Quick answer

Beef liver is the richest food source of riboflavin, at 2.9 mg per 3 ounces. Fortified cereal and oats, yogurt, milk, beef, clams, almonds, cheese, eggs and mushrooms follow. About 95% of food riboflavin is absorbed, but light and boiling water destroy or wash some of it away.¹

Key facts

A food with 20% of the Daily Value, about 0.26 mg of riboflavin per serving, counts as a high source.¹
A cup of plain fat-free yogurt and a cup of 2% milk together give more than 80% of the Daily Value.¹
Vegans are more likely than meat eaters to have low riboflavin status.^1,2
Most riboflavin in food is bound to protein and set free during digestion.³

Foods with the most riboflavin per serving

Riboflavin in common foods¹
Food and serving	Riboflavin	Daily Value
Beef liver, pan fried, 3 ounces	2.9 mg	223%
Breakfast cereal fortified with 100% of the DV, 1 serving	1.3 mg	100%
Instant oats, fortified, cooked with water, 1 cup	1.1 mg	85%
Yogurt, plain, fat free, 1 cup	0.6 mg	46%
Milk, 2% fat, 1 cup	0.5 mg	38%
Beef tenderloin steak, grilled, 3 ounces	0.4 mg	31%
Clams, cooked, 3 ounces	0.4 mg	31%
Almonds, dry roasted, 1 ounce	0.3 mg	23%
Swiss cheese, 3 ounces	0.3 mg	23%
Portabella mushrooms, grilled, half a cup	0.2 mg	15%
Rotisserie chicken breast, 3 ounces	0.2 mg	15%
Egg, scrambled, 1 large	0.2 mg	15%
Quinoa, cooked, 1 cup	0.2 mg	15%
Spinach, raw, 1 cup	0.1 mg	8%

Beef liver alone gives more than twice the Daily Value in one serving. After fortified cereals and oats, yogurt and milk are the richest everyday foods, and beef, clams, almonds and Swiss cheese each give about a quarter to a third of the Daily Value.¹

Vegan and dairy-free sources

Plant foods with riboflavin include fortified instant oats (1.1 mg a cup), almonds (0.3 mg an ounce), grilled portabella mushrooms (0.2 mg per half cup), cooked quinoa (0.2 mg a cup) and raw spinach (0.1 mg a cup).¹

In a study of 118 Austrian adults, low riboflavin status was found in about 10% of meat eaters and vegetarians but in over 30% of vegans.²

If you avoid dairy and eggs, fortified cereals and fortified oats carry most of the load, with almonds, mushrooms, quinoa and spinach adding smaller amounts. NIH lists vegans and people who eat no dairy among the groups more likely to run short.^1,4

Light and cooking

Ultraviolet and visible light break riboflavin down quickly, which is why milk is not usually stored in glass containers.¹

Boiling loses about twice as much riboflavin into the cooking water as steaming or microwaving.¹

So keep milk in opaque containers and out of bright light, and steam or microwave vegetables rather than boiling them when you can. If you do boil, using the cooking water in a soup or sauce keeps the riboflavin that leached into it.¹

How well food riboflavin is absorbed

Most riboflavin in food is bound as FAD or FMN, while eggs and milk carry mainly free riboflavin. About 95% of either is absorbed, up to about 27 mg per meal.¹

Most of the riboflavin in food is attached to protein. Stomach acid and enzymes in the small intestine free it, and it is taken up mainly in the upper small intestine by a carrier that handles only so much at once.³

When food may fall short

Pregnant and breastfeeding women who rarely eat meat or dairy, vegetarian athletes and people who drink heavily are more likely to fall short. If that describes you, ask your doctor whether your diet covers your needs.^1,3

Questions people ask

Which fruits have riboflavin?

Fruit is a minor source. A large apple with its skin has about 0.1 mg, 8% of the Daily Value.¹

Do eggs have riboflavin?

Yes. A large scrambled egg has about 0.2 mg, 15% of the Daily Value. The riboflavin in eggs and milk is mostly in its free form, which is absorbed about as well as the bound forms in other foods.¹

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This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.