Recommended Mineral Intake

The following chart shows the recommended minimum daily intake and the recommended “not to exceed” daily maximums (tolerable upper intake levels) for minerals – as recommended for healthy adults by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy’s Institute of Medicine, USA. When there is more than one line for a mineral, the first line is for everyone, ages 14 and older, unless a second or third line specifies an age group.

It’s not necessary for your multi-vitamin-mineral to contain 100% of every nutrient. Even then, however, the recommended daily intake for calcium would not fit into a single pill (or if it did, the pill would be huge).

NK = means “not known”
Mg = milligrams
Mcg = micrograms (1,000 mcg = 1 mg)

RDI

Mineral

Women

Men

min.

max.

min.

max.

Boron NK 20mg NK 20mg
Boron(ages14-18) 17mg 17mg
Calcium 1,000mg 2,5000mg 1,000mg 2,500mg
Calcium (ages14-18) 1,300mg 1,300mg
Calcium (ages51+) 1,200mg 1,200mg
Chromium 25mcg NK 35mcg NK
Chromium (ages51+) 20mcg 30mcg
Copper 900mcg 10,000mcg 900mcg 10,000mcg
Fluoride 3mg 10mg 4mg 10mg
Iodine 150mcg 1,000mcg 150mcg 1,000mcg
Iron 18mg 45mg 8mg 45mg
Iron (ages14-18) 15mg 11mg
Iron (ages50+) 8mg
Magnesium 310mg 350mg 350mg 400mg
Magnesium (ages14-18) 360mg 410mg
Magnesium (ages31+) 320mg 420mg
Manganese 1.8mg 11mg 2.3mg 11mg
Manganese (ages14-18) 1.6mg 9mg 2.2mg 9mg
Molybdenum 45mcg 2,000mcg 45mcg 2,000mcg
Molybdenum (ages14-18) 43mcg 1,700mcg 43mcg 1,700mcg
Nickel NK 1.0mg NK 1.0mg
Phosphorus 700mg 4,000mg 700mg 4,000mg
Phosphorus (ages14-18) 1,250mg 1,250mg
Selenium 55mcg 400mcg 55mcg 400mcg
Vanadium NK 1.8mg NK 1.8mg
Zinc 8mg 40mg 11mg 40mg

Iron Rich Foods

Food Sources of Iron ranked by milligrams of iron per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All are  10% of RDA for teen and adult females, which is 18 mg/day.)

Food, Standard Amount

Iron (mg)

Calories

Clams, canned, drained, 3 oz

23.8

126

Fortified ready-to-eat cereals (various), ~ 1 oz

1.8 -21.1

  54-127

Oysters, eastern, wild, cooked, moist heat, 3 oz

10.2

116

Organ meats (liver, giblets), various, cooked, 3 oz a

5.2-9.9

134-235

Fortified instant cooked cereals (various), 1 packet

4.9-8.1

Varies

Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup

4.4

149

Pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, 1 oz

4.2

148

White beans, canned, ½ cup

3.9

153

Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp

3.5

47

Lentils, cooked, ½ cup

3.3

115

Spinach, cooked from fresh, ½ cup

3.2

21

Beef, chuck, blade roast, lean, cooked, 3 oz

3.1

215

Beef, bottom round, lean, 0″ fat, all grades, cooked, 3 oz

2.8

182

Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup

2.6

112

Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 3 oz

2.5

177

Beef, rib, lean, ¼” fat, all grades, 3 oz

2.4

195

Chickpeas, cooked, ½ cup

2.4

134

Duck, meat only, roasted, 3 oz

2.3

171

Lamb, shoulder, arm, lean, ¼ ” fat, choice, cooked, 3 oz

2.3

237

Prune juice, ¾ cup

2.3

136

Shrimp, canned, 3 oz

2.3

102

Cowpeas, cooked, ½ cup

2.2

100

Ground beef, 15% fat, cooked, 3 oz

2.2

212

Tomato puree, ½ cup

2.2

48

Lima beans, cooked, ½ cup

2.2

108

Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup

2.2

127

Navy beans, cooked, ½ cup

2.1

127

Refried beans, ½ cup

2.1

118

Beef, top sirloin, lean, 0″ fat, all grades, cooked, 3 oz

2.0

156

Tomato paste, ¼ cup

2.0

54

a High in cholesterol.

Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.

Vitamin A Rich Foods

Food Sources of Vitamin A ranked by micrograms Retinol Activity Equivalents (RAE) of vitamin A per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All are  20% of RDA for adult men, which is 900 mg/day RAE.)

