Riboflavin

This is one in a series of fact sheets containing information to help you select foods that provide adequate daily amounts of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as you follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Guidelines are -

Eat a Variety of Foods
Maintain Desirable Weight
Avoid Too Much Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol
Eat Foods with Adequate Starch and Fiber
Avoid Too Much Sugar
Avoid Too Much Sodium
If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation

WHAT IS MEANT BY A GOOD FOOD SOURCE?

A good food source of riboflavin contains a substantial amount of riboflavin in relation to its calorie content and contributes at least 10 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (U.S. RDA) for riboflavin in a selected serving size. The U.S. RDA for riboflavin is 1/7 milligrams per day. (The U.S. RDA given is for adults, except pregnant or lactating women) and children over 4 years of age.)

The U.S. RDA for riboflavin is the amount of the vitamin used as a standard in nutrition labeling of foods. This allowance is based on the 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for 24 sex-age categories set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences. The 1989 RDA has been set at 1.3 milligrams per day for women 19 to 50 years of age and 1/7 milligrams for men 19 to 50 years of age.

As you can see, in 1985 and 1986, 30 percent of the riboflavin in the diets of women came from grain products such as breads and cereals. Milk and milk products supplied about 25 percent and meat, poultry, and fish provided about 24 percent. Foods that contain small amounts of riboflavin but are not considered good sources can contribute significant amounts of riboflavin to an individual's diet if these foods are eaten often or in large amounts.

Click here for nutrition table for 7,248 foods.

WHY DO WE NEED RIBOFLAVIN?

Riboflavin, a water-soluble vitamin, helps the body release energy from protein, fat, and carbohydrates during metabolism.

DO WE GET ENOUGH RIBOFLAVIN?

According to recent USDA surveys, the intake of riboflavin by American women and men 19 to 50 years of age averaged above the RDA.

HOW CAN WE GET ENOUGH RIBOFLAVIN?

Eating a variety of foods that contain riboflavin is the best way to get an adequate amount. Healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements. The list of foods will help you select those that are good sources of riboflavin as you follow the Dietary Guidelines. The list of good sources was derived from the same nutritive value of foods tables used to analyze information for recent food consumption surveys of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service..

HOW TO PREPARE FOODS TO RETAIN RIBOFLAVIN

Riboflavin can be lost from foods during storage and cooking. To retain riboflavin:

.Store foods in containers through which light cannot pass.

.Cook vegetables in a minimal amount of water.

.Roast or broil meat.

WHAT ABOUT ENRICHED OR FORTIFIED FOODS?

Pasta and most breads made from refined flours are enriched with riboflavin because riboflavin is one of the nutrients lost in processing. Other nutrients added to refined flours and pasta are iron, thiamin, and niacin. Enriched products or products made from enriched flour are labeled as such.

Most ready-to-eat and instant-prepared cereals are fortified with riboflavin. Fortified, ready-to-eat cereals usually contain at least 25 percent of the U.S. RDA for riboflavin. Since cereals vary, check the label on the package for the percentage of the U.S. RDA for a specific cereal.

WHAT IS A SERVING?

The serving sizes used on the list of good sources are only estimates of the amounts of food you might eat. The amount of nutrient in a serving depends on the weight of the serving. For example, the edible part of a cooked chicken leg (thigh and drumstick) weighs more than the edible part of a cooked chicken breast half. Therefore, the chicken leg appears on the list while the chicken breast half does not. The chicken breast half provides the nutrient - but just enough to be considered a good source.

WHAT ARE GOOD SOURCES OF RIBOFLAVIN?

FOOD SELECTED PERCENTAGE OF SERVING SIZE U.S. RDA (1)

BREADS, CEREALS, AND OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS(2)

Bagel, plain, pumpernickel, or whole-wheat 1 medium + English muffin, plain 1 + Multigrain cereal, cooked 2/3 cup + Oatmeal, instant, fortified, prepared 2/3 cup + Pancakes, plain 2 4-inch + pancakes Pita bread, plain 1 small + Ready-to-eat cereals, fortified 1 ounce ++ Waffles, plain or bran 2 4-ounce squares +

VEGETABLES

Broccoli, cooked 1/2 cup + Mushrooms, cooked 1/2 cup + Spinach, cooked 1/2 cup + Sweetpotato, boiled 1 medium +

MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, AND ALTERNATES

Meat and Poultry Beef: Ground, extra lean or lean, baked or broiled 1 patty + Steak, baked or broiled, lean only 3 ounces + Stew meat, simmered, lean only 3 ounces + Chicken leg (thigh and drumstick), broiled or roasted without skin 1 leg + Cornish hen, roasted, without skin 1/2 hen + Ham, fresh, roasted, lean only 3 ounces + Lamb, lean only: Chop, shoulder, braised, broiled, or baked 1 chop + Roast, shoulder, roasted 3 ounces + Liver, braised: Beef, calf, or pork 3 ounces +++ Chicken or turkey 1/2 cup diced +++ Liverwurst 1 ounce ++ Pork, lean only: Chop, baked or broiled 1 chop + Roast, loin or shoulder, roasted 3 ounces + Tongue, braised 3 ounces + Turkey, dark meat, roasted, without skin 3 ounces + Veal, roast, leg, roasted, lean only 3 ounces +

Fish and Seafood Clams; steamed, boiled, or canned; drained 3 ounces + Mackerel or trout, baked or broiled 3 ounces + Mackerel, canned, drained 3 ounces + Mussels, steamed, boiled, or poached 3 ounces + Oysters, canned, undrained 3 ounces +

Nuts and Seeds Almonds, roasted 2 tablespoons +

MILK, CHEESE, AND YOGURT

Cheese: Cottage, regular or lowfat 1/2 cup + Feta 1 ounce + Ice milk, soft-serve, not chocolate 1/2 cup + Milk: Buttermilk 1 cup + Chocolate 1 cup + Evaporated, whole or skim, diluted 1 cup + Whole, lowfat, or skim 1 cup + Yogurt: Frozen 8 ounces + Plain: Made with whole milk 8 ounces + Made with lowfat or nonfat milk 8 ounces ++

(1) A selected serving size contains -

+ 10-24 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

++ 25-39 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

+++ 40 percent or more of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age

(2) Breads and cereals listed are enriched unless otherwise noted. See section on enriched or fortified foods. January 1990

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