Quick answer
Grape juice tops NIH's list at 7.5 mcg per cup, followed by ham, a whole wheat English muffin and brewer's yeast at about 3.3 to 3.6 mcg per serving. Since adults need about 20 to 35 mcg a day, a varied diet usually covers it, though food values vary widely.1,2
Key facts
- One cup of grape juice has 7.5 mcg of chromium, 21% of the Daily Value.1
- Most dairy foods and sugary foods are low in chromium; a cup of fat-free milk has less than 0.1 mcg.1
- Food labels do not have to list chromium unless it has been added to the food.1
- Measuring chromium in food is hard, because sampling and lab tools can add chromium to the sample.1
Chromium in common foods
| Food and serving | Chromium | Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Grape juice, 1 cup | 7.5 mcg | 21% |
| Ham, 3 ounces | 3.6 mcg | 10% |
| Whole wheat English muffin, 1 | 3.6 mcg | 10% |
| Brewer's yeast, 1 tablespoon | 3.3 mcg | 9% |
| Orange juice, 1 cup | 2.2 mcg | 6% |
| Beef, 3 ounces | 2.0 mcg | 6% |
| Lettuce, 1 wedge, about 5 ounces | 1.8 mcg | 5% |
| Turkey breast, 3 ounces | 1.7 mcg | 5% |
| Barbecue sauce, 1 tablespoon | 1.7 mcg | 5% |
| Tomato juice, 1 cup | 1.5 mcg | 4% |
| Apple with peel, 1 medium | 1.4 mcg | 4% |
| Green beans, half cup | 1.1 mcg | 3% |
| Banana, 1 medium | 1.0 mcg | 3% |
| Whole wheat bread, 1 slice | 1.0 mcg | 3% |
| Peanut butter, 1 tablespoon | 0.6 mcg | 2% |
| Chicken breast, 3 ounces | 0.5 mcg | 1% |
| Egg, 1 medium | 0.2 mcg | 1% |
Per serving, grape juice (7.5 mcg per cup), ham (3.6 mcg per 3 ounces), a whole wheat English muffin (3.6 mcg) and brewer's yeast (3.3 mcg per tablespoon) are among the higher sources NIH lists.1
Why the numbers vary
The chromium in a food depends on the soil and water it grew in and on how it was processed. Samples of oatmeal, for example, have varied 50-fold, so published values are only a guide.1
Cooking adds another variable. Food processed in stainless steel equipment, or cooked in stainless steel pots and pans, can pick up small amounts of chromium from the metal, so a home-cooked dish may hold more than a table suggests.1,2
Most dairy products and foods high in sugars such as sucrose and fructose are low in chromium.1
How much the body takes in
Only a small share of food chromium is absorbed, about 0.4% to 2.5%. Vitamin C and some medicines such as aspirin raise that share, while antacids and oxalate lower it. Oxalate is plentiful in foods such as spinach, collard greens, sweet potatoes, rhubarb and beans.1,3
That low absorption is one reason intake is hard to judge from food tables. Urine levels show what was absorbed recently, but there is no validated test of how much chromium the body holds.1
Foods with chromium and magnesium, zinc or selenium
No single food is high in all four, but some food groups appear on NIH's lists for each of them. Whole grains and nuts are on all four.2,4,5,6
| Food group | Chromium | Magnesium | Zinc | Selenium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread and other grain products | Yes | Yes, whole grains | Yes, whole grains | Yes |
| Nuts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Beef, turkey and other meats | Yes | Not listed | Yes | Yes |
| Vegetables | Yes, such as lettuce and green beans | Yes, green leafy | Not listed | Not listed |
| Milk and other dairy | Mostly low | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Is there chromium picolinate in food?
NIH lists chromium picolinate among the forms used in dietary supplements, along with nicotinate, polynicotinate, chloride and histidinate, not among food sources. The share absorbed from these supplement forms is similar to the share absorbed from food.1
Questions people ask
Are bananas high in chromium?
Not especially. A medium banana has about 1 mcg, 3% of the Daily Value, the same as a slice of whole wheat bread.1
Can I get enough chromium from food alone?
NIH says a variety of foods can provide recommended amounts, and small US studies suggest typical diets come close to the adequate intakes. An analysis of 22 balanced menus found about 27 mcg per 2,000 calories, ranging from about 17 to 47 mcg.1,2
Does brewer's yeast have a lot of chromium?
It is one of the better sources per spoonful, at 3.3 mcg per tablespoon, 9% of the Daily Value. A cup of grape juice has more than twice as much, and ham and a whole wheat English muffin slightly more per serving.1
See what we make
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Sources
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Chromium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated June 2, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Chromium: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Calcium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated June 22, 2026. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated October 4, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Selenium: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated June 18, 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.
This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.