Vitamin A

Learn to make healthier food choices by using the Nutrition Facts table on prepackaged foods. Vitamin A is found in the Nutrition Facts table.

What is vitamin A?

• It may help keep skin healthy.
• It may help keep good night vision.
• It is part of normal bone growth.

Where can you find vitamin A?

Sources of vitamin A in the diet are:

• Dairy products like cheese and milk
• Eggs
• Fish and seafood such as herring, mackerel, oysters, salmon, tuna
• Leafy green vegetables such as collards, kale, spinach, Swiss chard
• Liver
• Orange fruit like apricots and cantaloupe
• Orange vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin, squash, sweet potato

How can you make a healthier choice?

• Use the % Daily Value (% DV) in the Nutrition Facts table.
• Remember: 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot for all nutrients.
• Vitamin A is a nutrient you may want more of.

Helpful hints at the grocery store:

• Always look at the Nutrition Facts table to choose and compare foods.
• Choose dark green and orange vegetables.
• Choose fish and seafood such as herring, mackerel, oysters, salmon and tuna.
• Choose lower fat milk.

How is the % DV for vitamin A calculated?

The Daily Value used in nutrition labelling is based on 1000 RE of vitamin A for a reference diet (Note: RE equals retinol equivalents).

For example, if a food product has 132 RE of vitamin A, the product would have a % Daily Value for vitamin A of 13%.
(132 RE ÷ 1000 RE) × 100 = 13%.

Remember: 5% DV or less is a little and 15% DV or more is a lot for all nutrients.

For more information

• Understanding food labels
• Canada's Food Guide
• Shopping tips