Eating good foods for eye health is one of the best ways of taking care of your precious eyes. This is a list of important eye foods that help strengthen and protect the eye structures such as the retina, macula, vitreous, optic nerve, photoreceptors and others.  

10 Good Foods for Eye Health 

1.    Carrots 

It’s not just a hype – carrots are indeed excellent foods for eye health. They have a bright orange color because they contain beta carotene which is converted to Vitamin A within the body. 

Vitamin A helps maintain a clear and health cornea. It also prevents blindness, especially night blindness, as well as protects from eye trouble down the road such as not being able to see well in dim lights. It also helps in smooth functioning of the retina. 

Munch on a raw carrot a day, add it to your salads or juice them to benefit from their sight-saving abilities. 

Read: 3 Great Juicing Recipes for Eye Health

2.    Sweet Potatoes 

Mmm…these starchy root vegetables are creamy and full of goodness for eye health! They are loaded in beta carotene, just like carrots. 

The body converts this compound into Vitamin A which helps keep eyes free from dryness, prevents night blindness and also helps reduce the risk of eye infections.

Enjoy sweet potatoes in an oven veggie roast, baked sweet potato fries, steamed sweet potatoes, or any other way you like! 

3.    Eggs 

Well, what a surprise – eggs are on this list of 10 foods for eye health! More specifically, we are talking about egg yolks. 

I know, most of us tend to avoid the yolks because we think they may be bad for our weight or cholesterol. 

But guess what? The yolks are where most of the nutrients including two powerful eye nutrients – lutein and zeaxanthin are found! These nutrients help protect our eyes from vision loss. 

Having eggs 4 days of the week is perfectly fine and helps save your eyes too! 

4.    Fatty Fish 

By fatty fish, we mean fish that is loaded with omega 3 fatty acids – one of the top nutrients for eye health. Omega 3 helps fight inflammation and reduces the risk of macular degeneration. 

Fatty fish includes salmon (make sure you consume organic wild salmon, not the farmed kind), mackerel, herring, tuna, anchovy and more. It also contains niacin that helps ward off cataracts. 

5.    Walnuts 

Nuts are also beneficial for good eye health. Walnuts are great sources of omega 3 fats and Vitamin E. These nutrients protect against age-related eye damage including macular degeneration. 

Vitamin E in walnuts is also good for preventing dry eyes, while the omega 3 prevents inflammation in eye structures. 

6.    Leafy Greens 

Another one of the top foods for eye health is leafy greens, including spinach, kale, beet greens, collard greens and more.

Leafy greens contain an array of eye-loving nutrients. They are rich in lutein, zeaxanthin, Vitamin C, beta carotene and more. All these antioxidants protect the eyes from free radical damage, thwarting age-related eye damage like cataracts, macular degeneration and vision loss. 

7.    Broccoli 

These little tree-shaped veggies are awesome for eye health. They contain eye-friendly antioxidants and carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin that protect the structures at the back of the eye such as the retina.

Broccoli is also loaded with Vitamin B12 which is important for guarding the eyes against light sensitivity which results in eye strain, inflammation and fatigue.

Next time, include steamed broccoli in your spicy veggie stir-fry and reap its benefits for good eye health.

8.    Dairy 

Who knew having a glass of milk (grass-fed) can save your eyes?! Dairy includes milk, cheese, yogurt and other milk products and they are all rich in Vitamin A and zinc. 

Vitamin A helps protect the retina and zinc helps transport the vitamin to your eyes from the liver. Zinc is abundant in eyes structures, especially in the retina and choroid a tissue that lies under the retina.  Zinc also guards against night blindness and cataracts. 

Look for organic grass-fed dairy products and avoid those from factory farmed animals as they are pumped with hormones and antibiotics.

9.    Citrus Fruit 

Oranges, mandarins, grapefruit and lemons are good foods for eye health. This is because they are loaded with Vitamin C, that promotes healthy blood vessels in the eyes.

Consuming citrus fruit also wards off cataracts and age-related macular macular degeneration. 

10.  Avocado 

Last but not least on this list of good foods for eye health is avocado! These creamy buttery foods are rich in antioxidants that support eye health. 

Some of these include omega 3 fats as well as the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These antioxidants fortify the eye structures and protect them from cataracts, macular degeneration as well as inflammation and dryness. 

You have reached the end of the article. Load your plate with the above foods good for eye health and preserve your eyes!