30 Foods High In Selenium

Selenium is an essential mineral with several vital functions for human health.

This article examines the best dietary sources and lists foods high in selenium.

The amount of selenium per 100 grams and per typical serving is available for each food.

What Is Selenium?

As an essential mineral, humans need to obtain selenium from their diet. Selenium has a chemical symbol of ‘Se,’ and it has important antioxidant properties (1).

Among the mineral’s health effects, selenium helps to keep the body healthy and protects against DNA damage (2).

The amount of selenium in crops depends on the local soil’s selenium status, which can vary nationally and internationally (3, 4).

Selenium deficiency is rare in the United States and Europe. However, estimates suggest up to one billion people might have an insufficient selenium intake globally (5, 6).

Meat, nuts, seafood, and whole grains are among the best dietary sources of selenium.

How Much Selenium Do We Need?

The amount of selenium we require mainly depends on our age.

Recommended Dietary Allowances

Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) have been set for selenium by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Based on the RDAs, the recommended selenium intake differs by age and pregnancy and breastfeeding status, as shown below (7):

* As shown, there is only an ‘adequate intake’ level set for children under three years old rather than an RDA. Adequate intake levels are set when there is insufficient evidence to provide an RDA.

Daily Values

Daily values (% DV) have also been set for selenium by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Daily values are simple reference amounts for how much of a nutrient we should consume daily based on a typical 2000-calorie diet.

The daily value for selenium is 55 mcg per day (8).

Foods High In Selenium

The following list of foods shows some of the best dietary sources of selenium.

The amount of selenium per 100 grams and per typical serving is presented for each food.

All nutritional data for selenium content is from the USDA’s FoodData Central database.

Daily values have been calculated using USDA data and the FDA’s Daily Values.

1) Barley, Hulled

Barley is a good source of selenium, with a half-cup serving providing 63% of the mineral’s daily value (9).

2) Brazil Nuts

Gram for gram, Brazil nuts are the best dietary source of selenium. An ounce serving, equivalent to roughly six Brazil nuts, provides 989% of the daily value (10).

Brazil nuts are also an excellent source of phosphorus.

3) Chicken, breast, meat only, cooked

A 172-gram cooked chicken breast offers 86% of the daily value for selenium (11).

4) Clams, cooked

Clams provide high levels of selenium; a three-ounce (85-gram) serving provides 99% of the daily value (12).

5) Conch, cooked

Conch is a type of gastropod mollusk (shellfish) that contains a wide range of nutrients. Among these nutrients, it has a high amount of selenium, with 93% of the daily value per cup serving (13).

6) Couscous, cooked

Couscous provides a good selenium source; a cup serving contains 79% of the daily value (14).

7) Cuttlefish, cooked

Cuttlefish is one of the best providers of selenium from all food groups. A three-ounce (85-gram) serving offers 139% of the mineral’s daily value (15).

8) Grouper, cooked

With 94.5 mcg of selenium, a 202-gram fillet of grouper offers 172% of the daily value (16).

9) Ham, leg, lean, cooked

A three-ounce (85-gram) serving of cooked lean ham leg supplies 77% of the daily value for selenium (17).

10) Herring, Atlantic, cooked

Herring is one of the best seafood sources of selenium. On this note, a 143-gram fillet provides 122% of the daily value (18).

11) Kamut, cooked

Kamut, also known as Khorasan wheat, is among the best grain-based options for selenium. A 172-gram cup of kamut has 100% of the mineral’s daily value (19).

12) Kidney, pork, cooked

Organ meats (offal) tend to be one of the best dietary sources of selenium; kidney contains more than most. For example, a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of pork kidney provides 482% of the daily value (20).

13) Liver, lamb, cooked

Liver is another significant selenium source; a three-ounce (85-gram) serving of lamb liver has 172% of the daily value (21).

14) Lobster, cooked

Cooked lobster is a good source of numerous essential nutrients. It provides 113% of the daily value for selenium per three-ounce (85-gram) serving (22).

15) Mackerel, Atlantic, cooked

Atlantic mackerel provides high levels of selenium, with an 88-gram fillet providing 113% of the daily value (23).

16) Oat Bran

Oat bran is a nutrient-rich grain-based product that offers high levels of selenium. A 94-gram cup serving contains 95% of the daily value (24).

Oat bran is also an excellent source of phosphorus.

17) Octopus, cooked

Octopus is a significant source of selenium; a three-ounce (85-gram) serving offers 139% of the daily value (25).

18) Oysters, Eastern, cooked

With 120% of the daily value per three-ounce (85-gram) serving, oysters are a substantial source of selenium (26).

Oysters are also one of the best dietary sources of zinc.

19) Pork chop, lean, cooked

Lean pork chops offer a significant selenium source. For example, a 146-gram pork chop provides 121% of the daily value (27).

20) Salmon, Atlantic, farmed, cooked

All salmon offers a good source of selenium, but there is some slight variation between different varieties. Farmed Atlantic salmon provides 134% of the daily value for selenium per cooked half fillet (28).

21) Salmon, Atlantic, wild, cooked

Gram for gram, wild Atlantic salmon offers slightly more selenium content than farmed Atlantic salmon. However, on average, the size of wild salmon is slightly smaller than farmed salmon.

A half fillet of cooked wild Atlantic salmon provides 131% of the daily value for selenium (29).

22) Sardines, canned in oil

A 92-gram can of sardines offers 88% of selenium’s daily value (30).

Canned sardines are also a convenient source of calcium and protein, vitamin B12, and many other nutrients.

23) Shiitake Mushrooms, cooked

Shiitake mushrooms are a popular mushroom variety that offers a good source of selenium. The mushrooms provide 65% of the daily value per 145-gram cup serving (31).

24) Snapper, cooked

Snapper provides a lot of selenium with a 170-gram fillet offering 151% of the daily value (32).

25) Sunflower Seeds

Sunflower seeds are one of the best plant-based selenium sources. An ounce (28.35g) serving gives 41% of the daily value (33).

26) Swordfish, cooked

Swordfish is another selenium-rich fish option; a 106-gram piece of swordfish provides 132% of the daily value (34).

27) Tofu, firm, prepared with calcium sulfate

Firm tofu provides a moderately high level of selenium; a half-cup serving provides 40% of the daily value (35).

28) Tuna, yellowfin, cooked

Tuna is high in selenium; the yellowfin variety provides 167% of the daily value per three-ounce (85-gram) serving (36).

Other types of tuna, such as canned tuna, are also a good source of selenium and other nutrients like vitamin B12 and iodine.

29) Whelk, cooked

Like conch, whelk is another gastropod mollusk shellfish with a high selenium content. Per three-ounce (85-gram) serving, it offers 139% of the mineral’s daily value (37).

30) Wholewheat Pasta, cooked

Wholewheat pasta offers good levels of selenium; a 151-gram cup serving provides 100% of the daily value (38).

Which Foods Have the Most Selenium Per Typical Serving?

The following table shows the foods with the highest selenium content based on their typical serving size, allowing an at-a-glance comparison.

Final Thoughts

This article shows that a wide range of food provides substantial selenium content.

Among these selenium-rich foods, organ meats, seafood, nuts and seeds, and whole grains offer the highest levels.