Foods with more nutrients than you think

Tomatoes are often celebrated as a superfood, largely because of their lycopene content — an antioxidant compound the fruit is well known for. Tomatoes do contain plenty of lycopene, but they are not the richest source. Many foods popularly associated with a particular nutrient are in fact outpaced by less obvious alternatives. When looking to boost a specific nutrient, it pays to choose the foods that actually contain the most of it.

Lycopene is a case in point: watermelon contains more of it than tomatoes. The exact amount varies by variety, but on average watermelon has more than 1.6 times the lycopene of tomatoes. According to the US Department of Agriculture, tomatoes contain about 3 mg of lycopene per 100 grams, while watermelon contains 4.8 mg.

A study on lycopene content in plants published in the journal Phytochemistry in 2000 found that, among fresh fruits, guava had the highest lycopene content at 5.4 mg per 100 grams, followed by watermelon, papaya, grapes and then tomatoes.

Lycopene is a compound that may support prostate, cardiovascular and skin health. It is sometimes called a natural anticancer agent for its ability to block cell damage. Even so, eating large amounts of watermelon at once to maximize lycopene intake is not advisable. According to the Korean Diabetes Association, watermelon has a glycemic index of 72, which falls in the high-glycemic range, so moderation is key.

Bananas have a strong reputation as a source of magnesium, but almonds in fact contain far more. According to nutritional data from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, raw bananas contain 32 mg of magnesium per 100 grams, while almonds pack 322 mg — about 10 times as much.

A single handful of almonds (about 28 grams) delivers 77 mg of magnesium along with 6 grams of protein, 4 grams of dietary fiber (20 percent of the daily recommended intake) and 7 mg of vitamin E (61 percent), making it a well-rounded nutritional source.

Oranges are the first fruit most people think of for vitamin C, but several foods contain more. Among the most notable is gold kiwi, which has about 1.6 times the vitamin C of an orange.

Ministry of Food and Drug Safety data show that oranges contain 55.9 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams, while tangerines (Unshu mandarin) come in lower at 30.6 mg. Gold kiwi contains 90.9 mg and green kiwi 86.5 mg. Among vegetables, orange bell pepper leads at 116.2 mg.

For those looking to boost vitamin C for skin health or immune support, gold kiwi and orange bell pepper are better choices than tangerines or oranges.