Citrus fruits are full of vitamin C, as well as fiber and important minerals. Get all of the vitamin C found in citrus fruits by drinking juice made with oranges, grapefruit, lemons or limes. You can also eat citrus wedges, and sneak citrus flavors and beneficial vitamin C into your cooking by squeezing a little lime on your chicken, or adding a touch of lemon zest to grilled salmon.
Recommended Amounts
Men need more vitamin C than women, around 90 mg per day. Women only need around 75 mg. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means your body does not store it and excretes any excess levels. You can safely consume high amounts of vitamin C, but the Office of Dietary Supplements suggests keeping your intake to less than 2,000 mg daily.
Oranges
Oranges have the highest amount of vitamin C among citrus fruits. A medium whole orange contains around 70 mg of vitamin C. Orange juice is a concentrated source of vitamin C, because it removes the rind and most of the pulp, which are not as high in vitamin C. An 8-oz. glass of 100 percent orange juice provides up to 125 mg of vitamin C. If you squeeze your own orange juice, save the rind. Zest the rind with a micro-plane to get tiny pieces of rind. Add the zest to your favorite baked goods, pastas or chicken entrees for an additional source of vitamin C.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit is a close second when it comes to vitamin C content. One serving of grapefruit is half of the fruit, which has nearly 40 mg of vitamin C. Sprinkle sugar on grapefruit wedges to minimize the extreme tartness, or enjoy sweetened grapefruit juice. An 8-oz. glass of grapefruit juice provides up to 95 mg of vitamin C.
Lemons and Limes
Do not underestimate lemons and limes; they are also high in vitamin C. While you are less likely to munch on a lemon or lime wedge, you can squeeze the juice of these fruits into many recipes or beverages. Squeezing fresh lemon or lime into your diet soda, about 1/2 oz. of juice, adds around 6 mg of vitamin C to your drink. One peeled lemon wedge provides 4 mg of vitamin C, while a peeled lime wedge has about 2.5 mg.
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