Nutrient lists · USDA FNDDS 2021–2023
Foods high in selenium
Per serving, the top food in USDA’s FNDDS is Kidney, with 117 µg of selenium in ½ cup (70 g), 213% of the Daily Value. Fish, tuna, cooked, Beef, steak, T-bone, lean only eaten and Lobster come next. Per 100 grams, Brazil nuts ranks first, at 1,920 µg.
Per serving
Serving size a usual portion
| Food | Serving | Selenium | % DV |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kidney | ½ cup · 70 g | 117 µg | 213% |
| 2Fish, tuna, cooked | 1 small/regular fillet · 90 g | 101 µg | 183% |
| 3Fish, swordfish | 1 fillet, any size · 140 g | 87.1 µg | 158% |
| 4Beef, steak, T-bone, lean only eaten | 1 regular · 300 g | 81.3 µg | 148% |
| 5Lobster | 1 tail · 100 g | 80.5 µg | 146% |
| 6Shrimp, dried | ½ cup · 67.5 g | 80.3 µg | 146% |
| 7Mixed nuts, unroasted | 1 package · 50 g | 73.5 µg | 134% |
| 8Fish, halibut | 1 fillet, any size · 140 g | 69.7 µg | 127% |
| 9Fish, mackerel, grilled | 1 small/regular fillet · 140 g | 64.8 µg | 118% |
| 10Liverwurst | ½ cup, solid pack · 106.5 g | 61.8 µg | 112% |
| 11Noodles, whole grain, cooked | 1 cup, cooked · 160 g | 57.8 µg | 105% |
| 12Pork, chop, lean only eaten | 1 regular · 120 g | 57.7 µg | 105% |
| 13Pork, carnitas | 1 cup · 135 g | 56.2 µg | 102% |
| 14Egg substitute, omelet, scrambled, or fried, no added fat | 1 cup, cooked · 135 g | 55.6 µg | 101% |
| 15Pasta, whole grain, cooked | 1 cup, cooked · 140 g | 50.5 µg | 92% |
% Daily Value: the share of the FDA’s 55 µg a day in one serving.
Per 100 grams
Serving size 100 g
| Food | Selenium | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| 1Brazil nuts | 1,920 µg | 3,491% |
| 2Kidney | 167 µg | 304% |
| 3Mixed nuts, unroasted | 147 µg | 267% |
| 4Flax seeds | 136 µg | 247% |
| 5Shrimp, dried | 119 µg | 216% |
| 6Fish, tuna, cooked | 112 µg | 204% |
| 7Lobster | 80.5 µg | 146% |
| 8Sunflower seeds, plain, unsalted | 79.3 µg | 144% |
| 9Wheat bran | 77.6 µg | 141% |
| 10Nuts, NFS | 73.8 µg | 134% |
| 11Trail mix with nuts | 71.4 µg | 130% |
| 12Fish, anchovy | 68.1 µg | 124% |
| 13Caviar | 65.5 µg | 119% |
| 14Wheat germ | 65 µg | 118% |
| 15Liver, chicken | 63.2 µg | 115% |
% Daily Value: the share of the FDA’s 55 µg a day in 100 g.
About selenium in this data
FNDDS reports selenium in micrograms, and the FDA’s Daily Value is 55 µg. Brazil nuts hold about ten times more per 100 g than the next food. The NIH notes that selenium in plant foods varies with the soil they grew in; FNDDS gives one average per food, so a given Brazil nut can hold much more or less.
For what selenium does in the body and how much people need, see Selenium: Fact Sheet for Consumers, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
How these lists work
- Foods. USDA’s generic foods, less baby foods, meal replacements, energy drinks, vitamin waters, mixed dishes such as sandwiches and soups, and recipe ingredients.
- Serving. One of FNDDS’s own portions, the one nearest the amount FNDDS assumes when someone doesn’t say how much they ate.
- One row per food. A food FNDDS lists several ways, such as baked, fried and grilled, shows once, at its highest.
Track selenium in Calorie Tape
Calorie Tape logs every nutrient a food reports, selenium included, and shows which foods your day’s selenium came from. It works offline, needs no account, and keeps your log on your iPhone.
Related nutrients
- Foods high in zincTop per serving: Oysters, canned
- Foods high in copperTop per serving: Liver, beef
- Foods high in vitamin ETop per serving: Wheat germ oil
- Foods high in omega-3sTop per serving: Fish, salmon, grilled
- Compare the top twoKidney vs Fish, tuna, cooked, every nutrient, in Food vs food
- All 27 nutrientsVitamins, minerals, protein, fiber and more
Sources
- USDA Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) 2021–2023, from FoodData Central: every food, amount and portion. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
- Selenium: Fact Sheet for Consumers, NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
- Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels, U.S. Food and Drug Administration: the Daily Values behind % DV.
- Calorie Tape Food Data: where the app’s foods come from.
Calorie Tape is a food log, not medical advice. Spotted a wrong number? Email hellochillcreatures@gmail.com.