List of Alpha Carotene Foods

cookinglongevityvitamins and supplements
Written By Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII
Frozen carrots 5542
Pumpkin 4795
Raw carrots 4649
Baby carrots 4425
Boiled carrots 4109
Canned carrots 3470
Butternut squash 1130
Hubbard squash 820
Grape leaves, canned 629
Babyfood squash 308
Green beans frozen 292
Fiddle head fern greens 270
Collards raw 238
Baked beans 147
Tomatoes ripe 112
Collards boiled 90
Cilantro 72
Cornmeal 63
Red pepper 62
Napa cabbage 49
Swiss chard 49
Banana pepper 39
Passion fruit 35
Corn canned 33
Peas frozen 33
Apples with skin 30
Tomato paste 29
Avocados 28
Cherries raw 28
Okra 28
Melon cantaloupe 27
Pepper green 22
Corn frozen 18
Hot pepper 18
Mangos 17
Melon crenshaw 15
Pummelos 14
Asparagus 12
Raspberries 12
Bananas 5
Strawberries 5
Orange juice 2

From: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/car98/car_tble.pdfResearchers from the Center for Disease control found that foods that are high in alpha-carotene (AC), may help lower the risk for heart disease and cancer and increase longevity. Supplements are NOT proven to do the same thing so you have to eat your veggies. Here is a list of the most common, heart healthy versions of these items from the USDA (units per 100g of food).Here are 3 things we learned:Vegetable soups that contain carrots are usually high in AC so if you insist on eating out it may be better to choose vegetable soup more often and hamburgers or deli sandwiches less often.Think carrots in the summer and pumpkin or butternut squash in the winter.Not all winter squash is the same - for example, although acorn squash is a powerhouse and contains beta carotene, it is not high in AC. This is also true for sweet potatoes.

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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII

Judy’s passion for cooking began with helping her grandmother make raisin oatmeal for breakfast. From there, she earned her first food service job at 15, was accepted to the world-famous Culinary Institute of America at 18 (where she graduated second in her class), and went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland, where she focused on pastry arts and baking. After a decade in food service for Hyatt Hotels, Judy launched Food and Health Communications to focus on flavor and health. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude distinction from Johnson and Wales University with a BS in Culinary Arts, holds a master’s degree in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and runs a food photography & motion studio where her love is creating fun recipes and content.

Judy received The Culinary Institute of America’s Pro Chef II certification, the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year. Her enthusiasm for eating nutritiously and deliciously leads her to constantly innovate and use the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to guide her creativity, from putting new twists on fajitas to adapting Italian brownies to include ingredients like toasted nuts and cooked honey. Judy’s publishing company, Food and Health Communications, is dedicated to her vision that everyone can make food that tastes as good as it is for you.

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