USDA-derived rankings
Vegan foods high in selenium
Selenium fuels antioxidant enzymes and thyroid hormone conversion; two brazil nuts cover a day.
Who this is for: Useful if you avoid fish and eggs, or want thyroid and antioxidant support from food rather than pills.
Reviewed 20 July 2026. Ranked per typical serving against the fixed adult reference of 75 µg a day.
The clear number one
Brazil Nuts
One serving (20g) gives you 384 µg of selenium, around 512% of the daily reference in one go.
See the full nutrition score for brazil nutsThe ranking
Ranked by what a typical serving covers, because nobody eats 100g of everything. The badge shows per-100g density: high means at least 30% of the daily reference per 100g, source means at least 15%.
| # | Food | Per serving | Per 100g |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil Nuts | 384 µg512% of daily reference | 1,920 µghigh |
| 2 | Pasta (cooked) | 52 µg69% of daily reference | 26 µghigh |
| 3 | Wholemeal Pasta | 51 µg68% of daily reference | 36 µghigh |
| 4 | Couscous | 43 µg58% of daily reference | 28 µghigh |
| 5 | Bagel | 23 µg30% of daily reference | 22 µgsource |
| 6 | Rye Bread | 20 µg26% of daily reference | 31 µghigh |
| 7 | Brown Rice (cooked) | 20 µg26% of daily reference | 10 µg |
| 8 | Pitta Bread | 16 µg22% of daily reference | 27 µghigh |
| 9 | Portobello Mushrooms | 16 µg21% of daily reference | 19 µgsource |
| 10 | Sunflower Seeds | 15 µg20% of daily reference | 53 µghigh |
| 11 | Pearl Barley | 14 µg18% of daily reference | 9 µg |
| 12 | Chia Seeds | 13 µg18% of daily reference | 55 µghigh |
| 13 | Porridge (Cooked Oats) | 13 µg17% of daily reference | 5 µg |
| 14 | Tofu (firm) | 13 µg17% of daily reference | 10 µg |
| 15 | White Rice (cooked) | 12 µg16% of daily reference | 8 µg |
| 16 | Oats (porridge, dry) | 12 µg15% of daily reference | 29 µghigh |
| 17 | Tortilla / Wrap | 11 µg15% of daily reference | 25 µghigh |
| 18 | Wholegrain Bread | 10 µg14% of daily reference | 26 µghigh |
| 19 | Plain Flour | 10 µg14% of daily reference | 34 µghigh |
| 20 | White / Sourdough Bread | 10 µg13% of daily reference | 22 µgsource |
Foods with any animal-derived tag (meat, fish, eggs, dairy, honey) are excluded.
Brazil nuts overshoot on purpose: a couple covers the day, and a large daily handful gets close to the safe upper level of about 400 µg, so more is not better here.
Narrow it to your way of eating
How this list is built
Every number comes from Nutrigate's USDA-derived generic food table, the same data behind the food nutrition scores. The daily reference for selenium is 75 µg, an evidence-based adult amount; the app personalises it to you. Serving sizes are typical household portions, shown in grams so you can judge them.