Food, Standard Amount Vitamin A
(μg RAE)

Calories

Organ meats (liver, giblets), various, cooked, 3 oza

1490-9126

134-235

Carrot juice, ¾ cup

1692

  71

Sweetpotato with peel, baked, 1 medium

1096

103

Pumpkin, canned, ½ cup

953

42

Carrots, cooked from fresh, ½ cup

671

27

Spinach, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

573

30

Collards, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

489

31

Kale, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

478

20

Mixed vegetables, canned, ½ cup

474

  40

Turnip greens, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

441

24

Instant cooked cereals, fortified, prepared, 1 packet

285-376

75-97

Various ready-to-eat cereals, with added vit. A, ~1 oz

180-376

100-117

Carrot, raw, 1 small

301

20

Beet greens, cooked, ½ cup

276

19

Winter squash, cooked, ½ cup

268

38

Dandelion greens, cooked, ½ cup

260

18

Cantaloupe, raw, ¼ medium melon

233

46

Mustard greens, cooked, ½ cup

221

11

Pickled herring, 3 oz

219

222

Red sweet pepper, cooked, ½ cup

186

19

Chinese cabbage, cooked, ½ cup

180

10

a High in cholesterol.

Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.

 

Vitamin C Rich Foods

Food Sources of Vitamin C ranked by milligrams of vitamin C per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All provide  20% of RDA for adult men, which is 90 mg/day.)

Food, Standard Amount

Vitamin C (mg)

Calories

Guava, raw, ½ cup

188

56

Red sweet pepper, raw, ½cup

142

20

Red sweet pepper, cooked, ½ cup

  116

19

Kiwi fruit, 1 medium

70

46

Orange, raw, 1 medium

70

62

Orange juice, ¾ cup

61-93

79-84

Green pepper, sweet, raw, ½ cup

60

  15

Green pepper, sweet, cooked, ½ cup

51

  19

Grapefruit juice, ¾ cup

50-70

71-86

Vegetable juice cocktail, ¾ cup

50

34

Strawberries, raw, ½ cup

49

27

Brussels sprouts, cooked, ½ cup

48

28

Cantaloupe, ¼ medium

47

51

Papaya, raw, ¼ medium

47

30

Kohlrabi, cooked, ½ cup

45

24

Broccoli, raw, ½ cup

39

15

Edible pod peas, cooked, ½ cup

38

34

Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup

37

26

Sweetpotato, canned, ½ cup

34

  116

Tomato juice, ¾ cup

33

31

Cauliflower, cooked, ½ cup

28

17

Pineapple, raw, ½ cup

28

37

Kale, cooked, ½ cup

27

18

Mango, ½ cup

23

54

Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.

Magnesium Rich Foods

Food Sources of Magnesium ranked by milligrams of magnesium per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All are  10% of RDA for adult men, which is 420 mg/day.)

Food, Standard Amount

Magnesium (mg)

Calories

Pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted, 1 oz

151

148

Brazil nuts, 1 oz

107

186

Bran ready-to-eat cereal (100%), ~1 oz

103

74

Halibut, cooked, 3 oz

91

  119

Quinoa, dry, ¼ cup

89

159

Spinach, canned, ½ cup

81

25

Almonds, 1 oz

78

164

Spinach, cooked from fresh, ½ cup

78

  20

Buckwheat flour, ¼ cup

75

101

Cashews, dry roasted, 1 oz

74

163

Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup

74

  149

Pine nuts, dried, 1 oz

71

191

Mixed nuts, oil roasted, with peanuts, 1 oz

67

175

White beans, canned, ½ cup

67

154

Pollock, walleye, cooked, 3 oz

62

96

Black beans, cooked, ½ cup

60

  114

Bulgur, dry, ¼ cup

57

120

Oat bran, raw, ¼ cup

55

58

Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup

54

  127

Tuna, yellowfin, cooked, 3 oz

54

  118

Artichokes (hearts), cooked, ½ cup

50

  42

Peanuts, dry roasted, 1 oz

50

166

Lima beans, baby, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

50

  95

Beet greens, cooked, ½ cup

49

19

Navy beans, cooked, ½ cup

48

127

Tofu, firm, prepared with nigaria , ½ cup

47

  88

Okra, cooked from frozen, ½ cup

47

  26

Soy beverage, 1 cup

47

127

Cowpeas, cooked, ½ cup

46

100

Hazelnuts, 1 oz

46

178

Oat bran muffin, 1 oz

45

77

Great northern beans, cooked, ½ cup

44

104

Oat bran, cooked, ½ cup

44

44

Buckwheat groats, roasted, cooked, ½ cup

43

78

Brown rice, cooked, ½ cup

42

108

Haddock, cooked, 3 oz

42

95

a Calcium sulfate and magnesium chloride.

Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.

Vitamin E Rich Foods

Food Sources of Vitamin E ranked by milligrams of vitamin E per standard amount; also calories in the standard amount. (All provide  10% of RDA for vitamin E for adults, which is 15 mg a-tocopherol [AT]/day.)

Food, Standard Amount

AT (mg)

Calories

Fortified ready-to-eat cereals, ~1 oz

1.6-12.8

90-107

Sunflower seeds, dry roasted, 1 oz

7.4

165

Almonds, 1 oz

7.3

164

Sunflower oil, high linoleic, 1 Tbsp

5.6

120

Cottonseed oil, 1 Tbsp

4.8

120

Safflower oil, high oleic, 1 Tbsp

4.6

120

Hazelnuts (filberts), 1 oz

4.3

178

Mixed nuts, dry roasted, 1 oz

3.1

168

Turnip greens, frozen, cooked, ½ cup

2.9

24

Tomato paste, ¼ cup

2.8

54

Pine nuts, 1 oz

2.6

191

Peanut butter, 2 Tbsp

2.5

192

Tomato puree, ½ cup

2.5

48

Tomato sauce, ½ cup

2.5

39

Canola oil, 1 Tbsp

2.4

124

Wheat germ, toasted, plain, 2 Tbsp

2.3

54

Peanuts, 1 oz

2.2

166

Avocado, raw, ½ avocado

2.1

161

Carrot juice, canned, ¾ cup

2.1

71

Peanut oil, 1 Tbsp

2.1

119

Corn oil, 1 Tbsp

1.9

120

Olive oil, 1 Tbsp

1.9

119

Spinach, cooked, ½ cup

1.9

21

Dandelion greens, cooked, ½ cup

1.8

18

Sardine, Atlantic, in oil, drained, 3 oz

1.7

177

Blue crab, cooked/canned, 3 oz

1.6

84

Brazil nuts, 1 oz

1.6

186

Herring, Atlantic, pickled, 3 oz

1.5

222

Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.

Potassium Rich Foods

Food Sources of Potassium ranked by milligrams of potassium per standard amount, also showing calories in the standard amount. (The AI for adults is 4,700 mg/day potassium.)

Food, Standard Amount

Potassium (mg)

Calories

Sweetpotato, baked, 1 potato (146 g)

694

131

Tomato paste, ¼ cup

664

54

Beet greens, cooked, ½ cup

655

19

Potato, baked, flesh, 1 potato (156 g)

610

145

White beans, canned, ½ cup

595

153

Yogurt, plain, non-fat, 8-oz container

579

127

Tomato puree, ½ cup

549

48

Clams, canned, 3 oz

534

126

Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 8-oz container

531

143

Prune juice, ¾ cup

530

136

Carrot juice, ¾ cup

517

71

Blackstrap molasses, 1 Tbsp

498

47

Halibut, cooked, 3 oz

490

119

Soybeans, green, cooked, ½ cup

485

127

Tuna, yellowfin, cooked, 3 oz

484

118

Lima beans, cooked, ½ cup

484

104

Winter squash, cooked, ½ cup

448

40

Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup

443

149

Rockfish, Pacific, cooked, 3 oz

442

103

Cod, Pacific, cooked, 3 oz

439

89

Bananas, 1 medium

422

105

Spinach, cooked, ½ cup

419

21

Tomato juice, ¾ cup

417

31

Tomato sauce, ½ cup

405

39

Peaches, dried, uncooked, ¼ cup

398

96

Prunes, stewed, ½ cup

398

133

Milk, non-fat, 1 cup

382

83

Pork chop, center loin, cooked, 3 oz

382

197

Apricots, dried, uncooked, ¼ cup

  378

78

Rainbow trout, farmed, cooked, 3 oz

375

144

Pork loin, center rib (roasts), lean, roasted, 3 oz

371

190

Buttermilk, cultured, low-fat, 1 cup

370

98

Cantaloupe, ¼ medium

368

47

1%-2% milk, 1 cup

366

102-122

Honeydew melon, 1/8 medium

365

58

Lentils, cooked, ½ cup

365

115

Plantains, cooked, ½ cup slices

358

90

Kidney beans, cooked, ½ cup

358

112

Orange juice, ¾ cup

355

85

Split peas, cooked, ½ cup

355

116

Yogurt, plain, whole milk, 8 oz container

352

138

Source: Nutrient values from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17. Foods are from ARS single nutrient reports, sorted in descending order by nutrient content in terms of common household measures. Food items and weights in the single nutrient reports are adapted from those in 2002 revision of USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 72, Nutritive Value of Foods. Mixed dishes and multiple preparations of the same food item have been omitted from this table.