Don’t be fooled into thinking that if a vegetable is green, then it has no beta-carotene. The carotenoid pigments in many vegetables are overshadowed by the green color of chlorophyll. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard, turnip greens and beet greens are very rich sources of beta-carotene, packing 300 to 580 micrograms of RAE per 3.5-ounce serving. If you can find them, add some young dandelion greens to your fresh vegetable salad. Even common varieties of red, green and romaine leaf lettuces contain 370 to 440 micrograms of RAE per 3.5-ounce serving. (found this on line)
As the summer winds down, food sources of beta-carotene in the garden or at your grocer start to ramp up. Cantaloupe provides a sweet and delicious 170 micrograms of RAE per 3.5-ounce serving. If you would prefer to cook your beta-carotene foods, try baking some winter squash or pumpkin . Per 3.5-ounce serving, canned pumpkin contains 780 micrograms, baked butternut squash contains 560 micrograms and baked hubbard squash contains 335 micrograms of RAE. To enhance beta-carotene absorption in your small intestine, mix some sunflower seeds with diced squash, as the seed oil will enhance absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as beta-carotene.
My ducks love greens romaine, swiss chard turnips and collards.
