Selenium-Rich Foods: Chart per 100 g

The selenium content of plant foods depends on the soil they grew in. European soils are lower in selenium than North American ones, so the same grain can carry very different values depending on origin. These values come mostly from the USDA database and may run high for European produce.

Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, to normal thyroid function, to the normal function of the immune system and to the maintenance of normal hair and nails.

The German DGE gives 60 µg per day for women and 70 µg for men. Percentages below use 65 µg.

#	Food	Selenium per 100 g	Share of daily reference	Category	Source
1	Brazil nuts	1,917 µg	2,949 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
2	Tuna	90.6 µg	139 %	Meat & fish	USDA
3	Whole wheat pasta	77.6 µg	119 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
4	Whole grain pasta	69.4 µg	107 %	Other	USDA
5	Caviar	65.5 µg	101 %	Chilled	USDA
6	Chia seeds	55.2 µg	85 %	Other	USDA
7	Chicken liver	54.6 µg	84 %	Meat & fish	USDA
8	Sunflower seeds	53 µg	82 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
9	Sardines	52.7 µg	81 %	Meat & fish	USDA
10	Whole grain toast	52.6 µg	81 %	Bakery	USDA
11	Mussels	44.8 µg	69 %	Meat & fish	USDA
12	Octopus	44.8 µg	69 %	Meat & fish	–
13	Mackerel	44.1 µg	68 %	Meat & fish	USDA
14	Beef liver	39.7 µg	61 %	Meat & fish	USDA
15	Wheat flour	39.7 µg	61 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
16	Barley	37.7 µg	58 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
17	Whole grain tortillas	37 µg	57 %	Bakery	USDA
18	Herring	36.5 µg	56 %	Meat & fish	USDA
19	Pollock	36.5 µg	56 %	Meat & fish	USDA
20	Monkfish	36.5 µg	56 %	Meat & fish	USDA
21	Wild salmon	36.5 µg	56 %	Meat & fish	USDA
22	Pork	36.1 µg	56 %	Meat & fish	USDA
23	Sesame	34.4 µg	53 %	Other	USDA
24	Tahini	34.4 µg	53 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
25	Cod	33.1 µg	51 %	Meat & fish	USDA
26	Rye bread	30.9 µg	48 %	Bakery	USDA
27	Oats	28.9 µg	44 %	Dry goods & tinned	–
28	Bun	27.2 µg	42 %	Bakery	–
29	Coconut flour	26.8 µg	41 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
30	Whole grain bread	25.7 µg	40 %	Other	–
31	Flaxseed	25.4 µg	39 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
32	Muesli	25.4 µg	39 %	Dry goods & tinned	–
33	Oats	25.4 µg	39 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
34	Rice cakes	24.6 µg	38 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
35	Lamb meat	23.5 µg	36 %	Meat & fish	USDA
36	Turkey Breast	22.7 µg	35 %	Other	USDA
37	Parmesan	22.5 µg	35 %	Chilled	USDA
38	Egg white	20 µg	31 %	Chilled	USDA
39	Bacon cubes (lean)	20 µg	31 %	Meat & fish	–
40	Cashew nuts	19.9 µg	31 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
41	Amaranth	18.7 µg	29 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
42	Portobello mushrooms	18.6 µg	29 %	Fruit & vegetables	USDA
43	Bacon	18.5 µg	28 %	Meat & fish	–
44	Desiccated coconut	18.5 µg	28 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
45	Soybeans	17.8 µg	27 %	Dry goods & tinned	USDA
46	Mozzarella	17 µg	26 %	Dairy	USDA
47	Chicken meat	16.9 µg	26 %	Meat & fish	USDA
48	Tofu	16.8 µg	26 %	Chilled	USDA
49	Boneless Kassler Chop	16 µg	25 %	Meat & fish	–
50	Chicken breast	15.7 µg	24 %	Meat & fish	USDA

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High values, small amounts

These ingredients score very high per 100 g but are eaten by the teaspoon, not by the plate. That is why they are not in the chart above. The right-hand column shows what a usual amount actually contributes.

Ingredient	per 100 g	usual amount	in that amount
Mustard	33.5 µg	10 g	3.35 µg
Cocoa	14.3 µg	10 g	1.43 µg
Broth powder	27.6 µg	5 g	1.38 µg
Pesto	5.5 µg	20 g	1.1 µg
Miso	7 µg	15 g	1.05 µg
Fish sauce	9.1 µg	10 g	0.91 µg

Brazil nuts are a special case

Brazil nuts are by far the richest plant source, but their content varies several-fold by growing region. A single nut can meet the daily reference or substantially exceed it. Because selenium has a comparatively narrow span between requirement and excess – unlike magnesium or potassium – Brazil nuts are an occasional contribution rather than a daily routine. EFSA gives 300 µg per day as the tolerable upper intake for adults.

How much of it adds up across your week?

Up-Food calculates over 30 nutrients from the real ingredient amounts in your weekly plan – using the same verified values you see in this chart.

See the weekly plan

Frequently Asked Questions

Which foods are high in selenium?

Brazil nuts by a wide margin, then tuna, sardines, herring, eggs, sunflower seeds and wholegrains.

How many Brazil nuts per day?

Because content varies so much by origin, a fixed number is misleading. As an occasional source – one or two nuts, not every day – they are unproblematic. As a daily habit they can reach the tolerable upper intake.

How much selenium per day?

The German DGE gives 60 µg for women and 70 µg for men; the US RDA is 55 µg. EFSA sets 300 µg as the tolerable upper intake.

Are European soils low in selenium?

Yes, European soils average lower than North American ones, so actual values for European plant produce often sit below US chart values. The gap is smaller for animal foods because feed is frequently supplemented.

References

The figures in the chart come from the nutrient databases named below. The statements in the running text on this page rest on the following work:

Stockler-Pinto MB et al.: Effect of Brazil nut supplementation on plasma levels of selenium in hemodialysis patients. J Ren Nutr 2012. doi:10.1053/j.jrn.2011.08.011

Where these numbers come from

All values come from the Up-Food ingredient database: 370 foods, with values from USDA FoodData Central or the German Federal Food Code (BLS). Every row names its source. Daily reference intakes are the D-A-CH reference values of the German Nutrition Society. Data as of 2026-09-19.

What this chart is not
A nutrient chart is a set of measurements, not dietary advice and not medical information. Whether someone is actually short of a nutrient shows in a blood test, not in a list. For symptoms, or before taking supplements, a doctor is the right address.