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Like most leafy greens, collards are rich in vitamins and minerals. Besides lutein, beta-carotene, and vitamin A, collards are particularly high in calcium and magnesium. They're also super-rich in vitamin K and have plenty of vitamin C. Smoky Collards With Chickpeas 4 Yellow Sweet Corn Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Yellow sweet corn is high in lutein and potassium, plus it has some fiber and B vitamins. Popcorn is also high in lutein and fiber, and is a whole grain—making it a nutritious snack, as long as it's not soaked in butter or topped with too much salt. Mexican Street Corn on the Cob 5 Spinach Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Spinach is another green leafy vegetable that's super good for you. It's rich in lutein as well as iron, calcium, and potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and fiber. It's also low in calories—only 7 calories per cup of raw spinach leaves. Spinach Spaghetti Aglio e Olio 6 Swiss Chard Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Swiss chard is yet another leafy green vegetable that's rich in lutein. A 1-cup serving of chopped cooked chard has just 35 calories, but it's a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K. Swiss chard doesn't require a lot of effort to prepare—boil it or sauté with a little olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. Chard and Mushroom Quiche 7 Green Peas Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Peas aren't the most exciting of vegetables, but they are nutrient-dense. Not only are they high in lutein, they also offer magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc, B-complex vitamins and vitamin A. Lemon Mint Pea Dip 8 Arugula Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Arugula (also known as "rocket") is another green leafy vegetable that's high in lutein, and just about every other vitamin and mineral. Arugula is super low in calories and is perfect for a salad base or wilted in a little bit of olive oil and garlic. Peach, Avocado, and Arugula Flatbread 9 Brussels Sprouts Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Besides having lots of lutein, cruciferous Brussels sprouts are a good source of many other vitamins and several minerals. They're also high in dietary fiber and have only 56 calories per cup. Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Delicata Squash 10 Broccoli Rabe Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Broccoli rabe (also called broccoli raab or rapini) is high in lutein, vitamin A, folate, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K. It's also a good source of fiber and very low in calories—about 9 calories per cup, raw. Tri-Color Vegetarian Egg Rolls 11 Pumpkin supermimicry / Getty Images Pumpkin's rich orange flesh is super high in lutein. It's also high in potassium. Pumpkin also isn't high in calories unless you add a lot of sugar with 1 cup of plain mashed pumpkin offering about 50 calories. Creamy Pumpkin Soup 12 Egg Yolks Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Most of the time, you'll get your lutein from plant sources, but one animal source of note is egg yolk—lutein gives the yolk its yellow color. Eggs are also a good source of protein. Healthier Deviled Eggs 13 Sweet Potatoes Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Sweet potatoes are rich in lutein, vitamin A, beta-carotene, potassium, manganese, vitamin C, and fiber. They're sweet, delicious, inexpensive, and easy to prepare (no marshmallows required; just roast like a baking potato). Kale and Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potato 14 Carrots Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman You may have heard that carrots help you see better. They are high in lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin C, plus they're a good source of several B vitamins, potassium, and manganese. A 1-cup serving of sliced carrots has about 50 calories. Roasted Carrots With Orange and Fresh Herbs 15 Asparagus Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman Asparagus is high in lutein and many other nutrients, including calcium and magnesium. It's also an excellent source of vitamins A, K, and C. Asparagus is low in calories too—1 cup of cooked asparagus has about 40 calories. Springtime Stir-Fried Asparagus A Note on Lutein Supplements If you have certain medical needs or conditions, your doctor may recommend that you take a lutein supplement. Lutein is often paired with zeaxanthin, another antioxidant that's important for healthy vision. As part of the Age-Related Eye Disease study, researchers found that large doses of lutein, combined with the zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and copper, may help slow down the progression of macular degeneration (MD) and preserve vision in people who have early MD. Evidence that lutein can prevent or treat cataracts, however, is inconclusive according to a 2018 study, and more research is needed. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Looking to lose weight? Our nutrition guide can help you get on the right track. Sign up and get it free! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Jia YP, Sun L, Yu HS, et al. The pharmacological effects of lutein and zeaxanthin on visual disorders and cognition diseases. Molecules. 2017;22(4). doi:10.3390/molecules22040610 Migliozzi M, Thavarajah D, Thavarajah P, Smith P. Lentil and kale: Complementary nutrient-rich whole food sources to combat micronutrient and calorie malnutrition. 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FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published April 1, 2019. Broccoli raab, raw. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published April 1, 2019. Pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt. FoodData Central. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published April 1, 2019. Liu RH. Health-promoting components of fruits and vegetables in the diet. Adv Nutr. 2013;4(3):384S-92S. doi:10.3945/an.112.003517 Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 Research Group. Lutein + zeaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids for age-related macular degeneration: The Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2) randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2013;309(19):2005-15. doi:10.1001/jama.2013.4997. Buscemi S, Corleo D, Di Pace F, Petroni ML, Satriano A, Marchesini G. The effect of lutein on eye and extra-eye health. Nutrients. 2018;10(9). doi:10.3390/nu10091321