Quick answer
The richest everyday sources of thiamine are fortified breakfast cereals, with up to 1.2 mg a serving, then enriched egg noodles, pork, trout and black beans at 0.4 to 0.5 mg. Whole grains, mussels, seeds and nuts add smaller amounts. Dairy and most fruit contain little, and cooking water carries some away.1
Key facts
- A food with 20% of the Daily Value or more, at least 0.24 mg of thiamin per serving, counts as a high source.1
- Roughly half the thiamin Americans eat was added to foods during processing.1
- A 3 ounce pork chop has about four times the thiamin of the same amount of braised beef.1
- Sulfite preservatives and enzymes in some raw fish destroy thiamin.2
Foods with the most thiamine per serving
| Food and serving | Thiamin | Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast cereal fortified with 100% of the DV, 1 serving | 1.2 mg | 100% |
| Egg noodles, enriched, cooked, 1 cup | 0.5 mg | 42% |
| Pork chop, bone in, broiled, 3 ounces | 0.4 mg | 33% |
| Trout, cooked, 3 ounces | 0.4 mg | 33% |
| Black beans, boiled, half a cup | 0.4 mg | 33% |
| English muffin, plain, enriched, 1 | 0.3 mg | 25% |
| Mussels, cooked, 3 ounces | 0.3 mg | 25% |
| Bluefin tuna, cooked, 3 ounces | 0.2 mg | 17% |
| Whole wheat macaroni, cooked, 1 cup | 0.2 mg | 17% |
| Acorn squash, baked, half a cup | 0.2 mg | 17% |
| Brown rice, not enriched, cooked, half a cup | 0.2 mg | 17% |
| Sunflower seeds, toasted, 1 ounce | 0.1 mg | 8% |
| Whole wheat bread, 1 slice | 0.1 mg | 8% |
Anything at 20% of the Daily Value or more counts as a high source. A bowl of fortified cereal, a plate of enriched noodles, a pork chop, a trout fillet or a serving of black beans each covers a third or more of an adult's daily need.1
Where most people get it
About half of the thiamin in the US diet comes from foods that contain it naturally, and the rest from foods with thiamin added. Cereals and bread are the most common sources.1
Pork stands out among meats. A broiled pork chop has 0.4 mg in 3 ounces, braised beef bottom round 0.1 mg, and roast chicken almost none.1
Dairy products and most fruits contain little thiamin. A cup of 2% milk or low-fat yogurt has about 0.1 mg.1
Cheddar cheese and apples are other examples of foods with almost no thiamin, which is why a diet built around dairy, chicken and fruit can be lower in it than one with pork, beans and whole or enriched grains.1
Vegetarian and vegan sources
Plant foods cover thiamin well. Legumes such as black beans and soybeans, whole grains, seeds, nuts and enriched bread, pasta and rice all provide it, and fortified cereal alone can supply a full day's amount.1,3
In a study of 118 Austrian adults, most had satisfactory thiamin status whether they ate meat, were vegetarian or were vegan.4
How cooking and processing change it
Heat and water reduce thiamin. Bread has 20% to 30% less than its raw ingredients, pasteurizing milk removes up to 20%, and thiamin dissolves into cooking water that is poured away.1
Unless it is enriched, white rice has one tenth the thiamin of brown rice.1
Because thiamin dissolves in water, cooking with less water, or using the liquid in soups and sauces, keeps more of it. Choosing whole grain or enriched rice, bread and pasta matters more than any single cooking method.1
Sulfites added to foods as preservatives destroy thiamin, and enzymes in some raw or fermented fish break it down.2
When food may not be enough
Heavy drinking lowers how much thiamin the body absorbs and stores, and people who have had bariatric surgery absorb less of it. In both cases, ask your doctor about thiamin rather than relying on food choices alone.1
Questions people ask
Which vegetables are high in thiamine?
Few vegetables are rich in it. Baked acorn squash has 0.2 mg per half cup and a boiled ear of corn 0.1 mg, while black beans do better, at 0.4 mg per half cup.1
Does milk have thiamine?
Only a little. A cup of 2% milk has about 0.1 mg, and pasteurizing can remove up to a fifth of that small amount.1
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Sources
- National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Thiamin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated February 9, 2023. Opened 2026-10-07.
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Dietary reference values for thiamin. EFSA J. 2016;14(12):e04653. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Thiamin: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
- Majchrzak D, Singer I, Manner M, et al. B-vitamin status and concentrations of homocysteine in Austrian omnivores, vegetarians and vegans. Ann Nutr Metab. 2006;50(6):485-491. Opened 2026-10-07.
This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.