Proper nutrition is critical to eye health, and it’s important to know not only what to eat, but also how much. While it’s always best to get essential vitamins and minerals from foods, some of the recommended amounts below may be difficult to achieve without taking supplements. Talk to your doctor or registered dietitian, using this list as a starting point to getting the right amounts of eye-healthy nutrients.

Nutrient	Found in	USDA Dietary Reference Intake	RDA for Ocular Health
Betacarotene*	Carrots, spinach, cantaloupe, pumpkins, turnip greens, winter squash, cabbage	No recommended amount	15,000 µg (15 mg)
Lutein / Zeaxanthin	Kale, spinach, collard greens, turnip greens, corn, green peas, broccoli, tomatoes, eggs	No recommended amount	6,000 – 10,000 µg / 2,000 µg (6 – 10 mg / 2 mg)
Omega-3 Fatty Acids	Salmon, walnuts, canola oil, flaxseeds, sardines, mackerel	No recommended amount	1 g (1,000 mg)
Vitamin A	Sweet potatoes, carrots, beef liver, fortified milk, dried herbs, butternut squash, dried apricots	2,300 IU (women) 3,000 IU (men)	Varies
Vitamin C	Oranges, kiwi, red peppers, grapefruit juice, strawberries, papayas	75 – 90 mg	500 mg
Vitamin D**	Fortified milk, cod liver oil, salmon, herring, mushrooms, beef liver, eggs	600 IU (adults 19 – 70) 800 IU (71 and older)	1,000 – 2,000 IU
Vitamin E	Salad dressing, oils, almonds, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, peanut butter, avocados	22 IU	200 – 400 IU
Zinc	Fortified breakfast cereal, shellfish, beef, cocoa powder, peanuts	8 – 11 mg	20 – 80 mg

Source: USDA and ocular nutrition research literature.

* Current or past smokers should avoid taking nutritional supplements with beta-carotene.

** Based on observational studies of eye disease.