Top 10 Vitamin E Superfoods: The Healthy Antioxidant

Newsflash: Your vitamin E supplement can't stave off disease on its own. Here are the top 10 foods to help keep you healthy.

By Annie Bell Muzaurieta

Share
athletic woman stretching in field
John Howard / Getty
Back Next

The Health Benefits of Vitamin E

While new research shows that vitamin C or E pills may not protect against cancer or heart disease, there's no doubt these nutrients are essential if consumed as part of a healthy diet. Nothing beats a balanced diet.

Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant and could play a role in preventing a range of diseases. It's also considered important for maintaining healthy, youthful skin.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for vitamin E is 15 mg a day for adults. According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines, most Americans need to increase their consumption of foods rich in vitamin E, which can be tricky because foods high in vitamin E tend to be eaten in smaller amounts. Here are the foods where you'll find the greatest concentration of this nutrient.

bowl of fortified cereal
Jill Chen / Istock
Back Next

1. Fortified Cereals

Fortified ready-to-eat cereals will give you anywhere from 1.6 to 12.8 mg of vitamin E per serving.

If you're looking for a departure from the bowl, try these Cereal Tarts with Yogurt and Fresh Fruit.

2. Sunflower Seeds

One ounce of dry roasted sunflower seeds delivers 7.4 mg of vitamin E and 165 calories. Sunflower oil is a good source too, providing 5.6 mg of the vitamin and 120 calories.

Recipes:

Butternut Squash Soup

Maple Crunch Oatmeal

Pumpkin Quinoa Muffins

Gluten-Free Granola Bars

pile of almonds
Vladislav Mitic / Istock
Back Next

3. Nuts

Almonds take the prize here, providing 7.3 mg of vitamin E and 164 calories per ounce. Try this recipe for Maple Crunch Oatmeal for a twist on the versatile nut.

Hazelnuts (4.3 mg of vitamin E and 178 calories per ounce); mixed dry nuts (3.1 mg of vitamin E and 168 calories per ounce); and peanuts (2.2 mg of vitamin E and 166 calories per ounce) are other good sources of the nutrient.

Other Recipes:

Cranberry Almond Coffee Cake

Orange-Almond Cake

Wild Rice with Almonds

Almond-Brown Butter Cakes with Fresh Currants

Roasted Red Pepper and Almond Butter Tapenade

Plum Almond Galette

Gluten-Free Orange-Almond Cake

Red Snapper with Parsley-Almond Pesto

Baked Fresh Ham with Roasted Apple and Almond Salad

Wheat Berry Salad with Dried Fruit, Almonds and Chevre

Chocolate Hazelnut Macaroons

Quinoa Hazelnut Scones

Hazelnut Crackers

Ginger Apple Hazelnut Upside-Down Cake

Hazelnut-Honey Granola

Gluten-Free Granola Bars

Spicy Bean Burgers

4. Vegetable Oils

One tablespoon of cottonseed oil offers 4.8 mg of vitamin E, while safflower oil isn't far behind with 4.6 mg. Try safflower oil to caramelize veggies or fruits, like the pear topping in this Butternut Squash Soup recipe.

5. Turnip Greens

These may seem like an unlikely superfood, but don't give up on the humble turnip green: A half cup has 2.9 mg of vitamin E and just 24 calories.

The greens on this common root vegetable are just as edible as they are nutritious. In addition to Vitamin E, a half a cup of turnip greens have 441 mg of vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene) and 24 calories - and with Vitamin C, folate, Vitamin K and calcium as well, they're far more nutritious than the turnip itself. Try young leaves as an accent to a salad, or boil twice, replacing the water in between, to serve as a side dish. Also look for mustard and dandelion greens for a similar leafy health boost.

Barbara Pheby / IStock
Back Next

7. Pine Nuts

One ounce of pine nuts contains 2.6 mg of vitamin E and 191 calories. Pine nuts are a great addition to pasta dishes or salads, such as this recipe for Orzo Pasta Salad.

More Recipes:

Tortellini Salad with Pine Nuts

Pasta with Chicken and Pesto

Thin Spaghetti with Pesto and Tomatoes

Summer Squash Tian

Georgina Palmer / IStock
Back Next

8. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter contains 2.5 mg of vitamin E and 192 calories per two tablespoons. A perfect excuse for a PB and J, or you could try this recipe for Sesame Noodles.

Other Recipes:

Gluten-Free Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Stefanie Timmermann / IStock
Back Next

9. Wheat Germ

Plain toasted wheat germ, an excellent topping for hot cereals, has 2.3 mg of vitamin E and 54 calories per two tablespoons.

Recipe:

Hazelnut-Honey Granola

Return to Slideshow

Related Links